Season Your Holiday Meals with Mindful Eating

Following a healthy diet can be challenging, especially during holidays. We often focus on what to eat or how much we should have. These concerns can increase stress and discourage sustainable habits.

This can be distressing with frequent holiday gatherings where we have less control over what is offered. Instead of over-restricting, eating mindfully can help us enjoy the food we love and has been shown to reduce stress and emotional eating.

What is Mindful Eating?

The definition of mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” Mindful eating is one way to practice mindfulness. It helps us to appreciate food and can enrich our eating experience. Eating mindfully is associated with decreased distractions and increased awareness of the flavor of food.

5 Tips to Practice Mindful Eating this Season:

• Chew your food thoroughly: as you do this evaluate the flavor - does it taste salty, sweet, bitter or tangy? Is it crunchy, chewy or smooth?  What does it smell like? 

• Slow down when possible: take sips of water or set utensils down between bites.

• Accept and acknowledge: check in on how hungry or full you are – try to notice how you feel physically rather than judge what you are doing.

• Let go of past experience: focus on the food in front of you. Try to avoid worrying about what happened in the past or what will happen in the future.

• Practice mindfulness when not eating too: engage in meditation, walking, deep breathing or other exercises that help you relax.

REFERENCES: 
Bennett BL, Latner JD. Mindful Eating, Intuitive Eating, and the Loss of Control Over Eating. Eating Behaviors. 2022; 47:101680.
Garrett E, Licata A, Hoffman J. Mindful Eating and Perceived Stress in College Students. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2021;121(9): A94. 
Kabat-Zinn J. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Revised and updated edition. New York: Bantam Books; 2013.
Khan Z, Zadeh ZF. Mindful Eating and it's Relationship with Mental Well-being. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2014;159:69-73.
Morillo-Sarto H, López-del-Hoyo Y, Pérez-Aranda A, et al. ‘Mindful eating’ for Reducing Emotional Eating in Patients with Overweight or Obesity in Primary Care Settings: A Randomized Controlled Trial. European Eating Disorders Review. 2023;31(2):303-319.
Nelson JB. Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat. Diabetes Spectr. Aug 2017;30(3):171-174.

​By Yu-Hsiang Chiu, MS
​MGH Dietetic Intern