If you’re like most people, you probably enjoy eating. However, sometimes our relationship with food can be a bit complicated. We may find ourselves obsessing over food, feeling guilty after eating, or trying diets that do more harm than good to our bodies.
Suppose this sounds familiar, and you’re looking to develop a healthy relationship with food by committing to being in the present moment. In that case, consider reading some mindful eating books.
Check out the books in this list that will help foster one of the most critical relationships in your life: your relationship with food.
How do I start practicing mindful eating?
One of the fascinating takeaways I learned from Gisela, a mindful dietician we interviewed here on the site, is that when it comes to sitting down for a meal, one of the consistent approaches to mindful eating is taking in your food on the plate through all of your senses. This means focusing on the food’s taste, texture, and smell in front of you.
Mindful Eating: Develop a Better Relationship with Food through Mindfulness
Mindful Eating offers an approachable, tear-free way of tackling emotional issues with food to establish healthier relationships with each meal. The author believes that stressfully counting calories, emotionally eating, or restricting what we eat becomes obsolete because this book provides solutions and shows how they’re done without sacrificing taste buds (literally).
While mindful eating can be quite a difficult mindset to wrap your head around, this book’s approachable tone and step-by-step instructions will convince you that mindful eating is no longer a chore but something to look forward to daily!
Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food
At its core, this guide by Dr. Jan Bays demonstrates to the reader what eating mindfully involves. Bringing one’s full attention when they eat- paying close attention not only to what foods are placed before them but also to how these taste, smell, or feel on their tongue, marveling over each bite as they savor each flavor while being mindful of their hunger cues.
Here’s to a book that cultivates a positive relationship between mindful eating and mindful living sustainably.
Mastering Mindful Eating: Transform Your Relationship with Food
The effects of diet culture have been far-reaching, and many of us struggle with eating well, dieting, and body image. If you’re looking for a mindful approach to tackling these issues head-on, look no further than Mastering Mindful Eating by Michelle Babb.
This comprehensive guide provides actionable techniques and practical tips for transforming your relationship with food and your body. Experiencing the joy of eating with gentle nutrition is something many of us want without disrupting mental chatter, and this book will help you find that peace.
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life
With a team of experts, including Dr. Lilian Cheung and Thich Nhat Hanh, on board, Savor is more than just a book to help you reach your health goals; it’s also about bringing out the richness in life by exploring mindfulness at its finest levels with these world-class teachers.
The ultimate guide where nutrition meets mindfulness results in a positive eating mindset. Personally, this is one of the best books for shaping your mind to become aware of your poor habits without feeling judged, guilty, or ashamed. For those of you looking for a mindful guide that doesn’t make you feel bad about yourself, this is it.
The Mindful Eating Workbook
The first book featured on this list was created by an RD. I love the author’s thoughtful approach to grasping the art of mindfulness regarding food. One of the easy ways that helped me remember my commitment to the mindful eating practice is by remembering her quote, “Eating mindlessly is easy―eating mindfully takes practice.”
If you’re looking to grasp mindfulness a different way, grab this workbook featuring logs, assessments, and journal entries to help you develop mindful eating habits.
Savor Every Bite
Do any readers out there resonate with emotional eating? With her revolutionary anti-diet approach, Dr. Lynn Rossy generously offers effective ways to introduce compassion that will help you find mindful nourishment in each bite.
I get it, the diet trap has skewed our relationship with food and our bodies, but with this book, you’ll learn how to treat your body with love and respect by enjoying foods that you find delicious. She also is not shy in providing suggestions on infusing mindful movement so that when you approach a plate of food, you are experiencing ease, not guilt.
Mindful Eating on the Go
Needing support for mindful eating on the go? This book is for you! Learn about your hunger cues and ways to hone in on your self-regulating system, while Dr. Chozen Bays offers helpful suggestions to maintain mindful eating regardless of where you are.
Filled with advice, guidance, and tools to help you develop mindful eating habits, this book will show you how to start incorporating mindful practices into your everyday life, even during your busiest moments.
Eat to Love
Eat to Love is a revolutionary guide for ending the shame and confusion that often come with eating. With simple instructions on mindfulness practices, Eat To Love will help you identify prejudices around food in your mind so they can be reset in a sustainable way.
I found this book on one of my many trips to Barnes and Noble and especially loved the author’s messaging behind unapologetic eating and how this book is not a “diet” or “clean eating book.” But it’s good, and with her expertise in nutrition, she gets straight to the point, offering you the key to experiencing food more freely.
The Mindful Eating Workbook by Selina Perri
The final workbook listed in this roundup is one created by Selina Peri, a chef and mother with a passion for improving one’s lifelong health with mindful eating.
Divided into two sections this revolutionary program is filled with explanations on the concepts of mindfulness, mindful eating, controlling cravings, areas for writing affirmations, mindful shopping lists, journal prompts, and mindful recipes to take your mindful eating practice to the next level.
Mindful ways to improve every meal time
At its core, mindful eating is about connecting with your food more meaningfully, focusing on each bite as you savor and appreciate every flavor, texture, and aroma. But mindful eating isn’t just about nourishing your body; it’s also about cultivating a healthy relationship with food and learning to enjoy meals without the distraction of technology or other outside influences.
If you’re looking to cultivate mindful practices around mealtime, many resources are available to help you on your journey. Whether picking up a copy of mindful eating books like Savor or Mastering Mindful Eating or purchasing one of the workbooks I mentioned on this list, there are many practical tools and resources available to help you thoroughly enjoy your meals in the present moment.
Check out more of our content on mindfulness
Best Mindfulness Meditation Podcasts to Keep You Grounded
12 Mindful Cards for Adults Who Want Less Stress and More Joy
