Do you find yourself eating mindlessly, snacking when not hungry, or overeating?
Incorporating mindfulness into your eating habits could be just what you need! It’s an accessible, evidence-based strategy to improve your diet without having to think about calories, portion sizes, or tracking anything.
In this blog post, you’ll learn about the incredible benefits of mindful eating and how to make a personalized mindful eating plan that works with the busiest of schedules. I’ve also included a complete three-day sample meal plan to help you kickstart your mindful eating journey.
Keep reading for simple tips and tricks for creating and making a mindful eating plan that works for you. You’ll learn exactly how to create a more balanced and sustainable approach to food that nourishes both your body and mind.
What is Mindful Eating?
Picture this: You sit down to eat a warm, steamy plate of your favorite meal. You take a deep breath, inhaling the delicious aroma of the food. As you eat, you notice the colors, flavors, and textures. You’re fully present and in the moment.
This is the essence of mindful eating – paying attention to food and eating without judgment.
By incorporating mindfulness into your eating habits, you’ll become more aware of the sensations of the food you’re eating. This is a helpful way to make more intentional choices about what, when, and how to eat, ultimately leading to endless benefits for your mind and body.
Benefits of Mindful Eating
Better Digestion
By taking the time to slow down and chew your food properly, your nervous system calms down. This improves digestion and reduces digestive issues like bloating, gas, and constipation.
Improved Relationship with Food
Mindful eating practices can help you to develop a positive relationship with food, eliminate guilt or shame around food choices, reduce binge eating, and allow you to enjoy your meals without restriction, while still making conscious choices about nutrition.
Reduced Stress
Eating mindfully calms your body’s fight-or-flight stress response, almost immediately lessening physical stress in your body. Plus, when you plan for it, there’s less decision fatigue, which is a great way to feel less overwhelmed.
Better Health
By making conscious choices about what you eat, it’s easier to eat a balanced diet that includes all the healthy foods and essential nutrients. Over time, this can really impact how you feel and benefit your overall physical and mental health.
Planning for Mindful Eating
If you struggle with overeating, mindless eating, portion control, or healthy eating in general, you’ve probably thought about trying to eat more mindfully but have trouble following through. Planning ahead is a great way to start to break this cycle.
When you plan ahead for what to eat, what recipes to make, and what groceries to buy, much of the work of healthy eating is done ahead of time. This way, you can then focus on what and how you’re eating, without stressing about it.
Other Benefits of Menu Planning
- Improves nutrition
- Reduces stress
- Saves time
- Saves energy (physical and mental!)
- Saves money
- Reduces food waste
- Eat a variety of foods
By planning your meals and snacks, you can make more mindful choices, reduce stress, and make healthy eating easy. Meal planning can also help you to save time and energy during the week, which can reduce stress and allow you to enjoy your meals without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
What is a Mindful Eating Meal Plan?
A mindful eating meal plan is designed to help you make intentional and informed choices about what, when, and how to eat. To create a meal plan that supports mindful eating, it’s important to understand the key components that make up a balanced and sustainable approach to food.
Variety of Whole Foods
Incorporating a variety of foods into your meal plan is essential for providing your body with the nutrients it needs to thrive. Choosing more “whole foods,” or fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, that are less processed can add an extra boost of good nutrition and a range of flavors.
Balanced Nutrition
A balanced meal plan includes a balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) and food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, etc.). Each meal should aim to include a balance of all three macronutrients and a variety of food groups.
A well-balanced mindful eating plan will allow you to breeze through your days energized, focused, and satiated.
Flexible Structure
A meal plan should be flexible and adaptable to your lifestyle and preferences. This means that you should have room for things to come up and to stray from your plan. Life happens, and things will come up. Plan for that to happen!
Flexibility also means being open to trying new foods, incorporating seasonal recipes, and being adaptable to foods that sound good or that are available. Plan for things that you want to eat and that can easily be adapted. See ideas for this in the plan below!
