Mindful eating: how to slow down and enjoy your food

Many of us eat on autopilot: lunch at the desk, dinner in front of a screen, snacks straight from the packet. Mindful eating isn't a diet. It's simply paying attention while you eat, so you enjoy your food more and notice when you've had enough.

Why it helps

Your body's fullness signals take time to catch up with what you've eaten. When you eat quickly or while distracted, it's easy to keep going past the point of comfortable fullness. Slowing down gives those signals a chance to register.

Hunger or something else?

Before you eat, take a moment to check in. Physical hunger builds gradually and is satisfied by most foods. Emotional hunger often comes on suddenly, craves something specific and is linked to boredom, stress or tiredness. Neither is wrong, but noticing the difference gives you a choice.

Small ways to start

• Eat at least one meal a day without a screen
• Sit down to eat, even for snacks
• Put your fork down between bites
• Notice the colours, smells, textures and flavours of your food
• Pause halfway through a meal and ask how full you feel
• Serve food on a plate rather than eating from the packet

Planning makes mindful eating easier

It's hard to eat mindfully when you're rushing to decide what to have, or so hungry you'll grab anything. Having meals planned in advance means you sit down to food you chose with intention. In Mealful, your plan is ready before you're hungry, and logging takes a single photo, so tracking never gets in the way of enjoying your meal.