3 Tips to Increase Mindfulness in Your Kitchen and Home

Big news! My son and daughter-in-law had a baby boy! That’s my second grandchild (both boys) and I am super excited. He came into this world a bit earlier than expected and took us all by surprise. But he and mom are doing well and we couldn’t be happier!

We celebrated my new grandson’s homecoming from the hospital with a celebration in my home on Friday evening. I had less than 48 hours to plan this big event so I went into overdrive. My husband and I immediately started making lists of what we needed to buy. Cake, fruit, drinks etc…..

The party was terrific. Happy times and cherished memories with family and friends.

After the party, I looked around. Wow, I had SO much food left over. As usual, I overbought, thinking I wouldn’t have enough. This is where the challenge began.

In order to continue my mindful eating practices, it’s important to set up my environment for success. If I was to leave all the cake and pastries on my kitchen counter, then it would be very tempting every time I passed in and out of the kitchen. So, I packed everything up in storage bags, labeled it and carefully put it in the freezer with the intention that I will take it out the next time I have company over. In response to my children’s request, I did leave out some of grandma’s blondies:)

I believe it’s important to be realistic. As an intuitive and mindful eater, you know that you eat when hungry and not because it’s “just there in front of you”. But, there are times when even the most intuitive and mindful of eaters will dip into the cookie jar – well – just because.

In order to minimize this mindless eating, it is important to set your home up for success.

Here are 3 tips that I do in my home that you can start doing right now:

• Put all food away in the cabinets. Keep your counters clear. Out of sight, out of mind.
• Immediately freeze leftovers and label it for the next meal you plan to eat it.
• Keep all food in the kitchen. Avoid having candy dishes filled with nuts and jelly beans on the living room cocktail table for when someone comes to visit. When that time comes, you can always put the candy dish out.

There is no perfection in intuitive eating. But, you can help your journey along by setting up your home for success.

Your turn to take action: What steps will you take to minimize mindless eating in your home environment?