Updated October 8, 2026, 2:45 p.m. ET
Have you ever looked at your refrigerator after a long day and not sure what to cook? You may be suffering from decision fatigue, which can affect what you decide to eat.
Neuroscientist Shawn Watson knows this feeling and has studied the phenomenon as well as cognitive performance and age-related cognitive decline. His background in neuroscience “dramatically” influences his diet, he told USA TODAY.
“After sleep, nutrition is the biggest lever you have, and not just for brain health but also for brain performance,” he said, explaining that eating well can help in the long term to “prevent dementia decades from now.” It also contributes to more immediate impacts. “It changes the way you work, your patience with the people you love, and even your happiness. It may sound silly, but your next promotion could depend on what your breakfast looks like.”
So, what does he eat in a day? He’s paying more attention to his gut health and has changed his own behavior around artificially sweetened drinks.
“Large observational studies associate regular consumption (of artificially sweetened drinks) with faster cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia, with midlife appearing to be the most important period,” he explained. “It’s a correlation, not proof, but the signal showed up in more than one large cohort. That was enough for me.”
What a neuroscientist eats for every meal
- Breakfast. Multigrain Cheerios with a generous scoop of flax and yogurt. “I have to keep things moving as I get older,” he noted, adding that “gut health is brain health.”
- Lunch and dinner. Mostly vegetables, a little protein and a little rice. He also drinks a stimulant-free “brain drink mix” that he co-founded and formulated to help with decision fatigue. “I typically drink it 30 to 60 minutes after lunch, before my afternoon cognitive performance dips, and I find that it helps me maintain clarity throughout my work day,” he said. Her only rule is to keep your lunch light. “A big plate of pasta at lunchtime and I feel my concentration slipping (2 p.m.),” he says, adding that his meals are “deliberately boring.” As the day goes on, your brain stops expending as much cognitive effort, he explained, so it’s easy to “default to what’s closest and easiest.”
- Snacks. He used to have mid-afternoon snacks, but realized he wasn’t hungry or low on energy – just in a fog and wanted to reset. “It’s decision fatigue in disguise,” he said. “Now when the craving hits, I ask for what I actually need, and it’s rarely food. Usually water. A lot of what we think of as hunger is mild dehydration.”
- Dessert. Although he’s generally a tasty guy, he still loves desserts, especially ice cream – you just won’t catch him pairing coffee with it. “Late-time caffeine costs me sleep, and sleep is the one thing I won’t trade,” he said.
Tips on Decision Fatigue When Meal Planning
When decision fatigue sets in, we “stop choosing what’s best and start choosing what’s easy, without realizing it,” Watson explained. With food, it’s usually about opting for fast food or takeout instead of cooking.
To avoid this, Watson advises deciding what you’re going to eat earlier in the day. Never plan to eat dinner after a long day at work.
“At 6 p.m., every choice feels heavy, and it’s not going to be the choice you would have made at 9 a.m.,” he said. “Know what you’re doing before you walk in the door.”
Gn Health
