Snack Mindfully, Enjoy the Moment!
Have you heard of Snacking Mindfully?
This approach encourages paying attention to eating and focusing on the sensory experience with food.
Mindful eating research has been more and more active in the past 20 years, whether looking at mealtime or in between meals.
Studies have shown that it can lead to a greater sense of enjoyment and satisfaction with food.
Mindful eating is an easy and universal approach.
It can be practiced by anyone, at any age and on any snacking occasion.
Simple, practical tips can help tune into this holistic approach of snacking mindfully.
It’s about listening to hunger and satiety signals, focusing on sensory attributes of foods and paying attention to the full snacking experience.
From mindfulness to snacking mindfully
1. Mindfulness
In 1990, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, defined mindfulness as 'paying attention to the present moment on purpose while being non-judgmental on thoughts and feelings.' (1,2) Today, there is convincing evidence that mindfulness-based interventions can help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as help improve mental health and well-being in diverse stressful circumstances and stages of life. (3-7).
2. Mindful eating
In the late 1990's, a pioneering clinical trial found that binge eating disorders decreased following a mindfulness intervention applied to the context of eating (8). The positive impact of mindful eating – the application of mindfulness principles to eating – interventions in people with obesity and eating disorders has since been confirmed in more recent studies (9-13). This wellness approach emphasizes reliance on hunger and satiety cues and focusing on the sensory experience with food. It has been investigated both in subjects with or without obesity to assess its effect on health and well-being. Research has shown that eating mindfully can result in deriving more pleasure from food and being satisfied with smaller amounts of food (14-19).
3. Snacking Mindfully
Today, snacking has become a widespread eating habit around the world, as most adults have one to two snacks every day (20). Snacking in a fast-paced society can be easily affected by environmental and emotional cues. Mindful eating principles applied to snacking occasions can help people make conscious food choices as well as focus on why and how they snack, so they can be more in tune with the sensory experience of eating as a conscious behavior. At Mondelēz International, we aim to inspire people to snack mindfully to fully enjoy their snacks as they aim to achieve a more balanced lifestyle.
Snacking mindfully can be practiced in easy and practical steps which covers 6 behaviors below based on the approach by clinical researchers and practitioners
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT (EMOTIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL NEEDS)
- Tune in to your emotional & functional needs and snack preferences at the present time (satisfy hunger, provide energy, simply a treat…)
- Check your hunger level before snacking
- Be aware of emotional and external cues that can trigger snacking – such as social settings, convenience, and time of the day
BE AWARE OF PORTION
- Be intentional about choosing a portion according to your emotional and hunger needs in the moment
ENJOY AND APPRECIATE THE SNACK WITH ALL YOUR SENSES
- Focus on the smells, tastes, textures, shapes and colors of foods to enjoy the snacking experience
BE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT
- Focus your awareness on the snacking experience and pay attention to each bite or sip
- Reduce distractions such as your phone or the TV
BE AWARE OF YOUR HUNGER, FULLNESS AND SATISFACTION LEVEL
- Slow down the pace of eating and check to see if you are full and satisfied
REFLECT ON YOUR WHOLE EATING EXPERIENCE
- Be kind and encourage yourself as you evaluate your choice
- Reflect on what transformed your snacking to mindful snacking
Resources for health professionals
Since the beginning of our journey to inspire consumers to snack mindfully, our in-house nutritionists have partnered with health and nutrition professionals to help further understanding and awareness of mindful behaviors in the context of snacking, which we call “Snacking Mindfully”. In 2018, in partnership with Dr. Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist and author of several books on mindful eating, we developed easy tips and practical resources on how to snack mindfully.
Listed below are several resources for learning more about Snacking Mindfully, including videos of panel discussions with experts and peer-reviewed publications. You can also find resources to help guide and inspire your clients on how to snack mindfully.
A literature review on the effects of mindful eating and potential mechanisms of action
Peer-reviewed publication
Read this narrative review that examines the concept of mindful eating and its measurement. It goes into the evidence for the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on disordered eating, energy intake, and food choice. Finally, it considers potential mechanisms of action and six recommendations for future research.
Your Guide to Mindful Snacking: Practical video tips by Food Insight
Video
Watch a mainstream animated video by the International Food Information Council sharing four easy tips to slow down, make intentional food choices and tune up your mindfulness when snacking.
Summary of the panel discussion about Mindful Eating approach applied to snacking
Peer-reviewed publication
Read the conference report of the IUNS symposium chaired and addressed by Dr. Jean Kristeller, PhD, psychologist and mindful eating expert, with two food behavior and marketing experts discussing mindful eating theoretical principles to applications.
Inspiring people to snack mindfully
At Mondelēz International, we believe snacks can be enjoyed in a mindful way and fit into a balanced lifestyle. We are guided by our purpose to empower consumers to choose the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way, to help them to savor each bite, experiencing more satisfaction.
Since the beginning of our journey to inspire consumers to snack mindfully, we have partnered with renowned experts in mindful eating to provide simple and practical tips, and digital tools explaining Snacking Mindfully and how to put it into practice. By raising awareness of both this behavioral approach and the importance of portion size, we aim to help consumers make conscious and informed food choices and cultivate a positive relationship with food.
This website is sponsored by Mondelēz International and is reserved to health professionals.
For more information about our company and our approach to well-being, please visit the Snacking Made Right section of our company website.
