5 Ways To Make Cooking & Eating A Mindful Exercise

mindful eating and cooking
‘Mindful actions’ have been a topic of great debate in recent years, with people of all ages starting to notice that a life dependant on vices robs our minds of living in the moment.

Mindfulness however, shouldn’t just be reserved for reflection and exercise, it’s something we should prioritise in daily life. What you might not have considered is whether mindfulness can extend to your cooking and dining habits.

Read on to find out how to be more mindful when cooking and eating.

#1 – Equip yourself with quality supplies

If you find your cooking and eating experience to be too much of the same, then it might have something to do with the supplies and tools you are working with.

Whether you splash out on a new set of knives and forks, or buy some new chef-style gadgetry, or invest in one of the GE cooktops, step it up so you can start enjoying what you are doing in the kitchen. New dishwashers, ovens, cooktops, and tapware are other worthy investments to make your time in the kitchen more engaging and enjoyable. Not sure where to start? To break out of autopilot, invest in some quality kitchen supplies in Melbourne. Jump onto Pinterest or Vogue Home to hone in on which styles appeal to you most, then you can begin building your ideal kitchen situation.

#2 – Set intentions

Typically, a lack of mindfulness can be linked to a feeling of aimlessness. And it’s common to feel this when we are in the kitchen bumbling our way to the dinner table! Firstly, stop and consider: what are my cooking and eating intentions? Task yourself with designing a specific meal plan (one that you want to stick to), and set the intention to mix it up each week.

Another intention is to get your ingredients ready in advance so that the inevitable hassle of grocery shopping doesn’t take away from the magic of cooking that you are trying to create. Ideally, nominate a day to go grocery shopping, and do it all in one go. Tip: go armed with a list so you stay on target and don’t forget anything!

mindful cooking and eating

#3 – Device-free eating

Did your parents enforce a ‘No-TV’ rule while eating dinner? Well, it’s time to bring this rule back for the modern era, by instigating a device-free dinner table. By removing the temptation to scroll mindlessly, you are committing to an engaging meal with the people who are most special in your life.

You can even step this up a notch by introducing new traditions at the dining table, like calling out what you are grateful for, the highlight of the day, and other engaging activities.If eating alone, having a device-free moment encourages you to focus and appreciate the food you are consuming. This can lead to feeling fuller and more satisfied.

#4 – Enjoy the cooking process

If you enjoy something, it’ll increase your mental investment in it – that’s a fact. By setting the scene in your kitchen, you can start to enjoy your culinary creations and mindfully connect to the practice. This might include putting on a calming or playful playlist, or it might be slowing the process down with a glass of wine and a scented candle.

If this is an area you really want to improve and engage with, you can start to plug yourself into the local and international chef scene and incorporate some of their techniques to see a greater impact in the kitchen.

#5 – Mindfulness still applies for breakfast and lunch

If you thought that mindful cooking and eating was only an evening exercise, you would be wrong. In fact, the more you put this into practice, the better you’ll be at using that mindful muscle. You should also remember that you can achieve mindfulness in a group or alone, while also connecting with the meal. So, why not start looking at your cooking duties and eating habits through a mindful lens? Bring your friends and partner on the journey to see how far you all go with this practice.

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