"What Should I Eat?" – Why This Question Stresses You Out (And How to Fix It)
It's 7 PM, you're hungry, but have zero idea what to cook? That's not laziness; it's Decision Fatigue. Here is how to clear your mind and enjoy dinner again.
The 7 PM Dilemma
Do you know this scenario? You get home after a long day at work. You're tired, your stomach is growling, and you open the fridge. You stare into it. One minute. Two minutes. And then you order pizza.
Why does this happen, even though there are vegetables in the crisper drawer? The answer is: Decision Fatigue.
Why Your Brain Goes on Strike
Psychologists estimate that we make up to 35,000 decisions every day. What to wear? Which ticket to buy? How to reply to that email? Each of these decisions costs energy.
By the time dinner rolls around, your "battery" for willpower and decision-making is often simply flat. The question "What should I cook?" doesn't feel like an opportunity; it feels like another complex task your brain refuses to solve.
3 Ways to Escape the Trap
You don't need to be a master chef to solve this problem. Here are three strategies:
- Routine over Spontaneity: Decide that Tuesdays are always pasta nights. That eliminates the decision entirely.
- Good Enough is Great: It doesn't always have to be the perfect, fancy meal. Simple scrambled eggs count as dinner, too.
- Start with what you have: Instead of trying to invent something new, look at your existing stock. This drastically reduces options and makes choosing easier.
Often, it helps to reverse the process: Not "What am I in the mood for?" but "What can I make with this?". Take a look at our ingredients hub and let us show you what's possible without the mental gymnastics.
Conclusion
Be kind to yourself. If you can't make another decision in the evening, that's just human. Use tools that do the thinking for you, so eating becomes a joy again, not a stressor.