I Spend Saturday Meal Prepping: 6 Spoons Saves Me 30 All Week
I work Sunday, Monday, Tuesday at the warehouse.
Saturday is my prep day.
What I Actually Do
Starting at 10:30 AM, I spend 3 hours:
- Make 16 sandwiches (4 per day for 4 days)
- Wash and chop russet potatoes to make potato fries (4 batches, 1 per day)
- Cook chicken for 4 days (1 batch per day)
This costs me 6 spoons.
Why I Can't Skip It
Without Saturday prep, each work day costs me 9 spoons.
Constantly thinking about what to eat. Buying unhealthy bars with added sugar at work. Financial strain. Unpredictable wondering if I'll have enough food for the next meal.
The executive function demand of figuring out meals every single day when I'm already drained destroys me. Meal prep removes all those micro-decisions.
Research confirms what I experience: Executive function is more taxing for autistic adults, especially when managing daily unpredictable tasks like meal planning.
Across 4 days without prep: 9 × 4 = 36 spoons.
With Saturday prep: 6 spoons total.
Net savings: 30 spoons.
What Happens If I Don't Prep
I'm rushing home to make dinner with only 1 hour to spare before I need to go to bed. I depend on eating junk food at work because I didn't eat enough to sustain myself for the day.
Very unpredictable and chaotic.
If I don't prep, all of my spoons are gone. I'm rushing at work to find something to eat—unhealthy and overpriced.
The Cost of Saturday
Yes, it's exhausting.
I don't do any work for the rest of Saturday after meal prep. Most of my spoons for that day are gone. I spend the rest of the day stimming or walking outside.
Saturday isn't a day off. It's survival prep for the work week.
The Math
6 spoons on Saturday = 30 spoons saved across the week.
Meal prep isn't optional. It's the only way I survive 3 warehouse shifts without collapsing.
This is how I prevent deeper autistic burnout. Without Saturday prep, those 30 extra spoons lost each week would push me from functional to completely shut down.
I'm Omari, a 23-year-old autistic adult who's been managing chronic burnout for 5+ years while working warehouse shifts.
This is why I built Spoons. To see the math. To know when upfront costs save me later. To track trade-offs that actually work for me.
Launching April 2026. getspoons.app - One email when it's ready. No spam.
— Omari
Note: I'm sharing my personal experience as an autistic adult, not medical advice. If you're experiencing severe burnout or crisis, please consult a healthcare provider familiar with autism.