Ever stood in front of the fridge like it's a locked vault, hoping dinner will magically appear? Same. This week on Exhausted Sparrows Unite, we're tackling the chaos, guilt, and full-on emotional meltdowns that come with feeding your people every single day.

We’ll uncover how something as unsexy as meal planning can actually be a secret weapon for your mental health. (No, really—science says so.) It’s not about being a Pinterest mom. It’s about peace, predictability, and finally answering, “What’s for dinner?” without spiraling.

What We’re Dishing Up:

• The emotional toll of dinner decisions (a.k.a. the invisible load)
• How decision fatigue and emotional burnout are connected
• Meal planning as a tool for nervous system regulation
• Real-life, low-effort strategies to make meal planning work for you

Why It Matters:
You make 35,000 decisions a day—and by 6:30 p.m., your brain is DONE. Planning your meals isn’t about having it all together. It’s about taking one damn thing off your mental to-do list.

Takeaways:

• Meal planning is mental health care in disguise.
• You don’t need a spreadsheet. You need a system that works with your life, not against it.
• You’re allowed to choose ease over aesthetics. Store-bought frozen lasagna counts.

Listen in if you’ve ever said:

• “Why am I crying over chicken?”
• “Didn’t we just eat yesterday?”
• “I swear if someone asks me what’s for dinner ONE more time…”