Mindful Eating: Slow Down & Enjoy Your Meal

Published in our October 2023 newsletter

Mindfulness means being present in the moment. While we often use mindfulness in the context of wellness habits, such as meditation, mindfulness can also be applied to nutrition. When it comes to eating, it is very easy to become distracted by work, electronics, or even our own thoughts, and not focus our full attention on the food we are eating. In other words, we all eat mindlessly at times.

When we become inattentive while eating, we are not allowing ourselves to pay attention to how foods are making us feel, how full we are becoming, how much food we have consumed or even how our food tastes! It is easy to become so absorbed by a movie, a TV show, or other distractions, that we do not even realize we have eaten an entire bag of chips. Have you ever reached for your lunch while working, only to realize that you had already finished your meal? Practicing mindfulness while eating can help you cultivate a healthier and more satisfying approach to food.

The goal of Mindful Eating is to stop, think about, and enjoy the food we are eating.

Here are some tips to help you eat more mindfully:

Take time to enjoy your food. Think about the taste, the smell, the texture, and the colors. What are you experiencing as you eat? Are there any memories associated with these foods? Enjoy the experience of eating.

Slow down! Pause and immerse yourself in what you are eating. Pay attention to your hunger and fullness levels, as eating is most satisfying when we are hungry. Slowing down also gives us the opportunity to enjoy every last bite!

Contemplate the way various foods make you feel. While it’s okay to enjoy treats sometimes, more nutritious foods keep us feeling better in the long run. When we eat mindfully, we are more likely to make decisions to choose foods that support a strong and healthy body.

Enjoy quality time and conversations with others. While it is best to avoid screens, such as TVs, laptops, or phones, when eating, shared mealtimes are linked to stronger relationships and improved health.