Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t judge food by its taste, says Jane Bernard, a New York educator and author of Lucid Living in the Virtual Age.
“We know that taste can be misleading, at least when it comes to what’s best for us,” she says. “People love donuts, but they don’t make a nutritious breakfast. Spinach isn’t popular with many people – especially children – but it’s beneficial to our health.”
For Bernard, a great meal is less about what you eat than how you eat it – perhaps making for a healthier diet along the way.
Here are four tips to healthier dining:
- Smell food before putting it in your mouth. Nearly everyone has memories tied to the aroma of food. If the food doesn’t smell right, it isn’t.
- Taste as you chew. Tasting food helps your body relax and digest more efficiently.
- Be thankful for your meal. Think about what food is giving you: energy, health, nourishment and pleasure.
- Give your stomach time to inform your brain. It takes 15 minutes before your brain gets the message that you’ve eaten. Give it time to realize that you are getting full before gulping down more food. Take time to have conversations when you eat and you will eat less – and enjoy the meal more.
