Have you ever had a meal that was unforgettable? A meal that you can instantly remember the taste of just by thinking about it and every time that you eat it tastes just as good as you remember. What if I told you that there is a secret that could make every meal you eat as unforgettable as that meal was? That secret to having more memorable meals can be found using Mindful Eating.
There is a lot more to a great meal than just the taste of the meal itself.
Creating a memorable meal is all about the experience that you are having while eating.
Mindful Eating enhances the eating experience greatly but before I go into that let’s talk about the science of what makes a meal a great meal in the first place.
Taste is usually what we associate a great meal with but science tells us that taste is determined greatly by our senses and our environment.
So two different people who eat the exact same thing will experience a completely different taste sensation from one another.
This fact intuitively makes sense because I’m sure you’ve eaten something that you’ve loved that someone else doesn’t. But another finding shows the same meal cooked the same way can also taste different depending on your mood when you eat it.
Studies have shown that mood makes food taste different. Eating when we are happy and eating when we are sad can make one meal taste completely different.
There is also our hunger that plays a role in how food might taste. Food tastes better when you are more hungry when you eat it.
I gave you a lot of data about hunger so how do you use this to actually have better tasting meals? It’s simple, the experience.
Memorable meals are about the experience you are having while eating not just the taste of the food that you are eating.
So to create great meals we need to rely on more than just the taste. We also have to focus on smell, sound, and sight.
Mindfulness and Mindful Eating is the perfect tool to use to have great eating experiences that will lead to better tasting meals.
Mindful Eating is the practice of becoming present while eating by becoming aware of what your thoughts and feelings around food are. Most often this involves using all of your senses while you are eating to be truly present and in the moment.
In the next section, we will go over specific mindful eating techniques that you can start applying today to having more enjoyable and memorable meals but before that let's talk about why Mindful Eating actually makes the food we eat taste better.
By becoming aware of the food you are eating in the moment you enhance the taste of the food that you are eating.
Some examples of mindful eating strategies are listed below:
These Mindful Eating techniques help you become more aware to improve your eating experience.
The science that we established in the first section explains how what you taste changes based on the sights, sounds, and smells that you are experiencing.
The role of Mindful Eating is to make you aware of those senses that you might have previously never paid attention to.
It is well documented that distracted eating has negative consequences such as increased eating and increased weight gain.
If we eat while distracted we are unable to perceive the sights, smell, and sounds that we experience while we eat because our brain does not perceive it.
Can you recall anytime that you remember the taste of something that you eat while you are on your cell phone or watching TV? Now compare that to the number of meals that you have had while eating out at a restaurant with friends and family.
I know personally that there is a huge difference for me.
Because Mindful Eating makes you more aware of the experience that you are having when you are eating you will enjoy better tasting meals when you start to eat mindfully.
I've created a list of Mindful Eating techniques that you can start using today to have better tasting, more enjoably meals.
Make your plate look exciting to bring you more into the moment as you eat. Making your plate look more appetizing will make you more hungry and more likely to be aware while you are eating. 5-star restaurants understand this which is why people pay so much more money to eat there than any other place.
When you are hungry your brain tends to shut off because evolution has trained us to make food our number one priority. Using a routine consistently can help you to stay mindful in moments where your brain just wants to shut out and eat. Establish a process before you eat, while you eat, and after you eat.
Social interactions while you eat is a great way to keep you mindful. You cannot find a better eating experience other than a great restaurant. Go out with people, talk about the food, and truly be present while you eat.
Smell your food before starting to eat it. Great smelling will quickly bring your attention to the food and make you more excited to eat. Smelling food when you are hungry also makes you want to eat even more.
You can’t touch every meal that you eat but touching something like an apple or a grape and feeling the texture makes eating feel more intimate.
Sound and food can interact a number of different ways. First there are sounds like sizzles that happen when a meal is fresh of the grill. If you have ever eaten off of a cast iron plate in a restaurant you know that when it comes out the kitchen sizzling it has the attention of everyone at the table. You can also focus on the sounds you make as you chew. Foods that are soft and foods that are crunchy make completely different sounds and you can use that to keep your awareness on the food itself.
Food that looks great will always capture your attention. Make sure you take the time to appreciate everything that you see on the plate before you start eating.
Lastly there is tase. Use all your other senses to amplify the taste of food that you get.
Eating slowly might be one of the easiest things that you can do to make your food taste better. There have actually been studies that proved that when you eat slower food tastes better. When we rush through what we eat we can miss the flavor that is on the food. As you eat slowly close your eyes so you can focus on nothing but the taste.