How to Eat Mindfully: 21 Intuitive Eating Tips for the Holidays

Unlock guilt-free holiday eating with 21 intuitive eating tips to enjoy meals mindfully and feel your best this season.

The holidays are meant to be a time of joy, celebration, and connection with loved ones, but for many, it also brings stress and anxiety about food.

The pressure to stick to restrictive diets or avoid overeating can often overshadow the enjoyment of festive meals.

If you’ve tried countless fitness programs that leave you feeling like a failure when you can’t keep up, it’s time to try something different.

Today, we are going to discuss 21 practical tips that combine mindful eating—focusing on the present moment with food—with intuitive eating—listening to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues.

These strategies will help you enjoy your meals without stress, and set you up for a healthier and more balanced approach to eating in the new year.

When I was a nutrition coach for the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, I remember one holiday season when my clients shared their thoughts on how they planned to approach the holidays with their newly learned nutritional strategies.

One client said, “I’m anticipating the holiday season to be tough. I’m going to have to really focus on nutrition when I’m in control.”

What she didn’t realize was that this mindset was one of my top tips for staying on track during the holidays.

Dial in on nutrition on the days you are in control.

If you have a quiet day with no events or only a late dinner, use that time to focus on nourishing your body with balanced meals.

DIAL. IT. IN.

As a holistic health and fitness coach, I’m passionate about helping people see that food should be a source of joy, not stress. Unfortunately, society has made food feel like a burden, leading us to overeat or feel guilty about eating at all.

To help you enjoy your meals and avoid the “stretchy pants” syndrome this holiday season, I’m sharing 21 strategies to help you prevent overeating. These practical tips will allow you to enjoy your food—and the meaningful connections that come with it—without the extra baggage.

I challenge you to pick 3 of these tips and focus on them throughout the holidays.

21 Intuitive & Mindful Eating Tips for the Holidays

1. Don’t “healthify” your dessert.

For the love of food STOP trying to make dessert healthy.

I like kale just like the next person (ok actually I think it is disgusting), but don’t you dare blend up anything green into my brownies.

When you eat dessert JUST ENJOY IT. Stop feeling guilty. Enjoy one large piece of cake and then call it quits.

2. Eat a protein-rich snack before meals.

Having a small, balanced snack like a handful of nuts or Greek yogurt can help you prevent excessive hunger later. This supports your body’s natural hunger signals, a core principle of intuitive eating.

Check out 21 High Protein Snacks to Grab N Go and keep a few of these handy.

3. Plan ahead for the meals that you can control.

Little did my client know that this was one of my top tips for holiday eating.

This means that if you aren’t going anywhere until dinner time then make sure you dial in on nutrition beforehand. High protein and lots of veggies.

No sweets at home if you know there will be super yummy desserts at dinner.

4. Have a list of go-to high-protein snacks for traveling.

If you are going to be doing a lot of traveling over the holidays, then be sure to check out that list of 21 High Protein Snacks to Grab N Go and have them on hand for travel as well.

5. Choose your top 5 holiday treats.

This is so important. You will hear this concept a lot in this post. Enjoy your food, but do so intentionally to set yourself up for success.

If you don’t love Aunt Sally’s fruitcake but dream of Aunt Susan’s pecan pie from January through October, then forget about the rest of the dessert spread and plan to fully enjoy that homemade pecan pie.

If you especially struggle with over-indulging in sweets, then I highly recommend this strategy because it is probably not hard for you to come up with 5 desserts that you love over the holidays.

Pick those 5 and make sure you fully enjoy them but discipline yourself to pass on the other less-than-stellar sugary options.

6. Start your plate with vegetables.

Begin with vegetables, followed by proteins and carbs. Not only is this a mindful eating strategy, but it’s also a way to give your body essential nutrients first, which helps balance hunger levels.

7. Use only one plate for your meal.

Limit yourself to just one plate to maintain portion control. By practicing mindful eating, you focus on each bite and become more aware of when you’re full, helping to prevent overeating.

8. Stay active.

Rather than vegging out on the sofa with your phone or the TV throw a football outside, go for a walk, and take an active break. Physical movement can help digestion and prevent the sluggishness that often comes with overeating.

9. Eat slowly and savor each bite.

If there was one tip on this list that I need to practice, then it would be this one.

As a mom with young kids getting a hot minute to eat uninterrupted is about as rare as a kale smoothie that tastes good.

The moments are few and far between, so when they present themselves I find myself eating quickly as though somehow shoveling food into my mouth with unprecedented speed will make it more enjoyable.

One of the best practices of mindful eating is slowing down. Take time to enjoy the textures, flavors, and aromas of your food. This allows your brain to catch up with your stomach, helping you recognize fullness cues (source: Mayo Clinic).

