Dinner fatigue is an informal term for the mental exhaustion and overwhelm you feel at the end of the day when you have to decide what to cook or eat. Most people default to the same old meals they always enjoy for a reason. It’s not just habit; it’s also comfort and convenience. Families eat the same stuff over and over with minor variations, because they know what they like and usually have the ingredients on hand.

The OnePoll survey from The Global Shrimp Council also found that 62% of Gen Z want dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less. And when you consider that one-third of that cohort only know how to prepare one to five dishes, it’s no wonder they keep going back to the tried and true. Dinner fatigue can be defeated, and Masterson believes the key is going back to the habitual meals and building from there.

Trade tired for tiered

It’s not your fault. Most Americans are trying to do too much with too little time. Women are especially hit hard, often expected to not only do a full day’s work, but also handle the bulk of cleaning, childcare and cooking. Both physical and mental fatigue weigh on the body and mind, often causing even simple decisions to feel monumental.

You’re tired and stressed, and now everyone wants to know “what’s for dinner?” If you haven’t planned ahead, feeding your family becomes yet another problem to solve at the exact moment your brain is least equipped for it.

When faced with the problem of dinner fatigue, the knee-jerk reaction is often to discard what’s worked in the past instead of trying a new recipe. But that can easily backfire, creating more stress and potentially an unhappy family.

“I have thousands of recipes at my fingertips and I can still stand in front of the fridge at 5 p.m. with absolutely no idea what to make,” says Bella Bucchiotti at xoxoBella. “That’s why I think the answer isn’t always finding another recipe, it’s having some kind of plan. Even knowing what I’m making for the next two or three nights takes away that daily dinner decision and makes the whole week feel a lot easier.”

Masterson’s approach begins with a Master List. Look at your meals now, write down what you make and how often. “When you’re choosing from meals you already know how to cook, already know your household will eat, and already know the ingredients for, the whole process takes 5 minutes instead of 45,” he explains. “No recipe browsing. No decision fatigue. Just picking from a menu you already trust.”

Once a week adventure

You can add variety without sacrificing sanity. Once you have the master list, you can slowly start trying new recipes. But don’t go overboard. Instead of plowing through a dozen recipes, just try one new one per week. That way, if it fails, it’s less impactful. And if it’s a success, then you can add it to the rotation.

Plan for failure. Check your master list. What’s the easiest to make that you always have the ingredients for? That becomes your fallback. Something simple you can throw together quickly if all else fails. You can also plan and budget for one takeout night per week. Use it as a surprise or a bonus reward for everyone doing their chores or having high marks on their report cards.

Once you have your week set, “Write it where the household can see it. Half the stress at six is not the cooking, it is being asked,” adds David Jubé, founder of The Gourmet Host. “A list on the fridge answers the question before anyone has to ask you.”

Energized vs underutilized

Be flexible. Rather than focusing on meals or recipes, look at your week first and plan for what’s happening. Build your meal options around energy levels, rather than scheduled days.

“Before deciding what to make for the week, look at the calendar. If Tuesday is packed with dance class and soccer practice or a late work meeting, that is not the night to plan something elaborate that requires 45 minutes or more at the stove,” suggests Alicia Charolle, owner of Copper & Thyme in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Save that meal for a quieter night, when you will better enjoy cooking and eating that meal…”

Cook once, eat twice, on purpose. Prep a one pot meal and store it in the fridge or freezer to whip out anytime. “Anything that reheats or gets served cold should be made when you have time, not at the hour when you have none,” adds Jubé. “Pick one weekend cook that is built to stretch. A tray of braised meat, a pot of beans, a sheet of roasted vegetables, then let it show up twice in different clothes: tacos on Sunday, folded into rice on Tuesday.”

3-3-3

Not sure where to start with your meal planning? You might not have 10-15 favorites you can prepare or plan ahead for. You and your partner may clash on what to make. Or you simply are just getting started with meal planning. Experts suggest the three-three-three approach.

Quite simply, you make your dinner selections modular. Start with three of your favorite protein sources. Mix in three carbohydrate or starch options. And top it all off with three healthy fat choices, like olive oil or avocados. Add in some vegetables or fruits, preferably fresh. Then mix and match as needed.

This way, you limit the decisions you make right before dinner and the time you spend in the grocery store or farmer’s market. Fewer decisions mean less dinner fatigue.

K.I.S.S.

Dinner fatigue can be frustrating, but you can solve it. The answer is not another recipe, but a new look at an old approach. Whether you go with the simplest methods or a more complicated strategy, any plan is better than no plan. A few minutes at the start of each week can set you up for success in the days ahead, creating a win-win for you and your family.

Karen Kelly is a nationally syndicated freelance food and travel writer and the founder of Seasonal Cravings. She is a regular contributor to MSN, Yahoo and the Associated Press.