Decide Tomorrow's Dinner While You Are Cooking Tonight's

The worst time to plan a meal is at 6pm, tired and hungry, staring into the fridge. While tonight's dinner is already on the stove, take thirty seconds to decide what tomorrow's will be. You are already in kitchen mode — thinking ahead costs almost nothing right now.

Take out the meat to thaw, note that you need one more vegetable, or simply commit to a plan so future-you is not deciding from scratch. This habit removes the daily decision fatigue that leads to takeout, and turns cooking into a low-effort routine.