Mindful bites: Taste and see the benefits

The way we come together to eat as a family can play an important role in shaping a child’s relationship with food. Mindful eating can be a great tool to help bring more connection to mealtimes.

Creating a calm, present mood around shared meals can help children feel more connected to their food, tune in to their bodies and be more willing to try something new. In this blog we discuss mindful eating and how to introduce it to your family table.  

What is mindful eating?

Mindful eating is about paying attention to the whole experience of eating: what does the food look like, smell like, taste like, how does it make you feel? It can help children and adults tune into hunger and fullness cues and understand what foods they like and don’t like.

Mindful eating can help your child build a good relationship with food by: 

• Making mealtime more interactive and enjoyable
• Preventing overeating
• Improving digestion
• Supporting greater focus
• Creating more satisfaction with meals

How to start mindful eating?

1) Limit distractions

Turn off the TV and put away phones and tablets. This will help your child stay more focused on their food. It’s also a great reminder for the whole family to be present at mealtime. Modelling mindful eating practices will encourage your children to do the same.

2) Check-in with hunger

Encourage your child to check in with how hungry they feel. Take time as they are eating or after the meal to ask if they’re still hungry or if they’re feeling full. This helps teach self-awareness and encourages them to make decisions for themselves.  

3) Slow down

Encourage your child to take small, slow bites and chew carefully. You can ask them if the taste changes as they chew slowly or if it stays the same.

4) Eat mindfully as a family

The mindful eating journey can be a whole family experience. Talking with children about food during mealtimes can encourage curiosity and help them better recognise the feelings and sensations different foods bring.  Using the five senses as a guide, questions could include: How does it smell? Is it warm or cold? What shapes and colours do you see?              

Why does this matter?

Mindful eating can help support your child’s:

• Self-awareness: as they learn to notice how they feel
• Decision-making and self-control: as they learn to listen to their body and reach for foods with more purpose

Mindful eating is not about adding pressure or rules, it’s about slowing down when you can, noticing what’s on the plate and making mealtime an experience, not just something to get through quickly. Like many things we do as parents, it may take a bit of practice before it becomes natural or automatic. Just do your best and enjoy the process.