As part of my 1:1 nutrition coaching program, The Wellness Workshop, I make sure that I always go over how to eat a meal and how to increase food satisfaction with my clients.
I like to do this for two main reasons: 1. I find that many of my clients are distracted or mindless eaters, and when you aren’t paying attention to what you are eating your brain won’t register it as an eating experience. And 2. I find my clients often are avoiding foods that would truly satisfy them and they are replacing what they really want with what they think they “should” be eating.
Here are 5 basic steps you can take in order to feel your fullness and feel satisfied after a meal. Note, there are other factors we discuss in my coaching program, including mindset and eating environment, that aren’t listed here because they require a bit more attention!
Try these 5 things to get you started
Make yourself a plate.
Do you ever just stand at the counter eating a snack out of the container or mindlessly munching out of a bag while you’re trying to figure out what you are going to eat next? When you eat like this, it’s hard to monitor how much you are eating and I bet you often end up eating more than you want to because you aren’t looking at what you are putting into your mouth. Even if it’s just snacks, put it into a plate or bowl so you can see what you are eating!
Include different flavors, textures and colors.
This is a go-to suggestion for all meals and snacks! Your brain and your mouth like variety. Plus, when you’ve had a mixture of things – something creamy, something crunchy, something nutty, something sweet, something red, something blue (I just made up a yogurt parfait in my head) – you will feel like you’ve had a full experience! You will be more satisfied than just eating a single red apple that has one flavor the whole way through.
Plate it nicely!
We are visual beings and we like to be able to see things. Being able to see food is part of what tempts us! Ever been to a restaurant and you look around at what other people ordered? You don’t know what their food tastes like but you can see how good it looks! So don’t just toss everything haphazardly onto a plate. Arrange it nicely, and if you have a sauce give it a drizzle! Act like you are going to take a picture of it even if you don’t.
Sit down at the table and eat without distraction.
This one is a toughie. I remember I used to eat in my living room at my coffee table with the TV on! I had my food on my plate, but I was not at all paying attention to it. Plus, it was really difficult to hunch over and try to eat my food off of such a low surface. And I did it for so long! Sit at the table with a nice place setting. Make sure you have comfortable kitchen or dining room chairs and don’t eat with electronics!
And finally, eat slowly!
If I had to guess, the times you’ve scarfed food down didn’t leave you feeling satisfied. When it takes us five minutes to eat, we can’t possibly feel full right away! It takes our bodies (and brains) a bit of time to register how much food we have eaten and how much more we need to become full. If you eat so fast, your stomach won’t be able to communicate with your brain properly. Leading you to continue eating because you aren’t sensing fullness then potentially overeat when you seek more food.
Hope this helps! These are steps we can all take easily.