What Should I Eat Tonight? 7 Ways to Decide Dinner Fast
Deciding dinner is one of the most common small decisions of the day, and it drains more energy than it should. The problem is rarely a lack of ideas. It is having too many, and nobody wanting to be the one who chooses. Here are seven simple ways to decide quickly.
If you cannot decide what to eat tonight, cut your options to six, then let chance choose. Put six meals you would happily eat on a food wheel, spin once, and cook or order whatever lands. Every option is already a yes, so the result cannot be wrong.
Try it now: What to Eat Wheel: Wheel of Food – Spin for a random meal when you cannot decide.
1. Shrink the list first
Open-ended questions are hard. "What do you feel like?" has hundreds of answers. Write down five or six meals you would happily eat this week and decide only between those.
2. Spin a food wheel
Type your short list into the what to eat wheel, spin, and accept the result. Because every item is something you already like, there is no bad outcome. Tick the option that removes each winner if you want to plan several nights in a row.
3. Use the two-option rule
If you are down to two meals, use the 1 or 2 wheel or the decider wheel. Notice how you feel while it spins. If you are hoping for one result, you already know your answer.
4. Number your options
Write six dinners on a list and use the random number generator 1-10 or pick a number 1-5 to choose one by position.
5. Match the meal to your energy
- Tired: pasta, tacos, sandwiches, soup or a frozen pizza upgrade
- Hungry and active: burritos, stir fry, burgers or curry
- Feeling fancy: sushi, steak, ramen or a new recipe
- Need something light: salad, noodles or dumplings
6. Plan the week once
Spin the wheel seven times at the weekend with winner removal on, and you have a week of dinners decided. It also makes your shopping list easy.
7. Let someone else pick, fairly
When more than one person is deciding, give everyone a few options and spin together. Nobody can argue with a wheel, and the person whose idea loses today can win tomorrow.
Dinner ideas to put on your wheel
- Pizza
- Tacos
- Sushi
- Burgers
- Pasta
- Curry
- Ramen
- Burritos
- Fried chicken
- Stir fry
- Sandwiches
- Soup
- Steak
- Noodles
- Dumplings
- Salad
Replace these with your own regular meals for the best results. A wheel of your real favourites works far better than a generic one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best way to decide what to eat?
Reduce your choices to five or six meals you like, then pick one at random with a wheel or number generator.
How do I stop arguing about dinner?
Agree on the short list together, then let a wheel choose. The rule is decided before the spin, so nobody feels overruled.
Can I plan the whole week with the wheel?
Yes. Turn on Remove the winner after each spin and spin once per day.
Is the food wheel free?
Yes. It is free, has no sign-up and works on phones and computers.