ADHD Meal Planner

A backend developer working from home started coaching after realizing they spend $400/month on delivery apps. They want to cook more but say they 'never think about dinner until 7pm when I'm starving.' They've tried meal prep but abandoned it after two weeks.

Frame this as decision automation, not meal prep. 'This removes the 7pm scramble by moving all food decisions to Sunday.' Most tech workers resist because they think planning constrains flexibility. Address directly: 'You can still order out - but now it's a choice, not a default when executive function crashes at dinner time.'

Tech clients often fill this out like a sprint plan - overly detailed, perfectly balanced, unrealistic complexity. Watch for elaborate recipes in weekday slots or different cuisines every night. If they plan more than two new recipes in one week, they're optimizing instead of simplifying.

Start with Tuesday through Thursday - the weekdays that matter most for establishing routine. Ask: 'Which of these dinners could you make if you got home an hour late?' If more than half require precise timing or fresh ingredients, the plan won't survive contact with actual workdays.

A campaign manager sought coaching for 'afternoon energy crashes that kill my productivity.' They regularly skip lunch when deep in creative work, then hit a wall around 3pm and struggle to focus for the rest of the day. They know they should eat regularly but 'forget when I'm in flow state.'

Position this as energy management, not nutrition tracking. 'Hyperfocus burns through glucose faster than you realize. This planner builds eating into your day like meetings - scheduled, not optional.' ADHD brains often resist food structure as 'too rigid.' Reframe: 'Structure protects the hyperfocus, doesn't interrupt it.'

ADHD clients typically leave lunch and snacks columns mostly empty while over-planning dinners. This mirrors their actual eating pattern - elaborate evening meals, nothing during productive hours. If breakfast is the only consistently filled column, they're planning around their current dysfunction, not changing it.

Focus on the empty spaces first. 'You planned dinner every night but lunch twice. What happens to your energy between noon and 6pm in this plan?' Then ask: 'What would need to be true about lunch for you to actually eat it during a hyperfocus day?' This surfaces the real barriers.

A product manager returning to work after six months maternity leave feels overwhelmed by coordinating meals for herself, her partner, and introducing solids to their baby. She's coaching on 'getting my life organized again' but spends 30 minutes every evening figuring out what everyone will eat.

Frame as household operations, not personal nutrition. 'Right now you're running three separate meal systems. This consolidates them into one weekly decision.' New parents often resist planning because baby schedules feel unpredictable. Counter: 'The plan adapts to chaos better than no plan does.'

New parents typically over-complicate the baby column with different foods each day while under-planning their own meals. Look for elaborate baby food prep alongside 'whatever's quick' for adult meals. If her meals are consistently simpler than the baby's, she's deprioritizing her own nutrition.

Start with the shopping list length. If it's more than 20 items for one week, the plan is too complex for someone managing infant care. Ask: 'Looking at Sunday's plan, how long would this take to execute if the baby had a rough night Saturday?' Reality-test against sleep deprivation.

A management consultant travels Monday through Thursday most weeks and sought coaching for 'maintaining health routines on the road.' They eat well on weekends but default to airport food, hotel room service, or skipped meals during travel weeks. They want structure that works with an unpredictable schedule.

Frame as travel logistics, not meal planning. 'This maps what you can control - Sunday prep, airport choices, hotel options - instead of hoping you'll make good decisions when tired in unfamiliar cities.' Consultants often resist because they think client dinners make planning impossible. Address: 'Plan around client meals, not despite them.'

Travel-heavy clients often plan detailed home meals for Friday-Sunday while leaving Monday-Thursday completely blank or filled with 'client dinner' placeholders. If they don't plan any portable breakfast or lunch options, they're not actually solving the travel eating problem.

Focus on the Monday-Thursday columns. Ask: 'Walk me through Tuesday. You land at 2pm, client meeting at 4pm, dinner with the team at 8pm. When do you eat lunch in this plan?' If they can't trace a realistic eating timeline for travel days, the plan won't work.