This post is sponsored by The Laughing Cow® and features a fun giveaway that I assembled myself that I hope you guys will love! I am an official brand advocate for The Laughing Cow® in 2014 and while I receive compensation for participation, opinions are my own. I hope you enjoy this post and thanks so much for your support!
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you likely already know that I consider myself a very fast eater. (Remember this blog post when I talked about some of the methods Ryan and I use to try to prolong our dinner dates!?) Slowing down and savoring my food takes effort on my part. I’ve always been a really fast eater and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been one of the first people to clear my plate in almost any social setting.
When The Laughing Cow® reached out to me about their new initiative that centers around savoring snack time, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I know I personally could stand to slow down and enjoy my food a little more and this seemed like a good push to brainstorm ways to make myself take a moment and enjoy what I’m eating.
Below you will find some tips and tricks I’ve been trying to practice during snack and meal times to help me appreciate what I’m eating and actually experience food rather than just inhaling it all the time. I’ve also featured some food pairings with The Laughing Cow Cheeses to give you some snack time inspiration!
Simple Tips for Savoring Snack Time
- Step Away from Electronic Distractions
All too often I’ll eat when I’m working at the computer and look up and think to myself, “I don’t even remember tasting that meal!” What a shame! I never watch TV during the day, but I am on the computer all the time. I also check my phone a lot since I use it to respond to emails, blog comments and other work-related tasks. By stepping away from electronic distractions, I feel much more in the moment and this makes me concentrate on tasting and savoring my snacks and meals.
Crisp Apple Slices + Roasted Almonds + The Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Wedges
- Place My Fork Down In Between Bites
This is a tip I read in a magazine years ago that really does work. I tend to shovel food in my mouth a little too quickly, and taking the time to put down my fork or spoon in between bites extends mealtime a little bit and allows me to think more about what I’m eating and enjoy it.
Cucumber Slices + The Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss Garlic & Herb Cheese Wedges + Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Enjoy A Snack with a Mug of Hot Tea
This is something I tend to do at breakfast time that makes my morning meal last a little longer, so I tried extending it to snack time and it really does help! If I fix myself an afternoon snack and a hot cup of tea, I’m much more likely to sit down and enjoy my snack rather than grabbing it and stuffing it into my mouth while I’m on the go. Which leads me to my next bullet point…
Gluten-Free Almond Crackers + Ham Pinwheels + The Laughing Cow Creamy White Cheddar Cheese Wedges + Cracked Pepper
- Sit Down
I am the queen of eating at the kitchen counter. When I make myself grab a plate or a bowl and take my snack to the table, it seems to send a message to my brain that this is a time I need to chill out and enjoy what I’m eating rather than eat something as fast as possible before it’s onto the next thing.
Fresh Strawberries + Pretzel Crisps + The Laughing Cow Creamy Light Swiss Cheese Wedges
- Break the Routine
I tend to eat the same snacks over and over again until I get sick of them and discover something new. When I take the time to get a little creative in the kitchen and try something new, I find that I’m a lot more likely to notice and enjoy what I am eating.
And now it’s giveaway time!
I have personally assembled a giveaway worth $300 for one PBF reader to win! I tried to select items to help you kick back and relax a bit so you can thoroughly savor your meals and snacks!
This giveaway includes:
- $100 lululemon gift card – For you to pick up some super cute, comfy lounge-worthy apparel that you can also wear in public
- Cable knit throw from Pottery Barn – To curl up with while you enjoy a delicious snack this winter
- Le Creuset tea kettle (color of your choice) – To brew a hot beverage to sip while you eat
- Anthropologie mug with your initial – So you can sip your tea in style
- Snack Time Kit from The Laughing Cow
To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me about one of the tricks you use to encourage yourself to slow down and savor your food or tell me about your favorite snack!
I will randomly select a winner on Friday.
Good luck!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I sit down while I eat, after I have put the snack ingredients away. Keeps me from going back for more! Also, lots and lots of water and a mix of sweet and salty so no more cravings once I am done!
