It seems these days, with our busy lives, meal time has become prime time to multi-task. Whether it’s eating lunch at your office desk trying to get more work done. Eating in front of the T.V., in the car (sometimes while driving), or on the go from one place to another, eating while distracted has become the norm. Don’t get me wrong, I am guilty of literally all of these things at one point or another. And there is nothing wrong with that. I’ll tell you why.

Mindfulness – as it’s defined – is paying attention, to the present moment, on purpose and without judgement. So, if you are one of these people too – give yourself a break. All there is to do is notice that you do this, without judgement, and choose what, if anything you want to do about it. Simple!

Let’s be real, sometimes we have no other choice. If we have to get somewhere, and we are hungry, we need to eat. Probably quickly, and probably without paying a whole lot of attention. The reality is, it’s not healthy go hungry for the whole day, simply because we can’t carve out time to eat all of our meals with complete and total awareness.

The good news is, mindful eating really starts much before we actually put food in our mouths. In my opinion, mindful eating begins as early as when we purchase our food. So we can actually practice mindfulness in the choices we make about the food we eat. We can also practice being mindfully aware that we aren’t being completely present in our meals, and choosing not to judge ourselves. How do ya like them apples? You really don’t need to be perfect all of the time. Though, there is tremendous benefit to being mindful while we eat. Huffpost put out a great article on the benefits of mindful eating a few years ago that highlights all the wonderful benefits. I’m not going to go over them all in this article – but some include weight loss, improved coping with eating disorders, and improved body awareness. 

This article, is all about helping you be as mindful as possible while eating.

I put together a Beginners Guide to Mindful Eating – from grocery shopping, to making your food, to actually eating it – everything you need to start is below. Happy eating!

Beginners Guide to mindful eating:

1. Be mindful of the food you are purchasing

Plan ahead & grocery shop with a purpose

One of the biggest things my husband and I used to struggle with was not planning our meals for the week, and winging it. It lead to us making impulsive decisions at the grocery store, being under-prepared for the week, and actually spending more on groceries than some 4 person households! Sit down with yourself, your partner or your whole family, and choose what you want to eat for the week. Go to the store prepared with your list in hand!

Count Nutrients over calories

Counting calories is thankfully starting to make it’s way out of the mainstream diet culture. But sadly, some people still obsess over their calories, without taking into consideration the nutrient density of their food. Whether you count calories or not, making sure you get lots of nutrients throughout the day is really important.

Many people have mistaken mindful eating as just another part of “diet culture.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. Mindfulness, as I said earlier is simply paying attention, on purpose, without judgement. That’s all there is to do when it comes to choosing the food you eat. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. It is wise beyond comprehension. Then choose, powerfully, whatever you want to eat. Let it resonate with YOU. Let it be a choice that comes from yourself, not from anyone else. And don’t judge yourself for it. There is nothing wrong with being conscious of your health. AND there is nothing wrong with choosing to eat things which would not be considered healthy, if it is a conscious, intentional choice.

Buy Local over Commercial produce when possible

Whenever I go to the grocery store, I try and be mindful of where my products are coming from, and buy local as much as possible. Obviously there are some things you just cant buy local – like avocados for example – but as best I can, I support ontario farmers. Even better, is going to a farmers market, and supporting your local farmer directly!

Not only is opting for local produce supporting your local farmer, but it significantly reduces the ecological footprint of the food you’re eating. A tomato grown, and sold in ontario (which is where I live)  requires a truck to get to it’s final destination. That’s it. But a tomato grown in Mexico, or elsewhere may require a plane ride, several more litre’s of gas, and a few different trucks possibly before reaching it’s final destination.

All that being said, give yourself permission to eat healthy, nourishing food and not judge yourself if it isn’t always local and organic. It’s really ok. All you can do is the best you can!

Mindful Exercise #1:

First, begin to notice how to relate to your food – is it through calories, or actual nutritional value? Notice if choosing food creates anxiety, or if it is a worry free experience. Simply notice this relationship with food. Ask yourself how you want to feel? What are words that come to mind? Write them down on a piece of paper. The next step is to make choices which are in alignment with how you want to feel. There is no right or wrong answer, so I don’t even want to give you an example. Whatever is true for you, is the right and best answer you can give.

2. Make your food with awareness

Be fully present while making your food.

I am just as guilty as the next person for trying to multi-task while cooking. Often times when I’m not being mindful, I burn food, or I feel anxious throughout the entire process. If you can, try and make your meals while being completely present.

