The worst food decisions happen when you’re too depleted to decide. Research by Baumeister shows decision-making depletes a limited resource — quality degrades, defaults to easy. Have a predetermined fallback: a meal you’ve pre-selected that requires no thought and no willpower. Not perfect, just good-enough on autopilot. Stock the ingredients, name it, invoke without debate.
This companion covers decision fatigue, why it matters for eating, the fallback solution, and building the habit. (3 min read)