Meal Prepping To Eliminate Decision Fatigue

We need your help unlocking what this Caribbean cliche means. We just can't seem to decide what it could mean. Here goes: 'Hungry belly knows no love'. Would this suggest that:

1. A hungry stomach is unable to love the food you give it?
2. A hungry person doesn't feel loved?
3. When a person is hungry they are incapable of making compassionate decisions?
4. A hungry belly knows when you eat food lovingly?

And no, this is not a trick question. The answer is there, 'cause we did the research! Is your answer ready?

If you guessed 'C', then you are absolutely correct. Great Job! 

Have you heard of decision fatigue? When someone is not properly nourished, it's almost impossible to make decisions that are beneficial. The truth of the matter is, decision fatigue is no myth. Whether you are aware of it or not, decision fatigue is a reality which affects us all... and even more so when it comes to making food decisions.

What Is Decision Fatigue?

This is a serious problem which impacts our society in a terrible way. It is generally thought, that to make the right decisions you require the willpower to do so. But what fuels your willpower to ensure that it helps to guide you to make the right decisions? Consider your willpower as a muscle tissue woven into your being. In light of this analogy, one of the main things which come to light is willpower will get exhausted or fatigued at some point.

After an exhaustive workout, your muscles are tired therefore the more decisions you make diminishes your willpower. When someone is making decisions about things when their willpower is on a significant decline, he or she is said to be experiencing decision fatigue. The decisions taken at such a state of well-being are usually crude, cruel or ill-thought-of.

Such a discovery was made upon analyzing how decision fatigue affects the decision taken by parole hearing judges. It was observed that the likely hood of a criminal being released on parole was greatly diminished as the day progressed. This held true, regardless of the crime committed. After a recess where the judge could get something to eat, decisions made were 65% favorable once more.

Do you suffer from decision fatigue? Are there days when you come home after a tiresome day at work feeling like you've been hit in the back with a hefty bag of bricks? Maybe you're starving but getting off your selected perch just seems like too much work to do. Then we must inform you that this is evidence of decision fatigue!

Is Decision Fatigue A Problem?

Look at it this way…  You have a wedding to attend in five months. Your chosen outfit is a bit restrictive when you try it on so you decide to change your diet and get in some exercise. However, whenever you come home from work, you just feel too drained to do anything. Decision fatigue is a huge problem, especially if there are goals you wish to achieve within a set timeframe. 

Additionally, decision fatigue distorts the manner in which you express yourself and relate to others. After a long day at the office, you expect your family to have a meal ready for savoring and meet nothing. You flip and attempt to chew everyone's head off. That's not really you. That's the decision fatigue aspect coming out to wreak havoc and spoil your reputation.

Can Decision Fatigue Be Combatted?

Here's the light at the end of the tunnel people! Do you hear the choir singing a resounding? YES! You need to eat right and nourish yourself entirely so that you can make those decisions which will prove right in the long run. With the right meal prepping routine, you can be on your way! Start your day off right with a hearty breakfast and delicious meals and snacks throughout the day. 

5 Meal Prepping Solutions to Combat Decision Fatigue

With the busy lifestyle lead these days many important aspects, such as nutrition get taken for granted. Meal prepping is a useful practice which saves you both time and money while providing opportunities to explore creative food options. Here are five meal prepping tips which can help in your fight against decision fatigue.

• Search For Recipes

Stop doing yourself such a disservice by limiting your stomach to restaurant critic meals. Test your skills. There are too many simple recipes out there which produce such awesomely scrumptious meals. Select, ahead of time, the recipes which you would feel comfortable trying out for your upcoming week. Check out our meal prep calendars as a guide. Print if necessary, so you have your recipes readily available when you are ready to create your own gourmet meals. Not sure where to begin. Start with our 7 Meals to Meal Prep this week. 

• Shop Ahead

Use your free time from work on the weekends to shop for all the ingredients which you will need to bring your selected recipes to life. That way when you get ready to prepare your recipes you have all your ingredients within reach. Cancel the need to rush quickly to get last minute ingredients when you are already pressed for time during the working week. Create a meal prep grocery checklist.

• Strive For Simple Yet Extravagant

Meals can be enhanced in such simple ways that it's just not a joke! Simple recipes can produce some of the most amazing and tasty meal you could ever imagine. Simple herbs and spices can add such a burst of flavor to your meal and enhance your overall experience!

• Pick Your Battles

You know what gets to you. Some fruits perk you right up and others acquaint you to the WC. If there are fruit, vegetable or seasoning options which don't agree too well with you, make substitutions which do work for you. Or find another recipe which can do your tummy right. 

• Practice Advanced Meal Prepping

You know how busy your week can get. Use your free time to prep, in advance, aspects of your meal which can be preboiled to shorten cooking time, for example. Portion cooked meals, once properly cooled, place into airtight freezer approved containers, and store properly in the freezer. That way you can just pick meals for reheating to quickly appease your hunger with a perfectly portioned meal.

Make the right decision! Meal prepping is a sure solution to helping combat decision fatigue. When you are properly nourished, you have the ability to keep decision fatigue at bay. That way you can function at optimal levels and not engage in behavior which will not benefit you in the long run.

Still not sure how to get your day started with the right breakfast recipe? Have a look at some of our breakfast recipes which will surely give you greater insight into healthy meal prepping!