GratiFood

Let’s play a little game. 

I want you to close your eyes and picture your favorite meal of all time. Maybe it’s at your favorite restaurant, your family’s signature recipe, or just something random and delicious you created yourself. 

What does it look like, smell like, feel like? Picture every detail of that plate in front of you as if it’s hot off the stove. 

• Take one bite of your favorite meal in your mind. How’s it taste? 
• Is it crispy and crunchy? Do you get a big string of cheese when you take a bite? Maybe it’s sweet and sugary or even sweet and salty together. It could be something green and fresh or something buttery and rich. 
• Now take a figurative sip of water to refresh your mental palate and imagine who is sitting around your table where you’re eating this dish.
• Who is with you when you eat this? Can you picture their faces? 
• Take another bite, does it taste the same or different with those people around you? 

When I did this exercise at the camp I attended last weekend, there was an obvious shift in  everyone’s body language when they envisioned their eating partners. Some people smiled, some had a visible lift to their posture and body position, and all of it was beautiful to see. Many said that as soon as they saw their families and friends around the table in their mind, they sort of forgot what the food tasted like.

We get so caught up in our busy days and our busy schedules that we don’t pause to sit, eat, and connect with our people. 

In the beginning days of humanity, tribes gathered together to eat not only because it kept them safe but because it kept them united. 

Think about it: by feeding the people in your life, you’re ensuring they stay alive. It doesn’t matter what the meal is, by giving them fuel, you’re saying “Hey, I need you and I’m going to make sure you’re around.” Isn’t that the truest and purest form of love?

Food is Your Friend

Americans have a bad habit of treating meals like a chore. Just shove something in your face so you have the energy to keep working. BLEH NO THANK YOU. Food is necessary but it’s also beautiful and wonderful and meant to be truly enjoyed. What do you eat more of: something that tastes bad or something that tastes good? And I’m not talking to those of you who can force yourself to do something just because it’s good for you, I’m talking to the majority of people who motivate by positive incentive. Yeah, exactly, you want something yummy and your bod wants something that makes it feel good. So why are we just cramming and running?

I get it. You don’t always have time to sit down and enjoy a leisurely meal with your friends and family; we’re humans, we’re busy. But how about those occasions where it’s just you and some takeout in front of a TV? Yeah, you know what I mean. Where you’re scrolling through Netflix letting your dumplings get cold because you can’t eat until you find a good show. What if, and hear me out here, you kept the TV off and just focused on the dumplings? Actually eat them instead of swallowing them whole. 

Eating Mindfully or Mindfully Eating

There’s two parts of this: being present with what’s going in your mouth and being present with the people around you. Ideally, you’re mindfully eating whenever you’re eating. We all know that’s probably not happening every single time but maybe you can do it a little more. And if you’re sitting with other people, ones that you love or at least like, be there. Enjoy their company. Enjoy your food. You may not remember every single detail of the meal but you’ll remember the feeling in your heart and in your belly when you leave full and content.