Mindful Eating Monday
If you’ve been working to minimize your trash, you may have noticed that certain foods you can buy at the store come in lots of plastic packaging. These often tend to be the foods of convenience—chips, cookies, frozen meals, and other processed foods. The companies that sell these foods want to make them so convenient to eat that you don’t even have to think about it.
And some days, when you have a lot on your mind due to work, kids, and other obligations, not having to think about what you eat sounds pretty good.
But it’s a trap!
Eating mindlessly is usually more wasteful, less healthy, and less enjoyable than being intentional about what you eat. There are lots of other great ways to minimize decision fatigue in your life and reduce your mental load—don’t make your food choices one of them!
Intentional eating is associated with lots of great benefits beyond just reduced plastic packaging, including improved digestion, weight management and portion control, and increased nutrient absorption.
We’re not saying you have to throw away everything in your pantry (please don’t do that!). But if you want to reap the benefits of intentional eating, we’re going to share some tips on how to shift your mindset.
This week’s tip is simple: Eat at the table.
Here are five reasons why you should eat your meals at the dinner table instead of on the couch in front of the TV or at your desk in front of the computer.
It’s good for your mental health. After a long day, it can be tempting to just throw a frozen dinner in the microwave or snack on whatever’s around. But if you’re tired, you deserve both a nourishing meal and a moment of respite. Slowing down for the time it takes to eat dinner will help you unwind and feel refreshed and satisfied.
It helps you savor each bite. Try not to work or watch TV while you eat. Focus on the food in front of you. Notice the different textures and flavors.
It’s easier to stop when you’re satisfied. If your attention is elsewhere, you’re like to keep eating as long as there is food in front of you. But if you sit at the table and make your dinner your focus, it’s easier to notice when you reach the point of satisfying your hunger.
It can help you break the habit of mindless snacking. If you’re always eating dinner at your desk, then anytime you’re sitting down to work, your brain thinks about food. If you can get into the routine of taking meals at a table, your brain will start to associate eating with sitting at the table, and you can change snacking from a mindless habit to an intentional choice.
You deserve it! Even if you’re eating alone, consider using your nice dishes, setting the table, and lighting a candle—you deserve the ambiance of a real dinner.
There are lots of other ways to make more intentional choices about your eating habits. Look out for more tips in future blog posts!