One way to combat this is the next tip.

10. Practice the 2:1 method

Try the 2:1 method—take two bites of food, then one sip of water.

While doing this engage with the conversation around you. If you aren’t super interested in Uncle Bob’s recent cataract surgery, then enjoy the amazing food on your plate and take a moment to be grateful for the food and the people around you.

11. Limit yourself to one dessert plate.

Same concept as tip #7. Enjoy one plate and call it quits.

12. Chew gum between meals

I would be willing to bet the number one reason for overeating during the holidays is NOT too much food during the meals.

It is NOT too many sweets for dessert.

It is NOT alcohol or too many sugary drinks.

The top reason for overeating during the holidays (or really anytime) is snacking in between meals.

For many, it is the unconscious process of taste testing everything as it is made – eating the cookie (or 5) that broke while trying to scrape them off the pan.

Popping chips and crackers and cheese and candy into your mouth while socializing around the kitchen.

If you find yourself declaring a hearty amen to any of the above, then this tip is for you.

If you’re prone to snacking between meals, chewing gum can help curb the urge to graze.

It keeps your mouth busy and discourages the habit of mindless eating, helping you to restrain and retrain old habits.

13. Socialize away from the food.

This also plays into the above tip, but if you are one of those unconscious grazers then I highly recommend joining those in the family room or playing with the kids outside and away from the food in between meals.

14. Place all the candy into a zip-lock bag.

I have been doing this for years because I am OCD and want everything neatly put away before it gets spread out over the entire house, but this would also be a great tip for moms and dads who are prone to swiping Christmas stocking candy.

Bag it up and put it away.

#15. Cut alcohol intake by 50%.

I got some eyebrow raises with this one, but here is the deal.

At some point, you need to decide if you want to drink your calories or eat your calories.

When it is all said and done your body stores carbs (minus fiber) in the same nutrient warehouse as sugar.

If you want to cut back on unnecessary empty calories, then this is an easy way to do it.

Cut by 50% and enjoy a little more moderation. Your gut will thank you too (source: CDC).

16. Exercise in the morning.

Second to time with Jesus and drinking coffee, an early morning routine was the most transformational health habit of my life.

It took me years to figure out all the hacks to consistently maintain an early morning routine, but part of that routine includes getting my workout done before the kids get up (my sleep-loving self is still in shock).

A morning workout sets a positive tone for the day, helping you make mindful, intuitive food choices.

When you exercise first, you’ll be more likely to honor your body’s natural hunger cues.

17. Prioritize sleep.

Everyone around here knows how much I enjoy my sleep. I love sleeping. I get super excited when it is bedtime.

A restful night’s sleep is essential for your physical and mental health. When sleep quality suffers, it can trigger cravings and overeating, making it challenging to engage in mindful and intuitive eating.

That’s why restoring deep sleep is a top priority in my holistic health and fitness program, Early Morning Habit.

If you don’t sleep well, you won’t rise well.

18. Drink water (or seltzer water) while cooking.

I intentionally do this each night while making dinner to consume more water, but it can also help curb hunger.

For more tips on how to stay hydrated and drink enough water check out 11 Easy Ways to Drink More Water Every Day.

19. No soda or juice.

In some ways, this is a similar principle to tip #15 where I challenged you to consider if you would rather drink your calories or eat your calories.

If you want to avoid tighter pants on January 1st, then one of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to eliminate sugary drinks (even if they are diet!).

Sugary sodas and sweetened beverages can lead to blood sugar crashes, making it harder to listen to your body’s hunger signals.

A soda or a piece of pie? You decide.

20. Bring a healthy dish.

When all else fails sign up to bring the healthy stuff.

If you are certain that there won’t be any fresh greens, then bring a salad loaded with fresh vegetables.

Offer to bring the dish that helps you maintain your fitness and nutrition goals.

21. Use a lunch plate instead of a dinner plate.

This is a go-to tip to prevent overeating all year round, but this may not be an option when you are out.

The idea is this – a typical dinner plate measures over 10 inches; a lunch plate is typically around 8 inches.

If portion control is a struggle, then choose to regularly use a lunch plate for your meals when you are in control of the food in your own home.

BONUS TIP: Stay OFF the scale!!

Unless you have a medical reason to weigh yourself regularly this practice must stop.

Ditch your scale. Track this instead.

It is unnecessary at best and mentally and emotionally destructive at worst.

If you are feeling burnt out from traditional fitness programs, then Early Morning Habit is here for you. Unlock a holistic approach to fitness that focuses on all five dimensions of your health, not just one, with Early Morning Habit today.

Merry Christmas, dear friends.

Let’s rise.

Pin any of the images below for later!