An easy way to improve your relationship with food and help you appreciate your food more is to practice mindful eating. Rather than placing the emphasis on what to eat to improve your health, become more aware of how to eat.
Certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition [1] recommends mindful eating to her clients to help them lose weight [2], eat healthier [3], prevent emotional eating [4], and make meals feel more satisfying. Here are some ways you can practice mindful eating every time you eat.
Admire How Your Food Looks
When eating healthy foods, pay special attention to the vibrant hues [5], the pleasant color patterns on your plate, and how the interesting textures feel in your mouth. Find joy in how bright and energetic the food makes you feel when you look at it, knowing that with every bite, you'll feel just as bright and full of energy [6].
Eat Seasonally
Honoring Mother Nature by eating foods that are in season [7] will connect you to the world around you. Seasonal foods also taste better, so savor each spoonful, closing your eyes and picturing the happy farmers and the fields and warm sunshine where your food was grown.
Practice Gratitude
Before every single meal and snack, take a minute or two to express your gratitude [8]. It can be a blessing you say out loud or in your mind. Being grateful cultivates feelings of appreciation and happiness and helps you acknowledge the nourishment your food provides [9], both physically and emotionally.
Slow Down
Leslie suggests to "eat slowly and really taste your food" to help avoid overeating. Focus on chewing, tasting, and swallowing each bite before taking the next; this mindfulness practice can also aid in preventing belly bloat.
Sit Down
Make a point to prepare each meal and snack and to sit down to really enjoy it. This will prevent mindless noshing and unhealthy food choices. Eat without distractions [10] like working or watching TV. Leslie says, "This way, you can identify fullness faster," and you'll be better able to figure out what cues your body gives for feeling hungry or full. If you can, sit with other people to enjoy pleasant conversation while you eat.
Use the Hunger Scale
Part of mindful eating, Leslie says, is to only eat when you are truly hungry. How do you tell? Use the hunger scale [11]. It's a scale from one to 10, with one being your absolute hungriest and feeling light-headed, five being completely neutral (not hungry and not at all full), and 10 being really uncomfortably stuffed. You want to grab a meal or snack when you're at a three and your tummy is grumbling and stop eating when you're satisfied [12] at a six.