The Short Answer
ADHD brains struggle with the multi-step process of deciding, listing, and shopping. The solution is to externalize executive function. Use a visual app like Shopa that combines recipes and lists into one view, reducing the friction between "thinking of dinner" and "buying the ingredients."
Why Traditional Advice Fails You
Neurotypical advice usually suggests "sitting down on Sunday to plan every meal." For someone with ADHD, this is a trap. It demands three things you might be low on:
Sustained Attention
To get through the boring planning phase.
Working Memory
To remember what is already in your fridge.
Task Initiation
To actually get up and go to the store.
Strategy 1: Visual Planning
Text lists are boring; images are stimulating. Shopa allows you to browse meals by photos. Seeing a picture of "Spicy Tacos" triggers a dopamine response that the word "Tacos" on a notepad simply does not.
Strategy 2: The "One-Touch" Rule
Reduce friction. In Shopa, you tap a recipe, and it automatically adds all necessary ingredients to your list. It handles the "remembering" for you, so you don't have to hold 15 items in your working memory.
A calmer kitchen awaits
You aren't "bad" at being an adult. You just need better tools.