I am a very fast eater myself and believe that is why I am never fully satisfied because I eat too fast. I have tried to make myself put down the fork between ever bite or have a sip of water. It helps thinking about what you are doing to make your food more savory by eating slower!
Lately, the snack I have been loving is one I read about on Gina’s blog, Fitnessista. It’s a snack she made for her daughter, but at 22 I still enjoy it! It’s an English muffin topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese that I stick in the toaster oven! Delicious!
I love having an apple with peanut butter and granola to get some protein, healthy fats and carbs!
I try to sit down at the table. If I am working while I eat I look down and the food is gone. Stepping away prolongs my eating, and also is a stress reliever! It tells my brain I can relax for a minute and just enjoy!
I always struggle with eating at the counter! Another trick I have learned is that by portioning my snacks and giving them a nice presentation always makes me take more time with them. For example, instead of just biting right in to an apple, I will cut it up, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, and heat it up in the microwave. Ten times better 🙂
I think of the Ghandi quote, “Drink your food and chew your drink”, to slow down my actual eating process.
By chewing the food (when I can, sometimes I totally crazy inhale that slice of pizza) until it is almost liquid I help my digestion process and really taste my food.
Lately I’ve been loving hummus and veggies as a snack! Quick and easy! 🙂
I make sure to have a big glass of water with my snacks and drink it all in that sitting. It helps to slow things down and you feel satisfied when you’re done!
I try to sit down away from the computer! Lately I have been enjoying brie on on akmak crackers topped with sweet chili sauce and hot tea.
My new favorite snack has been those dark chocolate covered acai berries – so absolutely delicious AND they’re a perfect snack to grab a few and take when I’m running to a meeting.
Ok those strawberry pretzel bites look fantastic! My favorite snack lately are honeycrisp apples. They are PERFECT right now!
I try to avoid my phone and the TV during dinner time. I use the putting my fork down trick when I’m eating meals with others!
To slow down I try not to have any electronic distractions that is my worst habit!
I”m so glad I’m not the only fast eater out there. Every time I eat with friends, I’m always the first done and feel bad…and then they’re still eating so I want more…
My favorite tip when dining out with friends it to engage in the conversation. Usually I just sit back and listen, but when I find myself participating more in the convo, I usually tend to eat slower, and less!
My favorite snack lately has been hummus and either carrots or cucumber slices. I usually snack at work, so I have a hard time completely shutting myself off from electronics. I usually use my snack time to check your blog and other various blogs I follow.
I’m a fast eater also. One of my tricks (read in a magazine years ago) is to try to chew a mouthful of food around 20 times, which is harder than you think it would be.
I try to drink lots of water. And I love pretzels, string cheese and apples!
I try and pay attention to the different flavors of whatever I’m eating, and I drink water between bites.
My husband and I are very fast eaters…so I try to take the time to set the table and we sit down with no TV and have a conversation with each other about our day so we don’t rush through dinner and we enjoy the conversation and not just the food.
My BF always makes fun of me because I am always the first one done eating. On the rare occasion that he beats me, I make sure I annoy him all night about it! 🙂 I have found that NOT having the phone at the table is a very good way to enjoy and savor the meal. Also, our meals always last the longest when we sit down to talk about our day, or next vacation, or odd misc facts that he is full of! So, good conversation slows down our eating and lets us enjoy the food & moment together.
My favorite snack lately has been apples w/ crushed almonds and honey. I used to eat Laughing Cow cheese all the time!! I have to get back to it! 🙂 🙂
I am a super fast eater too (my family eats dinner in about 15 minutes flat), and often regret not taking the time to savor food. One of the things I try to do to combat this is to put my fork down after every bite I take, and then wait 20 seconds in between swallowing my food and picking up my fork again. I also try to drink at least 2 glasses of water during mealtime.
Hope that helps!
Sit down at a table (not the couch!) and don’t watch tv- curbs mindless eating!
I like to enjoy a snack with coworkers or a friend so that hopefully our chatting and catching up slows me down 🙂
I try to eat slower and taste my food.
