Mindful eating sounds great on paper, but when you’re running on three hours of sleep, juggling work, kids, and life's general shenanigans , the idea of “savouring every bite” feels about as realistic as scoring in the world cup final.
Here’s the good news: mindful eating isn’t about being perfect, It’s about making small, intentional changes that fit into the beautiful chaos of life.
To get you going, I’ve got 7 strategies that you can start using today—no messing about, no complicated rules, just silly simple ways to help you stay in control, and avoid being dragged back into The Sugar Cycle From Hell, so you can feel good about what you’re putting into your body.
1. Check in With Your Body
Your body’s decent at telling you what it needs—if you bother to listen. Before you eat, take a moment to check in with yourself.
Are you genuinely hungry, or are you eating out of boredom, stress, habit, or because you’ve seen a treat-treat in the same room?
How to do it:
Ask yourself, “Am I hungry enough to eat something boring, like chicken and veg or a boiled egg salad?” If the answer is no, it’s probably a craving.
This one question can save you hundreds of unnecessary calories going in.
Why it Works:
This simple question cuts through emotional or mindless eating by forcing you to assess genuine hunger.
It helps you feel the difference between your body’s need for fuel and a fleeting craving, keeping unnecessary calories—and regret—off your plate.
2. Slow Down and Feel
I understand life’s busy mate, and eating often feels like another “thing” to rush through.
But here’s what i need you to remember: slowing down is one of the simplest ways to avoid overeating and start to enjoy your food.
And you’ll be surprised that when you slow down that some foods you thought you liked, the processed and UPF foods, you actually don’t enjoy so much at all.
How to do it:
Put your fork down between bites. Chew slower than usual—it will feel weird at first.
Don’t just inhale your meal like a bomb’s about to drop; take a second to actually taste it.
Notice that the flavours and textures can tell your brain your full and you’ll feel more satisfied with less food.
Why It Works:
Slowing down gives your brain time to catch up with your stomach, helping you recognise when you’re full before you overeat. Your brain is about 20 minutes behind your stomach. This means that it takes about 20 mins, give or take, for you stomach to tell your brain its full.
Plus, intentionally tasting your food makes the experience more satisfying, enjoyable, peaceful, and helps you drop foods you don’t actually enjoy, making positive and mindful choices easier for you.
3. Portion Smarter, Not Harder
We live in a world of super sized portions. Left to your own devices, it’s easy to pile more on your plate than you actually need.
Think about the last time you went to the Toby Carvery on a Sunday.
You're in the queue having a word with yourself about not piling on enough to feed the 5000. Before you know it, you're pouring gravy on top of the mountain of food you've accumulated and its dripping all over the gaff.
It’s shocking how much food you pile on your plate, and having no proper clue how it happened.
And because that mountain of food is now on your plate, unbeknown to you, your brain has entered you into a unofficial eating competition to finish the lot.
How to do it:
Use a smaller plate and if using a spoon use a teaspoon to eat rather than a table spoon—it’s a simple visual trick that slows you down. It sounds daft but it works mate.
Give yourself a reasonable portion, and leave the rest in the kitchen if your satisfied. If you’re still hungry after 30 minutes of finishing, you can always go back for more. But you probably won’t.
Why It Works:
Using a smaller plate is a mindset shift. It tells your brain, “This is enough food,” without leaving you feeling short-changed.
And waiting 30 minutes before grabbing seconds? It gives your body time to say, “I’m full mate,” so you don’t end up eating for the sake of it.
It’s simple and effective.
4. Eat Without Distractions
Hands up if you’ve ever polished off an entire packet of biscuits while watching the game or binge-watching Vikings?
We’ve all been there mate. The problem is this, when you’re distracted, your brain doesn’t register how much you’re eating, because its not paying attention.
Why do you think Domino's and other fast food companies always advertise around TV shows and show their product as the go to food to eat whilst watching TV.
