Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we are reminded to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives, like friends, family, and all the fabulous food that will be set before us on Thanksgiving Day. I wonder though how often many of us pause on the other 364 days of the year and take a moment to be grateful for the food that we eat.

Many of us have a perpetual battle going with food. We label foods as “good” or “bad” and constantly wrestle with staying in control and on a diet while feeling deprived in the process. What if instead we shifted our focus from frustration and deprivation to thoughts of gratitude and appreciation.

I think more often than not we gobble our food up without pausing to appreciate it or even really tasting it for that matter.  Start a new habit this week. As you sit down to a meal, take a deep breath and take just a moment to appreciate and savor the food in front of you. Notice the smell, the different colors on your plate, and the effort and energy that went into it being there.

Taking a moment to think about where your food comes from and the effort that went into it eventually being put on your table is a great way to bring mindfulness to what we put in our mouths. Bringing mindfulness to our food can go a long way in helping us eat better and eat less while actually getting even more enjoyment out of what we eat.