Breakfast: An omelet with juicy ham, melted cheese and warm potatoes.
Lunch: A warm chicken wrap with spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese and dried cranberries, among other ingredients.
Dinner: A juicy, lightly seasoned sirloin steak with onions for extra zazz. Zazz isn’t a word, but it will be once you taste this steak.
Are you hungry? Would you eat this in a hurry, or would you want to savor every bite?
In Lessons From Madame Chic, Jennifer L. Scott walks us through easy steps on how to get the best out of a meal. She says that people don’t enjoy their foods, and they rush through it because they don’t have time to ravish in each tasty bite, or they just don’t want to.
Here are Scott’s tips on how to eat well, getting the most out of every meal and giving the calorie count a rest.
1. Present yourself with beautiful food
Do you ever find yourself slapping some food on your plate and calling it lunch? Presentation is an important factor in enjoying a meal because no appetite can come from food that doesn’t look appetizing. Make your food with love, no matter what it is. If you’re preparing a sandwich, prepare it with the same graciousness that you would a three-course meal for guests. Make it beautiful and mouthwatering, “foodstagram”-worthy, even! Present yourself with the same quality food that you would present others, and meals will instantly become more fun.
2. Sit down and savor
It’s time to stop walking down the street engulfing your pizza. We’re all guilty of it, and it is an unhealthy habit. Don’t think for a minute that walking while you eat will off-set the calories you’re in-taking. All that’s going to do is create an unsettling digestion. New Yorkers have made walking and eating -the hot dog days- fabulous, but Scott says that it’s anticlimactic. Sit down with a fork and a knife, and eat every bite with patience. Chew properly, taste every flavor and enjoy the fact that you are fortunate enough to have food on your plate at the moment. Savor your food.
3. Enjoy sweets in moderation
It is truly a shame that people have an aversion to sweets. They are so delicious, fun and enrapturing. Don’t you ever get lost in how gratifying a dessert is? Why would you deprive yourself of something so wonderful? The problem is that we’re greedy, and we find ourselves wanting more and more. So you eat five Sarkura Sweets cupcakes and you realize you’ve gained five pounds. Scott says moderation is key when eating sweets. Treat yourself to something yummy, but remember that it’s a treat, it’s not a feast. Indulge in decadent dessert every so often in modest portions. And another thing, forget the gym while you enjoy your delicacy.
4. Don’t snack
Contrary to popular belief, Scott says snacking is unhealthy. She says that having some chips here or some crunchy stuff there creates habit, and when you’re done you don’t really feel very good about yourself. Think about it, do you ever feel satisfied after you’ve munched on a bag of chips, even healthy chips, for 15 minutes? Instead, Scott advises to serve large portions during meals. Eat a satisfying breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there will be no need for snacks. If you find it absolutely necessary to snack, munch on what Scott calls “high-quality snacks,” like yogurt with berries, or sliced fruits, which are not habit-inducing. Finally, try drinking a tall glass of water because thirst and dehydration can often be mistaken for hunger.
5. Let yourself feel hungry
Scott says feeling hungry is healthy. If you’re not absolutely starving to the point of fainting, you’re fine. Let yourself feel the need for food so you can value it when you finally get it. Thoughts of delicious dishes or meals creep into our heads when we’re hungry. Let your body acknowledge the feeling of hunger, wait it out if you can and then relish in your meal.
