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!
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Take one deep breath in between in bite…and put your fork down.
My husband and I try to eat at the dinner table 4 nights a week with no TV or other distractions. This helps us actually enjoy our meal and each other!
I love this post as I’m constantly trying to slow down eating as well! I know the feeling of being distracted and looking down to realize I ate all my food without even knowing what it tasted like! Something I try to do is to never let myself get so hungry that I’m scarfing down all my food! I eat every 3-4 hours to keep myself from wanting to eat all the snacks I see. Also, I frequenting make a hot cup of tea with my evening snack so I’m not as liking to get up to keep eating when I’m really just bored!
I try to eat with people..that way I am forced to slow down between bites in order to talk (unless I want to talk with a mouth full of food!) And my favorite snack is probably a protein smoothie or shake..anything cool and creamy. By the way, this is an amazing giveaway..really creative!
An apple with almond butter or cinnamon is one of my go to snacks. Right now I’m eating pretzels with cocoa dusted almonds – delish! I love the theme of this giveaway. Thanks!
I’m also awful at savoring my snacks.. so I love these tips!! My favorite snack by far is a Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar (clean ingredients) in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes… it tastes like a cookie!!
My favorite snack right now is honeycrisp apples, straight up! (’tis the season!) But when those are out of season, any apple with peanut butter or cheese definitely hits the spot 🙂
We do not eat in front of the TV, all electronics are turned off, we take the time to sit and enjoy each other.
I try variations of your trick of drinking hot tea by having a large glass of water or a can of sparkling water, which makes me slow down to have sips!
I am awful at snacking/eating too fast while on my computer at work. At home, I try to just sit at the table and not multi-task but it sometimes feels like I am wasting time. 🙂 I love the Trader Joes nut blend individual packs. Also, raspberries… yum!
I am a super fast eater too! It can be embarassing at times, and not all that attractive…but a girl has got to eat!
In the mornings I read the paper while I eat breakfast and drink my tea, and same at lunch. I work in an office, so I usually get some reading done over my lunchbreak, which forces me to eat…and enjoy my food.
As for snacks…just about anything…peanut butter (obvioiusly), but I like to encorporate a protein with a veggie/fruit. Low fat string cheese has always been one of my favorites, and more recently it has been low fat cottage cheese with blueberries or fresh fruit!
I LOVED their new commercial on this! I try to slow down my chewing and focus on other things to slow down my snacking! My favorite snack is bread with peanut butter!
If I take the time to actually make myself a plate (e.g. cutting up apple slices instead of just biting into an apple) I feel like I appreciate my snack way more.
I love veggie Laughing Cow cream cheese on wheat toast with cucumber slices!
sharing food with someone who is not a fast eater– sometimes i need a pacer 🙂
My favorite snack lately has been smoothies! I love all the fall recipes all the bloggers share and creating new ones is always fun! To slow myself down, I try to taste each of the unique flavors (i.e. avocado or nutmeg).
What a great giveaway, thanks for sharing!
This is a great giveaway! I can slow down by strapping my young children into their high chairs and sitting at the dining room table. I am very bad at doing this. We’re always eating on the run.
I find that turning off all distractions when eating really slows down my eating immensely. Even just turning my head away from the computer at my desk at work allows me to slow down and not only enjoy my meal, but to relax and tune out distractions.
I try to eat at the dinner table rather than on the couch watching TV. If my husband and I sit down at the table to a meal together, we often end up having great conversation which helps us to eat slower.
The biggest thing for me is to try and step away from my computer while eating, especially while working. My favourite snack right now is apple and almond butter!
Pretzels!! Love them by themselves or with pb 🙂
My current favorite snack is a simple apple! If I’m feeling really hungry, I’ll have some peanut butter with it. I love the idea of having tea with your snack! I’m going to have to try that.
I put my fork down between bites!
Favorite snack… apples & peanut butter!
Since I’m always on the go I usually schedule in my snack time. Knowing that I’ve put aside 15 minutes to relax and eat usually helps me stretch my snack across the whole time span!
My favorite snack is popcorn! But it has to be stove-top-popped popcorn with coconut oil. My grandpa used to make it this way for us every Sunday growing up when we visited him–no tips on slowing down my goal was always to get to seconds before siblings could.
Put my fork down and have a conversation. I’m a super fast eater so it’s definitely important to remember this!
I am definitely guilty of eating too fast as well! I try to put my fork down in between bites as much as I can. Right now my favorite snack is Fuji apple slices with almond butter.
Using a fork instead of a spoon for yogurt helps me slow down. You literally cannot eat it that fast. 🙂 Thanks, Julie!
My favorite snack is an english muffin (love the new double-protein oatmeal ones by Thomas!) with almond butter and banana slices 🙂
I put my fork down between each bite and take a sip of water.
I love to make a cup of green tea in the afternoon to enjoy with my snack 🙂 hot tea has become essential!
My favorite snack – cheese and crackers!!
Making myself a plate of food and forcing myself to sit has been the biggest thing for me – its so easy to just eat out of the box/bag/whatever while standing in the kitchen so I’m trying to limit that! It also helps me control portions instead of mindlessly grabbing handfuls from the container 🙂
Carrots/pretzels and hummus. I try to portion my snacks into ziplocks bags and containers so I don’t overindulge and get TOO full.
i love this post! i recently have been setting my fork down too. i’ll set it down, chew, look around, think, then take another bite. Favorite snack right now would have to be some tropical fruit salad- chopped pineapple and mango- with sesame seeds on top!
What a killer giveaway! I love to sit down at the table to enjoy my food so that I eat it mindfully rather than rushing through it.
Laughing cow is the best snack and addition to a open-faced breakfast sandwich, my go to meal on the weekends! I try to eat more small snacks throughout the day in an effort to ward off my hunger and allow myself to enjoy the meal I don’t eat at my desk.
My favorite snack is the classic apple+peanut butter!
One of my favorite snacks is cutting up a granny smith apple, sprinkling it with cinnamon, and then microwaving it for a minute. It reminds me of fall and tastes similar to an apple crisp!!
I used to be an extremely fast eater too, so I started concentrating on chewing and taking smaller bites and it really helped me to slow down. I am obsessed with plantain chips right now! I can’t seem to go to Publix without leaving with a bag.
Awesome giveaways lately 🙂 Sometimes I’ll switch my fork into my non dominant hand. It always slows me down!
A trick I read about a long time ago was to eat using your less dominant hand. I’m right handed, so I will try to remember to “snack” using my left hand. It sounds crazy, but it definitely works! It also slows down my eating too since I feel a little less coordinated using my left hand =) Apples have been my go-to snack lately!
My favorite snack is a handful of nuts. So satisfying, simple and easy to keep on you no matter where you go.
I use a small fork or spoon for snacks and many meals (they’re from IKEA, and sold in “small” and “normal” sizes). they may look silly, but they force me to eat smaller amounts of food with each bite. it works wonders!
air popped popcorn tossed with steamed (cooled) cauliflower and/or broccoli
I cut my food up into tiny bite size portions and I eat each and every m&m individually. 😀 I definitely need to try setting my utensil down and stepping away from electronics.
I love frozen grapes!
Since having kids I have become a super quick snacker so I try to sit down at the kitchen table instead of on the run.
I love your tea time tip- it really is something that you can’t rush. One of my favorite snacks is applesauce with granola!