Mindful eating is all about slowing down and truly savoring your food. Being mindful during the preparation of your meal as well as during the meal itself helps you reconnect with your body's hunger cues, reduce emotional eating, and enjoy your meals more deeply. 

Before You Eat

• Check in with your hunger: Ask yourself if you're truly physically hungry. Oftentimes, people reach for food when feeling ‘emotional cues’ like boredom, stress, fear and even happiness. 
• Set the scene: Eat in a calm, distraction-free space—no phones, TVs, or multitasking while you eat. Focus on the meal and if you are eating with others, also the company at your table. 
• Express gratitude: Take a moment to appreciate the food, where it came from, and the effort behind it. This can be done with a short intention or prayer over your food before you start eating. 

During Your Meal

• Eat slowly: Put your fork down between bites and chew thoroughly. A good goal for chewing is to aim for 40-50 chews per bite of food. Ideally, your food should be a soft liquid puree before swallowing. Your body needs time to register satiety, therefore eating slowly is an effective way to do this. 
• Engage your senses: Notice the colors, textures, aromas, and flavors of each bite. Dining ‘al fresco’, also known as outdoors during mealtimes, is another way to enjoy your meal while engaging in nature with your senses.
• Serve modest portions: Use a smaller plate and avoid going back for seconds until you've paused to assess your physiological fullness.

Mental Shifts

• Avoid labeling food as “good” or “bad”: Focus on how the food makes you feel when eating it, both physically and emotionally. 
• Practice self-compassion: If you overeat or make less nutritious choices, reflect without judgment. Everybody eats food that is not always the most nutritious choice from time to time. 
• Tune into fullness: Stop eating when you're about 80% full. You can easily assess your fullness by asking yourself how full you are when you are about halfway through your meal. If you truly desire to eat more due to lingering hunger, then give yourself permission to eat a little more. However, if you are already feeling 80% full and eating a little more could possibly make you feel uncomfortable in your clothing, then give yourself the grace to stop your meal at this point, whether your plate is empty or not. 

Bonus Habits

• Shop mindfully: Stick to a list and avoid impulse buys—especially when hungry. 
• Plan meals and snacks: Eating every 3–4 hours can prevent ravenous hunger and impulsive choices. The Fit6 Program emphasizes three meals and one snack daily. 

Try a mindful food exercise once daily: Choose a food that you are excited about enjoying. Eat it slowly, noticing every detail of it from the vibrant colors, the juiciness and taste and how the taste changes as you chew it thoroughly. This small act is a surprisingly powerful way to honor the food that you are eating.