Eat on a fancy plate!
I love this tip for turning an everyday meal into a feast. Creating a colorful and tasty plate of food and enjoying the joy of cooking and eating are all ways to eat mindfully. Studies suggest that the health benefits of Mediterranean-style food, including an abundance of vegetables, olive oil, and seafood, are likely enhanced by the tendency of people in the region to enjoy and enjoy their food and make every meal a feast. make with friends and family.
No more multitasking while eating.
Many readers have found that they have a habit of looking at their phone, reading, working or watching television while eating. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying your food while watching the Super Bowl or at a family movie night, mindful eating is best achieved when you focus on the meal.
“My biggest aha moment yet: slowing down and really being present while I eat,” one reader told me. “I put my phone or book somewhere else and just focus on the taste, smell, texture and appearance of my food. I enjoy the food so much more when I enjoy it!”
Put the fork down.
A number of readers shared this advice, noting that once they became more aware of their eating habits, they found they tended to scoop another fork of food before they had even finished chewing. Learning to put the fork down between bites allowed them to focus on the taste and texture of their food, rather than the next bite. A consistent theme I heard from readers is that mindful eating also helped them eat more slowly at the dinner table, and made them realize how quickly they’d gobbled up their food, a habit often learned in childhood.
Use smaller plates.
A number of readers have told us that using smaller dishes has helped them serve smaller portions and tune in to their bodies’ hunger and satiety signals. With smaller plates, seconds are still an option if you’re still hungry.
“American crockery is huge and it’s very easy to fill the plate,” one reader told me. “Many of us are also trained by our parents to clean our plates, so we don’t stop eating when we’re full.”
Never go shopping when you are hungry.
By paying attention to hunger signals, readers noted that it is better not to buy food while hungry. Studies show that when people shop on an empty stomach, they don’t buy more food — they buy higher-calorie, less healthy foods. This happens because our brains are more reactive to “rewarding” sweet and savory foods when we are hungry.