[Beverlyjoy]

Are you tasting your food?

Seems like my entire life and am constantly thinking about food. However, when it's time to eat...I eat so fast I don't even really taste how delicious it is or often enjoy it.

Lately I have really been concentrating on eating at a slower pace. Some things that can slow down eating and beef up tasting are:

turn off TV (at least until you get used to tasting your food)
put fork down between bites
drink a sip of water between bites
and...'talk to your tastebuds.'

My good friend has her masters in nutrition and is a registered dietician too. She says to actually LET your tastebuds really taste the food & then you will enjoy meals and food more and slow down. I don't honestly think she meant to talk out loud with a group at the table. But - concentrate on how things taste on your tongue and taste buds. . She did say if you are alone if quite OK to say "Hmm, boy this these strawberries or chocolate etc really do taste good" (as you swish that food on your tongue). It will make meal time better.

Seems silly - but, it does make it better.

PS - if you can add some of the ways to slow a meal down - please do!

[Slashnl]

I like what you've said. We do tend to just shovel it in and gulp it down. At my house, we're good about having dinner at the table, but the TV is usually on, too. I'll have to work on weaning the family away from that. It is just such a good time to visit with your teenagers!!

[Eliana]

I'm a naturally slow eater and it drives my family nuts because they have to sit there until I'm finished. I have an uncle who is also a slow eater and we have a contest going to see who can eat the slowest at family functions. The rest of the family suck it all down in five minutes or less, even Thanksgiving!

So that's my suggestion. Make it a mental game. Be the last person to finish at the table. It saves you from picking later too while you wait for the pokey folk to finish up. You're last, so there's no picking.

[Imanadams]

I agree with Eliana on this one. My husband is the slowest eater I have ever seen and I came from a house full of brothers so I learned to shovel. I hate being the first one done so I've made a point of trying to match his eating speed. I really have started to enjoy my food more.

[cfmama]

I make a point of eating my food on a small plate so there appears to be more. Putting down the fork between bites. Cutting my food up uber small... taking drinks of water. I also down a 1/2 litre of water before each meal as then I don't feel ravenous when I am eating and I'll naturally slow down!!!

[ubergirl]

It's so true, and that was one of the revelations that really helped me start losing weight.

I spent tons of time thinking about acquiring food, but I RARELY enjoyed it when I was eating it-- or I kept eating long after the enjoyment was gone.

[marigrace]

Wow ! You are so right...I am usually preoccupied in some other way and often fail to be in the moment when I eat. I think the water and fork tricks might work for me too.

[medinazarley]

Now that I'm cooking more, i taste more, and I'm learning how to cook the 'semi-homemade' way by taste!! I'm experimenting with adding thing, using different meat etc. today I made a chicken lasagne cassarole that was so good! I think it came in under 400 cals a serving too! And i eat it slower bc it takes me sometimes almost an hour to cook a meal, plate it, and sit down.

i eat all my meals on salad plates, and make a point of filling 1/2 the plate with salad, 1/4 w veggies, and then a meat portion. when we have pasta I usually fill everyone's salad plate 1/2 with salad, one slice of bread, and then place a bowl of pasta in the last corner (square plates), it's so filling and I can clear my plate w/out guilt!

[KidsLibrarylady]

Beverlyjoy-- you may want to check out the Beck thread-- eating slowly is a recurring topic there. I have found it helpful to drink water and put down my fork between bites. I hate to eat slowly, truly, but I MOST CERTAINLY eat less. I think out of sheer boredom. No kidding. I love the idea of trying to be the last person eating. I am going to try that.