Mindful Eating 101

Monday, April 19, 2021

By Betsy Cogan, Dietetic Intern, PhD Student in Foods and Nutrition

Did you know that stress could impact eating behavior? In these stressful times, it’s hard not to notice differences in our everyday routine. Sleeping less, worrying more, spending more time with screens than with friends. These obvious shifts in our life related to stress are easy to identify, but are you noticing how stress might be affecting how you eat?

College student biting a pencil at her laptop.Stress

The American Psychological Association conducted a survey examining stress coping strategies in adults. From this survey, they found that 43% of adults were overeating in times of stress. Of those that reported overeating, the results from this survey revealed candies, ice cream, chips, fast food, and pizza were the main foods that were over consumed. This may sound familiar! Many of us do reach for comforting foods when we have a stressful day. But why?

Mindful Eating

Stress can disrupt physiological appetite cues and diminish our capacity to focus on planning a balanced meal. Thus, mindfulness at mealtime is just as important, if not more during times of stress, to making sure the body gets what it needs. Mealtime mindfulness allows us to eat exactly what we need, including energy and antioxidants that help reduce stress on our bodies. Additionally, mindfulness helps us pay closer attention to our body’s cues, which helps us to reduce over consumption, possible weight gain, and increased cardiovascular risk associated with stress.

Mindful eating can be easily incorporated into your routine and can really come in handy during times of increased stress. For a balanced, comfort meal that’s 1. easy to make, 2. Fun to eat, and 3. provides protein, grains, and dairy, try this weeknight pasta with a simple green salad or with chopped greens mixed in!

So, how can you be more mindful?

1. Tune into your body’s cues

Ask yourself... How am I feeling right now? Am I stressed or tired? Am I hungry? How hungry? Have I had enough water today?

2. Experience your meal

Be present. Eliminating distractions during a meal is crucial to staying in tune with your body’s signals and fully enjoying what you’ve selected. Put away your phone, computer, or work so you can really experience the food you have decided to eat.

3. Appreciate nourishment

Consider the great things about the foods you are eating! Did you select a protein? That will help you stay full longer and can aid in muscle recovery. Did you select a fruit or vegetable? The fiber, vitamins, and antioxidant content in these foods are so beneficial to your body.

4. Trust yourself

Instead of “treat yourself”, TRUST yourself. Knowing your likes and dislikes and how much or little your body wants/needs is key to mindful eating. Food can be a comfort during stressful moments. But food isn’t the cure-all for stress! Be sure to find non-food things that relieve stress like spending time with friends, joyful movement, and a good night’s sleep. With balanced food choices, food can fuel those long days and prevent some of the negative effects stress has on the body.