How rituals can improve your intentions surrounding food
When my kids were a little younger, we had to go to sports practices, games, dance lessons, or music lessons a few times a week. I wasn’t very intentional about what we ate on those nights. Actually, I was doing good to get us through a drive-through on some of those evenings. It wasn’t unusual to get home at 10:00pm after a baseball game.
But, on the nights that we did eat at home, I made sure we sat at the table together and all technology was turned off. Why? Because I knew that spending time connecting with each other was important. That’s where rituals can come in. Rituals are habits that you follow in a more intentional way. They bring a sense of motivation and joy to everyday activities.
Turn meal preparation into rituals of pleasure
I remember meals at my Great Grandmother’s house. We always had chicken and dumplings, which was our southern family tradition. She and my great aunt would also make a dessert that was the favorite of someone in the family, like my brother’s favorite vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, (made from scratch, of course.) They put a lot of love in those meals. It was their way of showing us that we meant a lot to them.
When you are preparing your meals, rituals will help magnify your cooking enjoyment. Rituals help focus intention, help you feel gratitude for the food on your table and bring together family and friends.
A few rituals you could try to make meal prep more of a celebration, are:
- Playing music while you cook
- Involving others in the process
- Setting the table before sitting down to eat
- Light candles to help set a celebratory mood
- Clear off bills, belongings and other things cluttering your eating space
When you sit down to eat, try these rituals
Preparing meals is a big part of eating nutritious foods filled with love, but when you actually sit down to eat, you can try these rituals:
- Put your technology away and turn off the TV
- Focus on the food before you, resting between each bite
- Enjoy wonderful conversation with friends or family (Try one of these games on Amazon: Our Moments Families or Do You Really Know Your Family?)
- If you are eating alone, reflect on the food you are nourishing your body with. Does it meet your health goals? What could you improve on?
- Simply bow your head in thanks or say a prayer of gratitude
- Imagine the nutrients improving your energy and health.
- Slow down and eat with awareness, instead of mindlessly downing a plate of fast food
The health benefits of preparing and eating your food with rituals
There are many health benefits of preparing and eating your food with rituals. First, you begin to think of preparing and eating food as something more meaningful. No more mindlessly sticking your hand in a bag while you watch TV, and then look up to realize you’ve eaten the whole thing! Second, and most importantly, you begin to think of yourself as someone worthy of taking the time to savor foods that nourish body and soul.
