Mindful eating for the holidays
‘Tis the season for eggnog, potato latkes and candy galore. Eating healthy during the holiday season can feel like trying to climb Mount Everest. Let mindful eating come to the rescue, as it can help you enjoy meals with moderation.
Benefits of mindful eating
Mindful eating is maintaining an in-the-moment awareness of the food and drink you put into your body. Paying close attention to how you feel as you eat can help you:
- Eat a healthier and more balanced diet.
- Feel fuller by eating less food.
- Slow down and take a break from your busy day, easing stress and anxiety.
- Feel gratitude for everyone involved in the preparation of your food.
Mindful eating tips during the holidays
It’s easy to indulge during the holidays. Here are some techniques to help modify your eating behavior, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Bring fruit and vegetables to holiday parties to create more options for yourself and others.
- Before showing up at a holiday party, eat a light snack to help prevent overeating.
- Measure and portion your food over the holidays.
- Bank your calories if you know you’ll be attending an event with more food options available.
Practice mindful eating
It’s time to put down your phone and take a break from your favorite holiday movie to practice mindful eating. Focus your attention on your food and cooking, serving, and eating.
- Begin with your feet on the ground. Notice your breathing, thoughts, sensations, and emotions.
- Notice if you feel hungry, thirsty, or maybe even feeling full. If you were going to eat or drink something right now, what is your body hungry and thirsty for?
- Choose a raisin, a small piece of chocolate, or a bite of any food you enjoy. Imagine you are a scientist, examining this food for the first time.
- Notice its shape, size, and color.
- Now, smell the food carefully. What do you notice?
- Do you notice any sounds? If you are eating something like a raisin, try holding it close to your ear as you squeeze it gently. Or if you’re unwrapping a piece of chocolate, listen to the crinkles of the wrapper as you unfold it.
- What do you feel with your fingers? Is the food warm or cold? Is it smooth or rough? Is it wet, dry or sticky?
- Bring the food slowly toward your mouth. Place it on your tongue, but do not chew it yet. Feel the texture on your tongue. What do you taste?
- Start to chew it very slowly. Notice how the taste and texture changes as you chew.
- When you swallow, how far can you feel the food into your body? Notice the feeling in your stomach as you digest the food.
By giving your full attention to eating, you may find that your meal becomes a richer experience.
Mindful eating only works when there’s food
While mindful eating has been shown to improve mental well-being, it only works if there’s enough food to put on the table. When there isn’t, or if a person doesn’t know where their next meal will come from, it can negatively impact mental well-being.
Blue KC is committed to helping to increase access to healthy food in our community. Here are recent examples:
- In August 2025, Blue KC partnered with Kanbe’s Markets to help open the 100th participating location in its Fresh Food Access Partners program on Kansas City’s East Side. As a cornerstone of Kanbe’s Markets’ mission to build more inclusive food systems in Kansas City, the Fresh Food Access Partners program places coolers and shelves filled with fresh, affordable produce inside gas stations and convenience stores, serving Kansas City communities with low access to traditional grocery stores.
- In October 2025, Blue KC teamed up with Cornerstones of Care and Build Trybe to announce that a new learning farm will be built at DeLaSalle Education Center in the heart of the Troost Corridor. From garden beds and a market stand to an outdoor eatery and an orchard, the learning farm gives high school students the opportunity to be visionaries in the creation of this new outdoor classroom, which will serve the students, their families, and the surrounding community.
Community support tool connects people to food and other resources
Blue KC is pleased to help connect Kansas Citians to free and reduced-cost food assistance, including emergency food, food delivery, food pantries, and help paying for food through the Community Support Tool. The Community Support Tool compiles local support services in one directory. Simply enter a ZIP code, then choose the service needed. In addition to food assistance, the tool includes transit, housing, care, legal, and other services.
Article Source: HelpGuide.org, Mayo Clinic
