Lately, things have been a little crazy in my household when it comes to mealtimes. Often my husband is at work and I am trying to feed my 2 year old (who is very selective with his eating) while keeping my 4 month old content. There is typically a lot of noise going on around me at this time—talking/sometimes random screaming from my 2 year old, crying or cooing from my youngest, along with multiple noise making toys lying around the kitchen that are simultaneously playing. I have noticed that amidst the noise and busyness, I have quickly been scarfing down my own food without paying much attention to it. A new habit I seemed to have picked up during this time is holding my four month old in a carrier and just standing while I quickly eat my meal, which of course I know is not ideal! Then typically an hour or two after the meal when the kids are calm, I find myself back in the kitchen wanting to just enjoy some food as a way to wind down, even though I may not even be hungry.

In these moments, I am definitely not paying close attention to my food as I eat. And based on the many conversations I have with clients, I don’t think I am the only one facing this challenge! We may be rushing through a busy work day or zoning out on our phone while eating our meal, and then a few moments later we realize our food is gone and we don’t even remember tasting/enjoying it.

Right now, mealtimes are just going to be a bit chaotic for me. But I am going to try to at least take some small, simple steps to be a little more mindful of my food. Whether it’s pulling out a chair and making sure I actually sit down to eat or just intentionally making effort to pay attention to the taste a bit more—anything is a start! Is there a step you can take to become a little more mindful at mealtimes, too?

By: Julia Blackford RDN, LD