When it comes to making healthy choices it starts from the ground up. What exactly does that mean for you’ It means starting at the source of your food, the grocery store! With mindful eating it is especially important to make the right choices when making food purchases because having access to healthy and tasty foods makes it that much easier to make an active choice towards those foods. There are no right or wrong foods when eating mindfully, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some choices out there that are better than others. Here are some basic tips to follow when shopping while mindfully eating.
- Don’t go shopping hungry! This is a pretty basic tip in general, when you shop on an empty stomach you’re more likely to fill your cart with what you’re craving or what looks good and you’ll leave the store with a cart full of chips and snacks. Mindful eating is all about following your hunger cues so make sure that your hunger is satisfied before you start your list and heading to the store.
- Do a little research Mindful eating is all about eating delicious, healthy foods. You want to be eating foods that taste good and are good for you, so if you want you can put in a little extra credit by doing some research online about which foods have good nutritional value that you already enjoy. Also don’t be afraid to get creative and try new things, you want to enjoy your food so if you see something healthy that looks like it tastes good, pick it up and give it a try. I love to look at Pinterest to get some great clean recipes and find out about new products. Be sure to set a timer, because this can be a time suck =)
- Don’t restrict yourself Just because you’re eating mindfully doesn’t mean that you can’t have some of your favorites, too. If you’re feeling like you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth then don’t flinch when it comes to adding a sweet surprise to your list. Since the core of mindful eating is considering your food as you eat, you just need to think to yourself “I know this doesn’t have much nutritional value but it tastes good” and make sure to balance what you eat with something healthy along with it. This isn’t an open license to lose your stuff, but to make sure you aren’t saying all treats are off limits. When you say that you are setting yourself up for failure and you will crave even more.
- Try to avoid “mindless” foods You know what I’m talking about when I say this. If a food is the kind of thing you can just pop in your mouth or take handfuls of at a time without thinking, you may want to avoid putting it in your cart altogether. This includes things like chips, popcorn, candy, or just about anything else that comes in a big bag that’s easy to reach into and scoop out of. You want to be able to savor the flavors and textures of your food, something you can’t do if you’re just shoveling it into your mouth. If you want snacks, pick out something healthy and delicious you can take time to enjoy instead.
Just like the mindful eating itself, you should be making an active choice to choose healthy, delicious foods that you can take your time to enjoy and savor while you eat them. Stay in your mindful eating mindset while you shop and you’re sure to come out with lots of great food options from your shopping trip.
Do you have any tips you want to share” Please leave me a comment below.
Ready to say good-bye to old school meal prep’ Check out my latest Easy Peasy Meal Prep Guide, please I share some easy recipes.
