Food wheel

How do I use the food wheel?

Press Spin and wait for the wheel to stop. Whatever sits under the pointer at the top is dinner. To change the options, press Edit the wheel, type one option per line, then press Done editing. It takes between 2 and 16 options.

Your list stays on this page. Nothing is saved to an account or sent anywhere, so reload the page and you're back to the default eight.

Make it your own wheel

The default slices are common dishes. Swap them for the places you actually order from, the leftovers in your fridge, or the three restaurants your group can agree on.

Fast food wheel

Type in the chains near you, one per line, and spin.

Group dinner

Everyone adds one option. Nobody argues with the wheel.

Is a spinning wheel better than just picking?

For small, low-stakes choices, often yes. When every option is fine, thinking longer doesn't make the answer better, it just makes you hungrier. A wheel ends the loop, and watching it spin gives you a few seconds to notice which slice you're hoping for.

If the wheel lands on something and you feel let down, that's useful too. Take the option you were rooting for.

What should I put on a food wheel?

Put only options you'd genuinely be happy with. A wheel with one dish you dislike is a wheel you'll re-spin. Six to ten options is a good size: enough variety, and each slice is still big enough to read.

Good wheels to try: your go-to takeout places, cuisines (Thai, Mexican, Italian, Korean), dinners you can cook tonight with what's in the kitchen, or budget tiers when you're deciding how much to spend.

Can something pick a real restaurant for me instead?

Yes. Today's Mealow skips the wheel and picks three dishes from real restaurants near you, based on the meal, your mood, the flavor you want, who you're with and what you skip. Each pick comes with a one-line reason.

Want the wheel's answer to be somewhere real and nearby? Let the cat look around you.

Find it near me