Mindful Meals: How to Eat to Feel Amazing

How you eat can affect your mental health more than what you eat. Getting the nutrients your body needs to thrive is crucial, but how you enjoy your meals and snacks is equally important to maintain your mental well-being.

These are a few steps anyone can take to experience the mindful eating benefits of understanding how your health, wellness and food choices are closely interconnected. You’ll create sustainable habits that could last a lifetime if you commit to making positive changes in your daily routine.

1. Reserve Your Meal Time

People first learning about mindful eating strategies often begin with the concept of reserving time for each meal. The average American spends 67 minutes per day eating, which adds up quickly for anyone with a busy schedule.

Sustainable wellness and mindful meals require listening to your body, learning your hunger cues and appreciating each bite. It’s easier to do those things when you build mealtimes into your routine. Set aside 10 or 15 minutes, even when you’re busy, to pause and reflect on your meals as you enjoy them.

2. Invest in Special Dinnerware

It’s challenging to eat and feel amazing when you’re dining on flimsy paper plates or bent pieces of old silverware. Invest in special dinnerware by upgrading your bowls, plates and utensils. You’ll get more excited about sit-down meals because the new dishes make each serving feel worth your time.

3. Avoid Multitasking Temptations

Did you scroll through social media the last time you sat down to eat or continue with a work or school project between bites? Multitasking takes your mind away from the moment and can increase your stress. One of the most significant mindful eating benefits is relieving anxiety by focusing on your meal.

Reflect on your day or accomplishments during the time you’ve set aside for meals. Talk with a loved one at your dinner table or listen to pleasant music. Paying attention to your mental health needs helps you learn to nurture yourself by setting boundaries. The skill will improve your daily experiences and strengthen your relationships, too. It all starts with spending quiet time with yourself during meals.

4. Understand How Your Meals Serve You

Bored snacking or thoughtless meal consumption is the opposite of mindful eating. Awareness of how each food selection benefits your body is essential to thoughtful meals and snacks.

Reflect on your most common food preferences and research how they give back to your body or mind. As you eat, spend time in gratitude for how the food strengthens you for healthy hobbies like running, practicing tai chi or weightlifting. Without the vitamins and nutrients you eat daily, your body couldn’t participate in the activities that relieve stress, develop your muscles or bring you joy.

5. Practice Breathing Exercises

People often link mindful eating with meditative breathing. Slow, purposeful breaths clear your mind of clutter like anxious thoughts or brain fog. You’ll feel more present for every bite, making it easier to enjoy your meals’ unique flavours and ingredients.

You could breathe through timed exercises or leave your electronics in a different room. All you need to do is focus on your breathing sensations and what your taste buds are experiencing. If your mind starts to drift, pull it back. You can feel amazing for those few minutes by paying attention to your senses.

6. Set Realistic Goals

Achieving your goals can be some of the best mindful eating benefits for people. Think about what you’d like to accomplish with your new routine. You could want to experience the health benefits of mindfulness like:

●      Improved digestion

●      Additional food satisfaction

●      Reduced anxiety

Your goals could also focus on choosing healthier foods, taking breaks from multitasking or feeling more satisfied after meals. You could always work with a therapist or nutritionist to set realistic goals for your mindful meal routine if you can’t decide on a path forward.

Explore Possible Mindful Meal Strategies

There are many mindful eating strategies you can start today. Reflect on steps like these to determine the next best step for your meal choices, eating routine and goals. You’ll better understand the needs of your mind and body, which may be what you’re missing in your journey to improved health.

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Beth, the Managing Editor and content manager at Body+Mind, is well-respected in the mental health, nutrition and fitness spaces. In her spare time, Beth enjoys cooking and going for runs with her dog.