Practical System
A practical meal plan fits your schedule and lifestyle. This means taking into account your work schedule, family obligations, and social life when planning meals and snacks. It should be easy to follow and utilize simple and affordable ingredients.
By embracing and including these key components in your meal plan, you can create a sustainable and balanced approach to nutrition and mindful eating.
How to Make a Mindful Meal Plan
It might sound a bit overwhelming to think about planning for all of that. It’s not as simple as listing out a few dinner meals for the week, but it doesn’t have to be complicated by any means, either.
It’s all about being intentional and thoughtful about what you eat, and planning when you have the time and space to make it easier for future you to eat and be present. Plus, you’ll be more likely to make healthier choices and feel great when you’re nourishing your body.
- Map out your goals. Before diving in, be sure you know why you’re planning and what you want to get out of it. Are you trying to eat healthier, stress less, or simply become more aware of your eating habits? Once you have a clear understanding of your why, you can make a plan that supports that goal.
- Plan your meals. Consider what meals you enjoy and the foods you want to include. Decide what meals and snacks you’ll eat for 3-5 days at a time. Incorporate a variety of different food to keep things interesting.
- Make a shopping list. This is where you can save so much time and money by buying what you need for what you’ll actually eat. Stock up on staples and grab ingredients for the meals you’ve planned.
- Prep ahead (if you can). Set aside a few minutes when you get home to wash produce, cut up veggies, and maybe cook a few things in bulk if you have the time. By having everything ready to go (especially for lunches and quick dinners), you’re more likely to stick with your menu plan throughout the week.
- Be flexible and realistic. Life happens, and sometimes you won’t be able to stick to your plan. Try not to over plan and keep things simple. Focusing on versatile ingredients that last for a while or can be frozen helps too!
But I’m SO Busy…
I get it, with a busy lifestyle, it can be tough to make healthy choices when it comes to food, not to mention having to plan ahead. That’s where a mindful eating meal plan can help!
By taking the time to plan ahead, you can ensure that you’re making balanced and nutritious food choices, even when you’re on the go. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Fit your meal plan around your schedule to make it easier to stick to.
- Plan for leftovers so you can have healthy, homemade meals on hand throughout the week.
- Embrace repetition by incorporating some of your favorite meals into your meal plan. This will help simplify the process.
- Limit the number of new ingredients and recipes you try each week to avoid overwhelming yourself. Stick to familiar ingredients and recipes to make the process more manageable, especially during the workweek.
Sample 3-Day Mindful Meal Plan
Day 1
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with sauteed spinach and tomatoes, whole grain toast, fresh fruit
Snack: Greek yogurt with mixed berries, a drizzle of honey, and low-sugar granola
Lunch: Cobb salad with quinoa
Snack: Apple with natural peanut butter
Dinner: Air-fried salmon with a vegetable rice pilaf (make a double portion for tomorrow’s dinner)
Day 2
Breakfast: Berry overnight oats
Snack: Apple with peanut butter
Lunch: Cobb salad with quinoa
Snack: Hummus with carrots and crackers
Dinner: Leftover salmon and vegetable rice pilaf
Day 3
Breakfast: Berry green smoothie
Snack: Mixed nuts
Lunch: Boiled eggs, cheese, crackers, vegetable crudites, and hummus bento box
Snack: Greek yogurt with mixed berries, a drizzle of honey, and low-sugar granola
Dinner: Sheet pan sausage, peppers, and potatoes
The Takeaway
Incorporating mindfulness into your eating habits can transform your relationship with food and your overall health. By taking the time to savor your meals and pay attention to how and what you eat, you can reduce stress, improve digestion, and much more.
Meal planning is a practical and effective way to start incorporating mindfulness into your meals and snacks. Not only does it save you time, money, and energy, but it also enables you to create a flexible and balanced meal plan that includes whole foods and good nutrition.
Try making your own mindful eating meal plan for a sustainable and enjoyable approach to healthy eating. By doing so, you’ll be on your way to a healthier and happier you.
