It’s the end of the day, you’re tired and hungry, and you’re standing in front of the refrigerator hoping it will offer a suggestion...again. In this episode, we talk about why dinner can feel so complicated (even when food is readily available) and how a little “good enough” planning can make weeknights calmer.

Meal planning isn’t just about food—it’s about reducing decision fatigue at the exact moment you have the least energy. We share simple, realistic ways to make dinner easier, including curating recipe lists, theme nights, planned takeout, freezer meals, and low-effort fallback dinners.

What We Talk About

1. 03:00 The “stare into the fridge and hope something occurs to us” problem
2. 04:20 Why being hungry is the worst time to decide what’s for dinner
3. 05:38 Shannon’s Trello-based meal planning system
4. 08:20 Theme nights (Taco Tuesday and beyond) to reduce decision fatigue
5. 09:19 Planned takeout night = guilt-free and actually enjoyable
6. 10:31 Freezer meals (hello, chili) for low-energy seasons
7. 16:59 The power of a super-easy fallback dinner
8. 19:05 Let go of “shoulds” and feed yourself (and your household) in a way that works

Key Takeaways

1. Decision fatigue is real. Dinner gets harder when you’re tired and hungry—so the goal is fewer decisions at the end of the day.
2. Curate your options. Whether it’s a Trello recipe board or a white board of go-to meals, narrowing choices makes planning easier.
3. Theme nights reduce stress. A theme gives you a lane (not a strict rule) and makes “What’s for dinner?” easier to answer.
4. Plan takeout on purpose. Planned takeout can be relaxing and guilt-free; panic takeout is usually stressful and expensive.
5. Have a fallback. Scrambled eggs, breakfast for dinner, or a snack-plate style meal can keep you fed when plans fall apart.
6. Let it be “good enough.” You don’t need perfect dinners—just food that works for you.

Try This:

Pick one small change for next week:

1. Choose one theme night (like Taco-ish, Pasta-ish, Soup-ish, or Takeout Night).
2. Pick one fallback dinner you can make when you’re low on energy.

• Trello | Capture, organize, and tackle your to-dos from anywhere
• Souper Cubes® - Silicone Food Freezer Trays & Kitchen Accessories

Connect With Us

We’d love to hear from you: What are you going to incorporate into your meal planning—theme nights, a go-to meal, or something else?

• Leave us a voicemail: 413-424-GTGE (4843)
• Comment on social media: @gettingtogoodenough on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
• Email: [email protected]

Want More Like This? (Related Episodes)

1. Episode 209: Meal Planning - The OG episode on meal planning! Some similar topics, some different.
2. Episode 212: A Little at a Time - If you like the idea of a calmer dinner routine but you’re not about to overhaul your whole life, we share how building systems gradually can make change feel doable. This episode was inspired by our first (Episode 209) meal planning episode.
3. Episode 16: Decision Making - We dig into why decisions can feel so draining—and how making “good enough” choices on purpose can reduce stress and help you move forward.