Decision Fatigue – What’s for Dinner?

Supper Sanity Meal Cheat Sheet will minimize decision fatigue and keep the dinner menu exciting. Learn how to create a what's for dinner cheat sheet and keep meal planning a breeze!

April 21, 2020

Karen's Supper Sanity Kitchen - What's for dinner?

Put Meal Planning on Auto Pilot

After a busy day at work (remote or otherwise), deciding what to make for dinner can be overwhelming. With so many decisions made throughout the day, why worry about the looming question: WHAT’S FOR DINNER? 

Supper Sanity Meal Planning Kit
Worksheets available for purchase on the Shop Page.

Make a Cheat Sheet for Dinner Ideas

We’ve all felt decision fatigue – a lack of energy and focus that leads to making poor decisions. That poor decision could be running through the drive-thru or ordering pizza. While these options are great and relieve pressure off the family cook, they should be a planned option that makes it a special treat.  Not a decision that makes you feel guilty or wasting food in the fridge

I devised a grid of many of our family favorites. I share them with you to help with your meal inspiration. All these recipes and more are on the website.

This week’s menu at my house:

Recipe Organization

I organize my recipes by protein type: Beef, Chicken, Fish/Seafood, Meatless/Eggs, Pork, Turkey. If meat or protein is on sale at the grocery, I can quickly scan down my list and determine what sounds good for the week. I rotate my recipes with different cuisines. By sticking with these cuisines, the unique ingredients, spices, and condiments are in the kitchen and used rather than collecting dust in the pantry or going out of date in the fridge: Cuisines include Asian, Classic, Italian, Mediterranean, Southern, SW/Mexican.

Invest in Cookware

Another way to stay varied and efficient is to think through the cooking methods that make sense in the home and invest in these appliances or cookware needed: crockpot, grill, pressure cooker, Dutch oven for stovetop, casserole dishes, wok for stir fry, etc. Having the proper tools helps with cooking.  Check out the Kitchen Essential Checklist.

A Meal Cheat Sheet is Your Friend

I use a Meal Cheat Sheet of my favorite recipes with a month of menu ideas. This makes it easy to choose a meal if I have the protein in the freezer or the meat is on sale at the grocery store. I generally choose one of the protein categories each week to get variety and cuisine style.  When you have meal ideas on a  grid, it is easier to choose—NO DECISION FATIGUE.

Keeping a list of your favorite dinners helps with meal planning.  Do you have a meal planning tip? Please share it in the comment section below? Supper Sanity is a simple system that offers shortcuts in the kitchen for meal planning, grocery shopping, and recipe organization. Simplify daily decisions so you can tackle other interests.

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Karen The Supper Sanity Chef

Welcome to Supper Sanity

Hello, I’m Karen, a very passionate meal planner. As a mother of three, I have been planning family menus for years. When I was diagnosed with a digestive condition, I found it necessary to follow an eating regime that eliminated many ingredients. That made meal planning a health necessity. I’ve learned a lot and want to share my resources to simplify meal planning, shop efficiently and cook affordable homemade meals. If you wish to try new recipes, plan healthier meals, and enjoy a great dinner with your friends and family, Supper Sanity can help.

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