Mindful holiday eating: How to enjoy food without overdoing it

Gathering with loved ones during the holidays often means gathering around food. From rich casseroles to decadent desserts, the season invites us to indulge in dishes that evoke comfort and tradition.

But disruptions in routine, anxiety around food choices and social pressure often conspire to make eating during the holidays feel like a fraught experience. It doesn’t need to be, though.

“Food is meant to nourish both our bodies and our souls,” says Brittany Thorpe, MS, RD, CSOWM, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at the MultiCare Rockwood Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Center. “Our food choices during the holidays may differ from what we typically eat day-to-day, and that’s OK. It’s important to allow yourself to enjoy special holiday foods.”

Whether you want to improve your relationship with food or just avoid a food coma, a mindful approach to eating can help you savor holiday treats without going overboard.

6 mindful eating tips to enjoy holiday meals without guilt

Mindful eating, similar to intuitive eating, is all about tuning in to your body’s cues and paying attention to the experience of food. It can help you feel more satisfied physically and emotionally when eating, making it less likely you’ll overindulge or eat impulsively.

These strategies can help you apply a mindful approach to eating this holiday season — and year-round.

1. Rethink ‘good’ vs. ‘bad’ foods

When you look at a holiday spread, do you categorize certain foods like sugar cookies as “bad,” and other foods like celery sticks as “good”?

This is the way many of us were taught to think about food. But this attitude interferes with a mindful approach to eating and can lead to unhealthy behaviors — a cycle of restriction, cravings and overeating followed by feelings of guilt or failure.

So, what’s a better way to think about food?

“Food is morally neutral — there’s no such thing as good or bad foods,” says Jennifer Banks, MS, ARNP, FNP-C, a board-certified family nurse practitioner at MultiCare Rockwood Clinic – Quail Run. “When we stop labeling foods in this way, we take the power away from them, and you’re less likely to overindulge. Enjoying all foods in moderation supports a well-rounded diet.”

2. Recognize hunger and fullness cues

As you embrace a more positive approach to food, start practicing mindful eating by recognizing your body’s cues and responding appropriately.

Is your stomach growling? Do you feel irritable? Is your energy level flagging? If so, you may be hungry. Consider the last time you ate and whether it’s time for a meal or a snack.

On the other hand, do you feel satisfied? Have your hunger signals stopped? If so, it may be time to put down the fork, even if there’s food left on your plate.

“Trusting our bodies to tell us when we need to eat, or when it’s time to stop eating, helps us set healthy boundaries with food,” Thorpe says. “This lays the foundation for setting those boundaries with others if they pressure you to eat more.”

3. Slow down and savor your food

Holiday travel often means eating on the go, and once you arrive at a gathering, you may be too busy socializing to notice what — or how much — you’re consuming. Both situations can lead to overeating.

“It’s really important to slow down and savor food — to pay attention to the taste, smell, look and texture,” Thorpe says. “This helps ensure you get the most out of the holiday goodies you’re eating and can make it easier to recognize when you’ve had enough.”

Here are tips to help you slow down and savor:

• Sit down if possible while eating instead of wandering around and grazing
• Take small bites
• Put your fork down between each bite, or take a relaxing breath between bites
• Look around the room to see who’s eating slowly and try to match their pace

4. Fuel your body consistently

Skipping meals before a holiday feast might seem like a good idea, but this strategy is likely to backfire.

“If you starve yourself before an event, you’re going to be so hungry that it will be hard to approach food in a mindful way,” Banks says. “You’re much more likely to eat too fast and too much, which can lead to an unhealthy pattern of restricting and then bingeing.”

A healthier approach is to fuel your body consistently with nutritious food, even on the days when a big meal is planned.

5. Scan the holiday spread

At a holiday buffet table, it’s easy to grab whatever looks good, but that can lead to piling your plate with too much of one type of food and missing out on a balanced meal.

A better strategy? Scan the table first to see what’s available. This will help you focus on nutrient-rich foods and other dishes you won’t want to miss, rather than filling your plate absentmindedly.

“I encourage people to prioritize protein and fiber,” Thorpe says. “These foods help us feel full for longer and keep our energy steady by supporting consistent blood sugar levels.”

You can still make room for other types of foods — sweets and starches like mashed potatoes, for example — but Thorpe recommends reserving at least half your plate for protein and fiber-rich items.

If possible, choose a smaller plate. This can help with portion control. When your plate is bigger, you’re more likely to fill it and feel obligated to finish everything, whether you’re still hungry or not.

6. Avoid food-shaming comments

“I wonder how many calories are in that slice of pie?”

“Are you really going to eat all those cookies?”

“You’re going back for seconds?”

You’ve probably heard comments like these at holiday gatherings, or maybe you’ve even said them yourself. While typically not intended to be hurtful, remarks like these can cause harm.

“Food-shaming comments can be really damaging, particularly to children and teens,” Banks says. “We see eating disorder behaviors starting at younger and younger ages. Words have power, and we should really never be commenting on what other people are eating.”