Skip to main content

Meal Planning and Intuitive Eating – Which Is Best for You?

By
Meal Planning and Intuitive EatingMeal Planning and Intuitive Eating

Meal Planning and Intuitive Eating – Which Is Best for You?

Not only are people today concerned with what to eat, but now how to eat is also important. Small meals, large meals, eat when you’re hungry, or don’t eat after a particular time? There is often no one correct answer, and in the meal planning vs. intuitive eating conversation, there should often be a middle ground.

  • What Is Intuitive Eating? – Intuitive eating simply means listening to your body. If you eat intuitively, you’re choosing to eat foods that you think are right for you, eating them when you’re hungry, and stopping when you’re full. It is essentially how children eat.
  • How Hard Is It to Eat Intuitively? – While this style of eating is very natural, we occasionally live in an unnatural world that makes it challenging to eat intuitively. We may sometimes be travelling, and the selection of foods available is slim. We may also be in an awkward place financially, which doesn’t allow us to eat as we may like. Even in our regular daily lives, it’s difficult to make different meals that are what every member of your family wants.
  • Finding Balance – While finding a balance may be difficult, there are a few tips you can remember to help you eat intuitively more often. 
    • Don’t worry about “should” – Your meals “should” have vegetables, but what if you’re in the mood for pasta? Instead of forcing yourself to eat what you think you should, enjoy what you want at the time. Your body will tell you what it needs, and you can intuitively choose to eat things such as vegetables then.
    • Fulfill your body’s needs – It isn’t always possible to eat what you want when you want. For instance, some restaurants are only open at certain times. In cases like this, make plans to eat what you craved later when you are able.
    • Let yourself snack – People think that needing to snack is a childhood thing. The truth is, adults also need to snack to satisfy wants and cravings, even within a meal plan. If you have an urge to eat something sweet but only have savoury items lined up for dinner, don’t be afraid to pick up a treat for yourself to enjoy as well. There will also be days where you need multiple snacks and others where you don’t need any at all. Listen to your body, and it will tell you what you need.

Learning how to listen to your body and get out of the mindset most people have about food can be hard. Our world is full of diets and body ideals that often lead to disordered eating. Break the habit and get more in tune with your body! The holistic nutrition course offered by the Edison Institute of Nutrition will help you to learn good eating habits and provide you with the knowledge you need to improve your health as well as that of others. Our classes are now online!

We are internationally recognized and offer our online courses globally. To learn more, call the Edison Institute of Nutrition today at . You may also contact us online to speak with one of our educational advisors.

Also Read: