The Quick Answer
If you do not know what to eat tonight, do not start by listing dishes. Start by answering four questions: how much time you have, how much energy you have, how much you want to spend, and whether you want something comforting or something light. Each answer removes a large share of the options. By the fourth, you are usually choosing between two or three things, and at that point any of them is fine.
The Four Questions
How much time do I have?
- Under 20 minutes: something already in the house, or the closest place you know is good.
- About 45 minutes: a simple cooked meal, or a restaurant nearby.
- No rush: everything is open, including cooking something new or going somewhere further away.
How much energy do I have?
Be honest. If you are drained, a recipe with twelve steps will not happen, and planning one just delays dinner. Low energy means assembling rather than cooking: eggs, a sandwich, noodles, leftovers, or letting someone else make it. Save ambitious cooking for evenings when you feel like it.
What do I want to spend?
Decide the number before you look at menus. Knowing that tonight is a cheap night or a treat night removes most options on its own and stops the back-and-forth between a takeaway you half want and the food already in the fridge.
Comforting or light?
This is the question that stands in for "what am I in the mood for". Warm and filling, or fresh and light? If you can also answer "spicy or mild", you have narrowed it to a handful of dishes.
Still Stuck? Use a Tiebreaker
If you get to the end and have two or three options left, stop comparing them. They are close enough that the choice does not matter, which is exactly why it feels hard.
Flip a coin and watch your reaction
Assign an option to each side and flip. Notice how you feel in the second before you look at the result. If you are hoping for one side, eat that. The coin does not decide; it tells you what you already wanted.
Eat what you have not had this week
When nothing sounds appealing, variety is a good default. Think back over the last few days and pick whichever type of food is missing.
Let something choose for you
A spin wheel or a food decision app settles it in seconds. In FeedMii you pick the cuisines you would accept and then swipe through dishes one at a time, or spin a wheel that lands on one. If you decide to eat out, it lists nearby places that serve that dish with ratings, distance and whether they are open. See how food wheels work for more on this approach.
Ideas by Situation
These are starting points, not rules. Use whichever row matches your answers.
| Tonight is... | Try |
|---|---|
| Tired, short on time | Eggs on toast, instant noodles with vegetables, a toasted sandwich |
| Some energy, want comfort | Pasta with a simple sauce, fried rice, soup and bread |
| Want something light | A grain bowl, a big salad with protein, grilled fish or chicken |
| Treat night | The cuisine you have not had in a while, at a place nearby that is open now |
| Eating with others | Agree on a cuisine first, then use a group method to pick the place |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat tonight if I can't decide?
Answer four quick questions instead of trying to think of a dish: how much time you have, how much energy you have, what you want to spend, and whether you want something comforting or light. The answers narrow the options to two or three, and any of those is a good choice.
Why can't I decide what to eat?
Usually because several options are about equally appealing, and you are making the choice when you are already tired and hungry. Comparing similar options takes effort and offers little reward. Narrowing by constraints, or letting a coin or wheel choose, removes the comparison.
Is there an app that tells you what to eat?
Yes. Food decision apps suggest a dish for you. FeedMii, a free app for iPhone and iPad, lets you pick the cuisines you would accept and then swipe through dishes or spin a wheel to choose one, and shows nearby places that serve it.
What is a quick way to choose dinner?
Flip a coin between your two best options and notice which result you are hoping for before you look. That reaction reveals your preference. If you genuinely have none, the coin's answer is as good as any.
Stop Deciding. Start Eating.
FeedMii is a free iPhone and iPad app that helps you decide what to eat: swipe through dishes, spin the wheel, then see nearby places that serve your pick.
Download FeedMii Free