Make the radical move of listening to your own body instead of eating according to somebody else’s rules, as this helps you sense when you’re hungry or full.
Engage in five reflections before you begin to eat your food, primarily to nourish your gratitude for the meal and acknowledge the conditions that brought it to you.
Eat meals together with others, especially in silence, to foster accountability, reduce overeating driven by craving, and enhance awareness during the meal.
Actively bring your attention back to the lived, visceral experience of chewing and tasting your food, rather than getting lost in thoughts, projects, or past/future ideas, to avoid eating a ‘ghost carrot’.
Recognize and transform the ‘hungry ghost’ mindset—a feeling of insatiable desire and never having enough—to achieve true happiness and contentment in eating and life.
Before eating, reflect on the interbeing nature of your food, recognizing it as a gift from the entire universe, including the earth, sky, sun, rain, and the hard work of many beings, to cultivate deep gratitude.
Cultivate a sense of worthiness to receive your food with gratitude, as feeling unworthy can lead to overeating or treating your body poorly.
Recognize and transform emotions like greed or craving before and during eating to practice moderation and avoid overeating.
Contemplate the effect your eating habits have on the planet, including climate change and biodiversity, and strive to eat in ways that reduce suffering in the world.
Accept food with the intention to nurture your community and realize the path of understanding and love, recognizing that mindful eating builds relationships with each other.
Actively seek to recreate and share eating spaces with family, friends, and colleagues, as this is inherent in the root of our culture and enhances mindful eating.
Make a conscious decision to look for opportunities to eat with others, as this awareness can help you find or create communal meal experiences.
If living alone, consider creative solutions like rotating dinner parties with friends or neighbors where each person cooks, to build community and share meals.
Reduce suffering and increase awareness by engaging with local food systems, such as volunteering at a community garden or supporting a local community-supported agricultural farm.
Put down distractions like books during meals to slow down, truly enjoy your food, observe your surroundings, and cultivate gratitude for the meal.
Eat in silence for 15-20 minutes to fully absorb contemplations, be present with your food, and avoid getting lost in thoughts or projects.
Practice mindfulness while eating to better sense hunger and fullness, taste your food, and enjoy the eating process.
When eating communally, practice offering food to others by ensuring everyone can reach dishes or by serving them, fostering a positive sharing culture rather than judgment.
In communal eating settings, slow down your pace to manage your portion intake and engage in the shared experience more mindfully.