How to Practice Mindful Eating

University life is fast-paced and demanding, even for USask staff and faculty! One way
to manage work-related stress is through the practice of mindful eating habits.

Incorporating mindful eating habits into your routines can help you make healthier food
choices and foster a more positive relationship with food. Doing so can improve your
physical and mental well-being. Practicing mindful eating habits is a form of self-care
that can help you thrive in high-pressure workplace environments.

From Cart to Table: A Mindful Eating Approach to Your Daily Routines

Planning Your Plate
The first step before heading to the grocery store is deciding what you’re going to eat! Set aside some time to plan ahead for the week. It doesn’t have to be a rigid structure, a simple outline works.

Consider asking yourself:
● What does your schedule look like for the week?
● How much time will you have to cook?
● How many people will you be cooking for?

Not sure where to start? Take a look in your fridge and pantry to see what you have that
can be used. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to plan! You can create a plan
and adjust as needed. Listen to your body—if you’re craving something else, honour
your hunger cues.

Grocery Shopping with Intention
Once you have planned your meals and taken inventory of the ingredients you already
have, the next step is to make a grocery list. The key to doing this mindfully is to create
the list intentionally and without judgment. This can help you stay within your set budget
and choose foods that will nourish you both physically and emotionally.

Before adding a food to your list, remember:
● All foods can belong on your list. No food is “good” or “bad”.
● Your list serves as a guide and doesn’t need to be rigid. It’s okay to not get
everything you wrote down or to add an extra thing or two when you’re at the
store. It can be flexible!
● A variety of whole, nutrient-dense foods will better nourish your body than highly
processed, packaged foods.

When you are at the grocery store, check in with your hunger cues. Shopping while
hungry can be stressful and make you more likely to make impulse purchases or rush
through the store. Consider having a snack so your mind is fueled and better able to
shop mindfully.

Try the following mindful techniques:
● Be open to new things: Remember that your list can be flexible! If you see a
new food that you want to try, you are allowed to get it.
● Minimize distractions: Try to stay present while you shop and avoid using your
smartphone. If possible, shop by yourself to get it done quickly and easily.
Inspect Nutrition Facts Tables and ingredient lists to inform yourself about your
foods.
● Engage your senses: Focus on the colours, smells, and textures of the fresh
foods you pick out. Consider buying local, seasonal produce, as they can be
fresher and more nutritious.

Meal Prep Made Easy
With busy lives, meal prep can seem overwhelming at first, but with a few simple ste
and some practice, it can become a regular part of your weekly routine.

Meal prepping is efficient because it can be tailored to your personal preferenc
allowing you to enjoy a homemade meal even on days when there’s no time to cook:

● Start small: you don’t have to meal prep for the whole week right away. Try
cooking once and eating twice—make a little extra at supper and save the
leftovers for the next day. This doesn’t mean you have to eat the same meal
again; instead, get creative with leftovers and turn them into a new meal! Aim to
keep flavours simple so that ingredients can be used in multiple dishes.

● Batch cook & Freeze: batch cooking is simply making a large amount of food at
once to portion and store in the freezer. Having these meals on hand is great for
days when you don’t feel like cooking. Preparing food in bulk can save both
money and time in the long run.

● Need more variety? Try ingredient/food prep. While meal prep makes complete
meals, ingredient prep saves time in cooking. Choose meals with overlapping
ingredients and try strategies like using a slicer to chop veggies for a salad,
pre-measuring ingredients for a sauce, or marinating meats overnight. Feeling
creative? Freestyle by combining half-prepped ingredients for diverse meals
throughout the week. Being intentional about what and when you prep will save
time, money, and reduce food waste.

Mindful Snacking
Snacking is a part of everyday life. Determining why you want to snack can help you
decide what you want to snack on to satisfy your needs.

● Do you feel the need to snack out of hunger?
● Is this snack providing a pause in your day?
● Is your environment prompting you to snack, such as a social gathering?
● Is this snack a treat?

Asking these questions will help you be more intentional in your choices for a more
satisfying snacking experience. Happy snacking!

Sourced from the Canada’s Food Guide.