top of page

How to eat mindfully in six easy steps

Mindful eating doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your habits, just small, intentional shifts in how you approach the way you eat.



Mindful eating is the practice of paying full attention to your food, savoring each bite, and listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. In our fast-paced world, meals are often rushed, distracted, or driven by habit rather than hunger. But with a few simple shifts, you can transform your relationship with food, savouring every bite while improving digestion, satisfaction, and overall well-being.


By the end of this series of blog post you will understand:



In this blog post we are going to take a look at how to eat mindfully in six easy steps.


Man and women both aged 30 sat next to each other looking into each others eyes as they are about to mindfully eat a shiny red apple.

How to eat mindfully in six easy steps?


Mindful eating doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your habits, just small, intentional shifts in how you approach the way you eat. Here are some tips to get started:


1) Create a Calm Eating Environment


Take deep breaths before starting your meal, sit in a comfortable position, and focus on enjoying the moment. 


Lady with curly black hair sat at a table in her kitchen eating mindfully.

2) Eliminate Distractions


Put away your phone, turn off the TV, close that magazine and focus on your meal. 


Asian couple enjoying sharing food. The man is holding a plate of food while the lady is taking her portion from it. They are both happy and mindful in the moment together.

3) Engage your Senses


Think about what you want to eat. Smell your food cooking. Look at your food and notice the colours. Notice the texture as you chew and pay attention to all the different flavours in your mouth.  


Lady holding a half opened orange. She is smelling the scent of the orange. This image is to represent mindfully eating my using your senses.

4) Chew your food slowly


Take smaller bites and chew your food well before swallowing. This not only helps with digestion but also gives you more time to enjoy each mouthful. 


Lady in her 30s with long hair enjoying chewing her food. She is eating outside and looks very happy.

5) Pause between bites


Put your cutlery down between each mouthful. Taking a short pause helps you eat more slowly and stay aware of how full you are getting. 


Lady in her 30s calming herself down while sat at a chair in her kitchen. She is taking a breath.

6) Enjoy treats without guilt


If you are going to treat yourself to something indulgent, do it mindfully. Enjoy every bite, savour the flavours, and let go of guilt. Eating this way can actually reduce the urge to overindulge.


Man in his late 50s enjoying eating a piece of cake in his garden. He has his eyes closes and is savouring the flavour of the cake.

 

A New Way to Eat in 2025


This year, let mindful eating be your new habit. Whether you’re enjoying a hearty soup, a healthy salad or indulging in a slice of cake, commit to being fully present. 


Mindful eating isn’t about being perfect, it’s about making progress, one meal at a time. Next time you find you’ve eaten a whole bar of chocolate without really noticing, don’t be hard on yourself, simply observe and try to be more present next time you eat. 


Remember, mindful eating isn’t a diet or a set of rules, it’s a lifelong practice of treating yourself with care and respect.


If you want to take things a step further why not make 2025 the year that you start to eat a wholefood rich nutritious diet! Click on the button below to find out more about our self-guided online nutrition course, created by UK Nutritional Therapist Josie Shillabeer.


Marketing image for online self-led nutrition course by Josie Shillabeer and The Health Puzzle. The writing says online, self-led nutrition course teaching you the basics of a wholefood rich, balance diet. Simple and effective changes that you can quickly introduce and continue long-term. Created by qualified Nutritional Therapist Josie Shillabeer. Click here to find out more and enrol.

You will finish the course with a true understanding of what to eat and why, you will feel able to keep up good nutrition long-term and you will have a greater understanding of your overall health and wellbeing.



 

Eating Disorder Support - Please note that this information may not be suitable for those with a previous or current eating disorder. Here is a link to a charity called BEAT who can offer you support.


To be able to run this service free of charge we rely on donations and the use of affiliated links. Affiliated links have been used for many of the products within this directory. There will be no additional charge or noticeable differences for you, by clicking on some of the links within this directory and making a purchase we may receive commission. All donations and commission goes towards the growth and development of our free services. Please contact us for further information. Thank you for your support.

Subscribe for New Blog Posts & Monthly Newsletter

Comments


bottom of page