In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose touch with simple mealtime pleasures. We often find ourselves eating on the go, distracted by screens, or rushing through meals without truly enjoying them.
But what if we could transform our relationship with food into one of joy, presence, and self-care? Enter mindful eating—a practice that invites us to slow down, savor each bite, and reconnect with our bodies in a nurturing way.
First, what is mindfulness?
At its most basic definition, “mindfulness” simply means being aware of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and environment in the present moment, without judgment.
Practiced for centuries as a part of Buddhist and other spiritual traditions, the application of mindfulness in Western medical and mental health contexts is a more recent phenomenon, largely beginning in the 1970s and popularized by mindfulness researchers like Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Many people think mindfulness practice means sitting motionless for long periods, eyes closed, and the mind empty of all thoughts. Sitting meditation of this type certainly can be one way of being mindful, but there are many ways of practicing mindfulness that don’t involve meditation, such as mindful eating, walking, and even activities as banal as toothbrushing.
What is Mindful Eating?
Applying mindfulness to nourishment means paying full attention to the experience of eating. It’s about listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues and being present with your food, noticing its flavors, textures, colors, and aromas. It’s about noticing how you feel when you eat certain foods, in certain ways, at certain times.
Mindful eating isn’t necessarily limited to mealtimes; it can include noticing (and potentially questioning) your thoughts, feelings, and habits around different foods. Many of these were seeded in us at a young age (were you taught to be a member of the Clean Plate Club?) and later reinforced by the culture in which we grew up, which often categorized foods as “good” or “bad.”
The more we follow externally imposed food rules (“clean your plate,” “chew every mouthful 30 times,” “don’t eat anything with a mother or a face,” “don’t eat before noon,” “eat only organic food,” etc.), the more likely we are to lose our connection with our own nutritional needs and preferences. This can lead to feeling increasingly confused or anxious when it comes to making even the simplest eating decisions.
Mindful eating can help restore our lost connection with our food; for this approach is not about following strict rules or dieting (or even being mindful 100% of the time! That would be another rules-based diet).
Rather, it’s about developing a more balanced, attuned relationship with food. Mindful eating encourages us to approach hunger, satiety, food and drink with curiosity and compassion, rather than judgment or guilt. It’s a way to enjoy food and mealtimes more fully, make more intentional choices, and foster a positive connection between mind and body.
Eating with intention and attention
Eating mindfully doesn’t mean that every meal has to be a languorous feast or a quasi-religious experience. Sometimes, mindful eating decisions can be governed by pragmatism and fit into busy days.
For example: “I’m running late for work and haven’t eaten breakfast yet because I’m not hungry; I’ll bring a sandwich and a tub of Greek yogurt I can eat when I get there.” If you did this repeatedly, you might eventually develop new habits to simplify your life – for instance: stocking the fridge at work with tubs of Greek yogurt so you don’t have to remember to pack them when you leave home in the morning.
Any time you take the time to make an eating decision that involves an intention (in this case: I want to feel energized at work) and attention (what types of foods can help me feel energized?), you are eating mindfully.
Mindful eating (and drinking) can also mean: Taking a deep in-breath to smell the aromas rising from a freshly brewed cup of coffee; biting into a sun-ripened tomato and picking up notes of freshly cut grass, sweetness, smokiness, and fruitiness; or noticing the different colors, textures and flavors of ingredients in a mixed salad (such as: “soft, creamy, salty, crunchy, cool, crisp, green, red, purple, nutty, spicy, umami,” etc.).
After years of following food rules, diets, or your best friend’s well-meant nutrition advice, are you ready to shut out the noise, connect with your body and your soul, and ask them what makes them feel truly, deeply nourished?
If so, start by listening and noticing your thoughts & feelings around food and take it from there. If you want to do this in the company of other aspiring mindful-eaters, consider signing up for one of my 8-week Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Group Programs (click here to find out more).