Mindful eating tips to change old habits
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EmailDevelop more healthful eating habits and enjoy the foods you love to eat.
Have you ever grabbed a bag of chips and sat in front of the TV to watch a movie, and by the time the movie is over the whole bag is gone? Or do you constantly find yourself going back for a second bowl of ice cream or slice of pizza when you’re not even hungry? Most of us can relate to these scenarios. By eating mindlessly in this way, we are often unaware of our choices and amount of food we eat. Constant eating in this way also does not give your stomach time to register that it is full. Overeating can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable. Mindlessly eating can also have negative health impacts such as weight gain and an increase in other health risk factors.
This is where mindful eating can help. What is mindful eating? Mindful eating is about building a healthy and positive relationship with our food choices by being aware of the present moment without judgment. Being aware of our food choices when eating can help to alter some of those old mindless eating habits.
5 mindful eating tips
- Consider your hunger - Take time to think about your hunger level before you eat. This will give you an idea of what and how much food you want to eat.
- Turn off all electronics - Electronic devices such as the TV can be distractions during meals and can cause you to lose the sense of your body’s natural instinct of when it is full.
- Serve portions out - Measuring chips in a bowl or setting prepared food on the counter top versus leaving it on the table will help prevent us from eating more than our bodies’ need.
- Use smaller dishware - Using a smaller plate prevents us from filling up a bigger plate and taking more food than we need.
- Take your time - It takes about 20 minutes for our body to realize when it is full. Take time when eating to prevent yourself from overindulging.
Even these small steps can have an impact on how you view food and how much you eat in one sitting. Start with one of the above tips instead of starting off with all five. Be patient with the process and the results will follow in time.
Being mindful does not mean giving up all foods we enjoy such as desserts, chips and pizza. It means that by controlling portion sizes and eating all foods in moderation, we gain a healthy relationship with food and make more healthful decisions in the future.
Here are some sources for more information on mindful eating from Michigan State University Extension:
