Lunch Wheel

A decision that repeats 250 times a year

Lunch is the decision most worth automating. It happens every working day, the options barely change, and the difference between the best and worst choice is small — but the deliberation still costs five or ten minutes every single time.

The list is built around speed: fifteen options, all of them available in under twenty minutes, none requiring a plan. "Leftovers" and "Whatever's closest" are on there because those are real answers on a busy day.

"Skip it, snack later" is an honest option rather than a joke — if you were going to do it anyway, it belongs on the wheel.

What's on the Lunch Wheel wheel

All 15 options are on the wheel to start with. Edit, delete or add to them — the wheel redraws as you type.

• Sandwich
• Salad
• Burrito
• Soup
• Leftovers
• Sushi
• Bagel
• Rice bowl
• Wrap
• Pizza slice
• Noodles
• Chicken sandwich
• Deli counter
• Whatever's closest
• Skip it, snack later

Three ways to use it

Office lunch. Replace the entries with the places within walking distance. Now every spin is somewhere you can actually go.

Working from home. Swap in what is in the fridge and the three things you can make in ten minutes. This is the version that stops you eating cereal again.

Packed lunches. Load the five things your kid will actually eat, hand them the phone, let them spin it the night before. The choice is theirs, the negotiation is over, and the lunchbox is packed.

Turn on Remove the winner after each spin for a week of no-repeat lunches.