Mindful eating: enjoying food with all your senses

Mindful eating simply means paying attention while you eat: noticing the look, smell, taste and texture of your food, and how your body feels. It is not a diet, and there are no rules about what to eat.

Try it with one bite

1. Choose something small, like a piece of fruit.
2. Look at it closely, as if you have never seen it before.
3. Notice the smell.
4. Take a small bite and chew slowly. Notice the flavours and how they change.
5. Swallow, and notice the moment afterwards.

At mealtimes

• Put screens away for one meal a day.
• Put your fork down between bites.
• Pause halfway through and check in: how hungry am I now?
• Share a meal and a conversation with someone.

What mindful eating is

Mindful eating means paying attention to your food and your body while you eat: noticing flavours, textures, hunger and fullness. It is not a diet and there are no forbidden foods. It is simply eating with more awareness and less rush.

The raisin exercise

This classic exercise is used in many mindfulness courses. You can use any small piece of food.

1. Hold: place it in your palm and look at it as if you have never seen one before.
2. See: notice the colours, ridges and where the light catches it.
3. Touch: feel its texture between your fingers.
4. Smell: bring it to your nose and notice any scent.
5. Taste: place it on your tongue without chewing, then chew slowly.
6. Swallow: notice the urge to swallow and the aftertaste.

Bringing it to everyday meals

• Take the first three bites slowly and with full attention.
• Put your fork down between bites now and then.
• Eat at a table rather than in front of a screen when you can.
• Pause halfway through to notice how hungry or full you feel.
• Notice the people and work behind your meal, and feel thankful.

Hunger and fullness

Before eating, check in: on a scale from one (very hungry) to ten (very full), where are you? Check again halfway through. This simply helps you notice your body’s signals; there is no right number.

A note of care

If you have a difficult relationship with food or an eating disorder, mindful eating exercises may not be right for you without support. Please talk to a doctor or a qualified professional.

Key points

• Slow down and notice flavour, texture and fullness.
• Start with the first few bites of a meal.
• Mindful eating is about awareness, not rules.

If you have a difficult relationship with food, please speak with a health professional for support.