In India, traditionally the art of making food is sacred. Cook’s will say prayers while making their food, infusing it with positive energy. While this may not suit you, try on the old fashioned concept of making your food with love. Be intentional with your cooking. Be all there while you make your food.

Notice how you meals occur for you

Notice how you view meals. Do they occur like something you have to do during the day to satiate your hunger pangs? Do you notice anxiety around meal time? Are you excited? Do they feel like opportunities for improving your health? How else can they or do they occur for you? None of these are right or wrong – with mindfulness, all there is to do is notice without judgement.

I remember the day that meals began to occur for me as opportunities for health. This was a seemingly crazy revelation I had early in my experience with the Culinary Nutrition Program. I thought: “What if we viewed every meal as an opportunity for health, and healing? What if meal time was an opportunity to infuse more health and nutrition into my body, rather than just something to put in my belly to make the hunger pangs go away?” Adopting this mindful mentality has been at the crux of most of the meals I make, and it has dramatically transformed my relationship to food. This is by no means the “right” way to view meal time, but it is simply what resonates with me. Ask yourself – what resonates with you?

Mindfully Choose Junk food

How many times have you come home from a hard day, and your first thought was, “F*** it I want a donut!” Or replace donut with glass of wine, cupcake, extra-large pizza to yourself… You see where i’m going with this right?

Yes, I did JUST say that for me, every meal is an opportunity for health. But I would be kidding myself, and everyone else, if I didn’t acknowledge that from time to time, eating less-than-healthy food is perfectly ok. What I would offer is that you mindfully choose that food, rather than that food choose you. Know what I mean? So rather than habitually going for junk food when you’re stressed, allow yourself to choose less than healthy options in moments of complete clarity. Choose them because you want to enjoy their flavour, rather than because you feel you need them to feel calm.

Mindful Exercise #2:

Try making one meal every day with complete awareness. Try treating it as a meditation and begin to notice how you feel. What thoughts, feelings and sensations come up for you? Was this easy, or challenging? Were you able to make the whole meal distraction free, or did something come up? Journal about this experience. Remember – there is NO wrong way to do this.

3. Eat your food with awareness

Express Gratitude

When I was growing up we used to say grace before we ate our meals. We actually sang a pretty embarrassing version of grace, where we’d all hold hands and swing them back and forth as we went. While that really didn’t speak to me, the age old tradition of giving thanks, and gratitude for the food that we eat does. It is beautiful, and I think it ought to make a come back. Whether you say it out loud to the group of people you’re with, try giving thanks and gratitude for the food that you’re eating. For the people who made the food, the farmers who grew it, and everybody who helped in the process.

Pay attention while you eat

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be in a full on meditative space while eating your food. I mean you could be, and that is a beautiful practice too, but simply paying attention while you eat is perfect. There is so much you can pay attention to while you eat: flavour, texture, temperature. You can count your chews. Notice the speed at which you eat. Notice how you feel when you eat the food. Are you anxious, or calm while eating? Do you feel energized or depleted after eating certain foods? This can be very helpful when trying to determine if certain foods do or do not agree with you.

Notice any thoughts or emotions that come up when you eat. Let them be there, and then let them pass. If you have every suffered from an eating disorder, of body dysmorphia, food can trigger lots of emotions. Simply acknowledge any thoughts, and write them down if you want. Allow yourself the opportunity to be the observer of these thoughts, rather than attached to them.

turn off the electronics & Eat in silence

Many families have taken to eating in front of the T.V. I know I used to love making my food around my T.V. schedule so I could have a delicious meal while watching my favourite show. This is fine from time to time, but try and have most of your meals electronic-free. If you are eating by yourself, try mindfully eating in silence – this will help you pay attention while you eat. If you’re in a group, try having everyone put their cell phones away, turning the T.V. off, and engaging in conversation with one another.

Mindful Exercise #3:

Try eating one Mindful Meal – completely immersed in the experience of eating. Make this a family activity if you want, and get everybody in on it! Try this in silence. Notice the tastes, temperatures, and sensations that you experience when you pay attention to your food. Notice the speed at which you eat when you pay close attention to each bite. Notice any thoughts, or feelings that come up. Any internal dialogue. If you are doing this alone, pull out a journal and write down your experience once it’s over. If you’re doing it in a group, have a discussion about it after the meal, and see where it takes you!

There are so many ways of choosing mindfulness when it comes to our food. My advice is to start where you are at. Start by paying attention.  Either when you are eating, when you’re preparing the food, or when you’re planning your weekly meals. These shifts don’t have to happen in any particular order, and there isn’t a “right” way to be mindful about eating. The only thing to do is begin to be present, and see where it takes you.