The Psychology of Meal Planning: Overcoming Decision Fatigue

Meal planning is often treated as a chore, but scientifically, it is a complex cognitive load problem. Every evening, parents face "decision fatigue" — the exhausted state that follows a day of making hundreds of choices. This is why ordering takeout feels easier than cooking the food you already bought. This guide explores the **psychology of dinner**: why willpower fails by 5 PM, how to silence the "inner critic" that demands perfection, and how to build a cooking habit that runs on autopilot. Stop fighting your brain and start using systems that work with it.