6 Tips to Savor Food This Holiday Season

December 29, 2017 By Marcia Pell Leave a Comment

Take some of the stress out of the holiday season and allow yourself to savor life, and the foods you love!

1. Simplify. Are you always asking yourself “What should I be eating?” Michael Pollan in his book, In Defense of Food, gave an excellent answer to this exact question: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” When he talks about food he is referring to the food our grandparents raised, harvested, and made.

2. Slow down. The holiday season is a busy one, but just as we find ourselves preaching to our children “remember the real reason for the season”, we may need to remind ourselves of the same message.

When it comes to meal time, stop what you are doing, sit down, breathe, turn off the media, taste your food as you eat and enjoy the company that you sit with (even if it is just yourself!).

3. Be conscious. Practice being conscious of what you are eating and the nutrition and/or pleasure the food is giving you. Are you eating the holiday cookies because they are sitting on the counter staring at you and you are bored?

Are you so busy while eating that you do not even taste them? Or are you eating them because they are freshly baked homemade cookies that you truly love. How about a handful of berries? Do you taste the juices from the fruit?

4. Immerse yourself in your food. Be part of the cooking process. Grow a garden. Meet the farmers who grow and raise your food. Understand how the food that you eat comes to your table. Respect the process of cooking and preparing food. Enjoy the food served.

5. Be picky. Decide on the foods that you really enjoy eating, and do so in moderation. Be choosy, but when you do decide to eat your favorite dessert, do so without guilt and stop counting every calorie. Instead really taste the food, enjoy the flavors and the taste.

6. Spice it up. Spice up your diet not only with fresh herbs and spices but also with variety! Keep your flavor profile interesting by adding new foods to your menu.

If you feel your are in a meal time rut, pull out a new cookbook to become inspired. One of my favorite cookbook series is by Ellie Krieger, a registered dietitian with her own cooking channel on the Food Network. Her cookbook So Easy is filled with simple yet flavorful recipes for the whole family.

Wishing you happy holidays and time to savor life, family, friends and food!

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