Food for Thought, or Thought for Food?

“One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends.” ~ Laurie Colwin

Those of you who know me, either personally or through my writing, know that I believe that food should give us pleasure, nourish us and be easy to prepare. I love to write about food and usually I focus on the “what we eat” part of it.  Today, I’m going to focus more on the “how we eat” part of it.  Clearly, the “what” part impacts our pleasure and nourishment, we all recognize that. Yet sometimes, maybe even often, we overlook the essential role that the “how” we eat part plays in our nourishment and pleasure.  A couple of experiences that I had recently really highlighted this for me and brought it back to my awareness.  I wanted to share them with you either as a reminder or as something new for you to consider.

Like many of you, I have a busy life. In my household we balance work, family and community volunteer activities.One night recently, was particularly busy. We all had different places to be at different times and we each ate dinner at a time that suited our schedule.

So that night, we each ate dinner alone instead of eating as a family.  We each ate good food, but for me, the level of satisfaction and enjoyment was not so good. Not only did I eat alone, I also ate quickly because I had somewhere to go. In fact, I ate in front the computer while on Facebook (yes, I know better and yet, I have to be reminded).  I was not particularly focused on the meal and it was really more about eating so I wouldn’t be hungry while I was out. It would be fair to say that I ate somewhat mindlessly.

The next night, my spouse and I went out to dinner with some friends. It was a night that had taken a while to make happen.  We sat together, we talked, we discussed what we would order, we asked questions of the waiter and we really enjoyed each other’s company and we appreciated the food. During dinner, my friend said something like, “it’s just so nice to savor a meal.” That really made me think about my dinner the night before and how much more enjoyable and satisfying this experience was in comparison.

The difference in the experience had nothing to do with the food I had eaten and had little to do with being in a restaurant. On both nights, the food was good.  It had everything to do with how I had eaten it. Sharing the meal with others made it so much more satisfying.  Experiencing the food and paying attention to it really enhanced the experience.

Of course, even when I ate alone the night before, I could have improved that experience. I was eating a really great bowl of homemade spicy chili with cool avocado and sour cream.  I took the time to prepare it and allowed several hours of cooking time so the flavors could develop. What I did not do was take the time to savor it.

So let me ask you, are you taking the time to savor your food?

Are you eating dinner with your family or in shifts most nights?

Are you sitting at the table eating a meal that you enjoy or eating semi-cold leftovers from your child’s plate?

Are you sharing a meal with friends?

Do you often eat lunch at your computer or maybe in the car on the way to here or there?

Are you eating mindlessly?

Think about your eating habits.  Pay attention to your food.  I’m always talking about noticing what you eat and how you feel after eating it. Well now I’m asking you to notice how you eat and how you feel after eating that way.

A simple salad or sandwich shared with a friend along with meaningful conversation can be much more pleasurable and nourishing than a big bowl of ice cream in front of the TV. And that ice cream can also be much more pleasurable when you really pay attention to the flavor and enjoy it.

Just give this some thought and perhaps make some changes. If you’d like to learn more about eating great food while supporting your health, visit www.TheConsciousPlate.com.