I love almond butter and apples! It’s a filling snack that is sweet but not junk food. I’ll also occasionally melt laughing cow or shredded cheese on a tortilla for a fast quesadilla.
To help slow down and enjoy a meal or snack I make it a point to set a spot. I find if I a spot it makes me wait until the whole meal is actually together before digging in.
favorite snack is apple with peanut butter!
I am having a hot tea right now and then I will have my snack in about 30 minutes to try and spread it out and not starve myself!
Sometimes I’ll play some slower music in the background to create a calmer atmosphere, like Billie Holiday or Frank Sinatra! With mellow, classic music quietly playing in the background, I almost feel like I’ve traveled back in time a little as I slowly enjoy and savor my snack 🙂
My favorite way to slow down meals is to have really interesting conversations. With a 6 month old at home, dinner time is one of the only times that my husband and I get to catch up on our day. We turn the TV off and actually have conversations about what happened during the day. While our meal times are not exactly long these days, having a fun conversation does help from “shoveling” food down our gullets.
My favorite snack lately has been a few multigrain tortilla chips and a sweet salsa. It’s a nice change from a spicy salsa that serves as a fix for sweet and salty.
I have been enjoying pumpkin spice toast and apples.
I love anything I can dip, like an apple with almond butter or pretzels with hummus. Eating out of a pretty bowl helps me slow down a bit!
At the moment my go to is homemade nut clusters…like granola, with cinnamon and ginger, dunked in homemade dark chocolate! A hot mug of tea is totally my trick too!
For the fall I have been loving snacking on apple slices and cheddar cheese. Yum!!
Like you, I tend to be the one to finish my plate first. I will look up and my family has not even made it half way through their meal. Oops! I try and engage in more conversation at the dinner table because its not polite to talk with your mouth full 😉
My favorite snack right now is carrot sticks and ranch dressing. I try and sit down when I snack and be present in the moment, if I am standing up in the kitchen eating I tend to not even notice how quickly I’m eating because I’m distracted!
I eat WAY too fast – often finish before my boyfriend even starts! I try sipping water between bites, which slows me down AND gives me a better idea of when I am actually full. My favourite snack is apples dipped in PB and Nakd bars – SO good. Try them if you haven’t!
Making my husband turn off the TV and come sit with me at the dinner table to eat all of our meals, really helps us enjoy our snack/meal and each other at the same time 🙂
My favorite snack is an apple and nut butter!
I love pretzel crisps and hummus!
I will assemble a snack or dinner and set it on the table then clean everything up so I can sit down and not think about what I have to do next(clean the kitchen) and I don’t go back for seconds when I’m probably not hungry anymore.
I put my phone away at meal times…too easy to fly through eating while checking emails! Also, I try to sip water in between bites. My fave snack lately is roasted salted pistachios, they are work to get open but so delicious! 🙂
Eating too fast is SUCH a problem for me. I do my best to be mindful of putting my fork down after each bite.
I usually drink water between every few bites.
I take sips of water between every bite and make it a goal to finish a 16 oz bottle of water with a meal. I am definitely going to try tea now as well!
I tend to eat a handful of nuts when I’m on the go for a snack because it really stops my sweet tooth in it’s tracks. If I have more time I love a handful of roasted chickpeas, apple and peanut butter or toast with coconut oil instead of butter-yummy!
I give myself a “free to eat as fast as you want” snack that is small and very low in calories (apple, carrot sticks, small salad), and once I chow that down, I really savor the snack I wanted (cookie). Helps a lot and you still get to crunch way too fast.
Love those tips for slowing down and the snack suggestions! I try to drink as much water as possible while I’m eating/snacking – helps me to slow down AND to recognize when I am full…instead of continuing to shovel 🙂
One of my favorite snacks is actually a drink….peanut butter, almond milk, and a frozen banana blended together for a perfect smoothie. I drink one almost every day! Because this smoothie is a thick one, I find it easier to drink slower so that I can enjoy all the peanut buttery goodness. 🙂