How to do it:
Commit to eating at the table, without screens. Just you and your food. In the evening eat at the table with your partner having a conversation. The little one can join in to if they're not in bed.
If that sounds unbearable, try it for just one meal a day to start.
You might be surprised how much less you eat when you actually pay attention.
Why It Works:
When you’re glued to a screen, you’re not eating—you’re mindlessly shovelling. Your brain doesn’t get the memo that you’ve eaten until it’s too late. By eliminating distractions and eating at the table, you reconnect with your food, and make eating a social event.
It’s a simple shift that helps you eat less, enjoy more, and finally notice when you’ve had enough. Bonus: No crumbs in your keyboard or food dropped on your sofa.
5. Practise Gratitude
I know this might sound out there, but stick with me mate. Taking a second to appreciate your food, where it came from, and the effort it took to prepare.
This can completely shift how you eat.
How to do it:
Before you dig in, take a deep breath and think about one thing you’re grateful for.
Maybe it’s the person who cooked the meal (even if it’s you!), or just that you’ve got something tasty in front of you. your sat safely at at a table in a house you're blessed to have.
Gratitude can help you slow down, enjoy and appreciate your meal more.
Why It Works:
I Understand mate—practising gratitude before a meal might sound like something you’d hear at a wellness retreat.
But hear me out on it: taking a moment to appreciate your food completely changes your mindset. It slows you down, shifts your focus, helps you connect with what you’re eating, and gives you the appreciation of how fortunate you are to be able to have the food your eating.
Suddenly, you’re not just shovelling food in—you’re actually tasting it, enjoying it, appreciating it and eating less because you’re satisfied sooner. It’s simple, powerful, and 100 % worth trying.
6. Plan Your Snacks
Mindless snacking is where so many people slip up. A handful of crisps here, a few biscuits there, and suddenly you’re way off track.
You should be well aware of the damage this causes from Step 3 and Step 6.
How to do it:
Keep healthy, low-sugar, and minimally processed snacks with you—think nuts, seeds, or fresh fruit, home made protein balls and protein shakes.
And pre-portion them so you’re not tempted to eat everyhting in one go.
Why It Works:
Mindless snacking is the silent killer of progress mate. You know how much damage it causes from Step 3: Are Your Go-To Snacks and Drinks the Reason You’re Not Seeing Results?
A few crisps turns into a bag, a couple of biscuits turns into the packet, It's never just a few chocolates add to that the a pain au chocolat for your breakfast and suddenly you’re wondering why your goals feel so far away.
Keeping healthy, low-sugar snacks on hand—like nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, homemade protein balls, and protein powder—puts you back in the driver’s seat mate.
And pre-portioning? That’s your insurance. It stops you from “accidentally” polishing off the whole bag and keeps your goals firmly in sight.
7. Start Small, Build Big
Don’t overcomplicate this one. You don’t have to completely change every meal overnight.
Start with one thing—Eat breakfast without your phone or slow down at dinner with the TV turned off—and build from there.
How to do it:
Choose one strategy from this list and stick with it for a week. Once it feels natural, add another. Progress, achieved consistently is what drives success, not perfection.
Why It Works:
Trying to change everything at once is the quickest way to burnout.
Starting small, like putting your phone away during breakfast or eating dinner without the TV blaring, It keeps things manageable and disconnecting from the Matrix is good for your soul.
Every little win builds confidence and momentum, turning small changes into big results.
Progress, not perfection, is how you practice productive habits and create disciplines that actually stick.
Keep it simple, and watch the transformation happen.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be perfect to practise mindful eating—you just need to take small positive action steps and be present
These 7 strategies, they’re not about making your life harder; they’re about helping you feel more in control, more connected to your food, more connected to yourself, and more aligned with your low-sugar, low UPF goals.
Take it one bite at a time, and remember: it’s the progression of the details that add up to big things.
You’ve got this mate.
Now, go enjoy your next meal—mindfully.