Thanksgiving is meant to be an enjoyable day on which we celebrate the things for which we are thankful. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving dinner, which is traditionally large and excessive, evokes negative feelings for those who struggle in their relationship with food and their body. It may be physical feelings of discomfort from overeating or it may be emotional feelings such as dread, anxiety, guilt, or self-deprivation.
To create a more positive and enjoyable experience at Thanksgiving dinner, it is important to be mindful as well as thankful. Even if these feelings do not sound familiar to you, the following mindful eating practices can be useful to role model and teach your children to help in their development of a healthy relationship with food.
- Plate your food, sit down, and eat! Give eating the attention it deserves!
- Be observant.
- Experiences the tastes, textures, smells, and sounds of each bite fully before taking another bite.
- Pay attention to internal cues to stop eating.
- To help focus your attention, try using your non-dominant hand to feed yourself.
- Avoid judgments.
- Remember, all food is neutral. Avoid calling food “good” or “bad”.
- Throw away food rules, such as “no pumpkin pie.”
- Make counter statements. For example, “I’m not going to gain five pounds just because I ate a slice of pumpkin pie.”
- Remain present in the moment.
- Stay engaged in the conversation at the table.
- Switch it up. Taste receptors are strongest for the first two bites of a flavor so take two bites of an item and then move to anotherfood item.