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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Sping water in between bites helps me slow down my eating and encourages me to drink more water. Great giveaway!
And that was supposed to say sipping! Haha. Sorry about that.
I put my fork down in between bites!
chopsticks!! and a glass of water in between bites
Having a large glass of water or tea slows me down during my meal. My favorite snack is almond butter and banana. ☺
Popcorn with Parmesan cheese and garlic powder is always my go to snack!
I love chips so when I eat them I only take one at a time out of the bag.
My favorite snack is apples and cheese with a handful of nuts!
My favorite snack is a spoonful of peanut butter… I’m one of those! 🙂
This is a problem for me since I have 2 toddler boys-2 & 4, but I really just try to be mindful of slowing down, chewing, and ofcourse drinking water before meals helps curb my ravaging hunger!
Love this post! I’m definitely guilty of not savoring my food. When I eat, I try to praise what I’m eating. If it’s a meal that I made, I’ll try to pick out each component of the dish with every bite. If I’m dining out, then I try to guess all of the flavor components in each bite. Either way, this technique makes me slow down, taste my food and actually enjoy what I’m eating!
I try not to watch tv while eating 😉
Oh and my favorite snack is peanut butter and banana!
To slow down, I usually cook a meal from scratch. My weeks become a blurred rotation of leftovers, take out and salad bars because I’m a full time college student (graduating in December!!), completing an internship and working full time – all of which leaves very little time to prepare a meal. So on the weekends I like to take a break from the books, grocery shop and spend sunday evening cooking with my boyfriend, a glass of wine and a movie! It’s the perfect reset for the week ahead and helps to get out of my food rutt. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway Julie!
My favorite snack is an apple with a cheese stick
I have a hard time remembering to slow down and savor food (and life!), too! One of my favorite snacks is an apple with peanut butter or “bumps on a log” – celery with peanut butter and raisins! 🙂
I try to eat at my table & enjoy every bite..putting the fork down helps, too!
I try to eat peacefully by not eating in front of the computer or television.
Tv off. Phone in another room. Windows open. I can breathe deeply and truly relax!
Right now I’m loving pear slices with Laughlng Cow light swiss. It is so, so, so good. Also, using a plate for my food (instead of directly out of the container/bag/box, etc) and sitting down really helps me enjoy my food. Awesome giveaway, thanks.
I make sure to sit down too and step away from my computer so I remember it’s time to eat and NOT to work.
My favorite snack is a sliced Honeycrisp apple with peanut butter. I am also loving anything pumpkin these days!
I plate my snacks just like I would a meal, instead of shoving something in my mouth and moving onto the next thing. Food is delicious and I definitely don’t always really taste it if I eat in a hurry.
My favorite snack would have to be trail mix – I love the salty and sweet! But when eating it alongside my homework, I’m totally guilty of indulging too quickly.
My son has helped me slow my meals down. I take a bite, help my son with his meal or get him something he needs, take a bite, help him, etc. Sometimes a meal takes longer than I intend lol. Fav snack nice crisp Pink Lady apple.
I find that sitting outside (or by a window) helps me slow down and enjoy my snack AND the view. Putting down the fork also helps. My favorite snack is anything that includes cheese. 🙂
Favorite snack is almond butter balls!
I try to make sure my husband and I talk during dinner instead of just focusing on the business of eating! 😉
i always drink a glass of ice water before i eat so that im a little bit fuller then i snack!!
I try to do the same as you and put down the electronics!
I try to chew my bites at least 10 times before I swallow. This might sound time consuming, but it is a great way to slow down your eating AND actually savor what your food. It can also help you feel satisfied so you don’t overeat. Trust me it works!!!
i love having cut apples with a little bit of peanut butter or 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with a peach. I like having jasmine green tea during my snack it helps me slow down.
I sit down and savor each bite. I also try to think.of my snack before I get to Turpin kitchen so I can prepare mentally to enjoy it. Love the gift you put together! My favorite snack is usually crackers and cheese so I cant wait to try laughing cow and get creative
I eat SUPER fast as well! My favorite (post run) snack lately has been Nutella on rice cakes! Such a delicious little treat!
My trick to savoring snack time is to do it with friends! Being in graduate school is tough, so my friends and I have scheduled 30 minute breaks we take to get coffee and other snacks and take a break, relax, chat and just get our minds out of our books. It is an awesome way to chill out and I look forward to my snack time every day!
Also, peanut butter (or any nut butter) on rice cakes with chocolate chips on top are definitely showing up during snack time almost every day 🙂
My favorite snack is an apple or a banana with almond butter. So satisfying!
I try to mindfully enjoy a snack by sitting down away from the tv or any electronic gadget. But I do enjoy reading a magazine while eating, keeping in mind to eat slowly so I can munch my way through my entire reading time!
I agree that the most important thing is to put the phone down and look away from the computer screen. It turns snack time into a little relaxing break too!
I always try to put my phone down whenever I eat something so I don’t finish it in seconds flat 🙂
Learning to eat without electronic devices in front of me is a bad habit i need to break! I’m glad I’m not the only “standing at the kitchen counter eater”. 😉
Great post! I make my meals relaxing by eliminating technology too! Sometimes I’ll grab a magazine or newspaper to flip through leisurely while I eat.
I love having a hot beverage like tea or coffee with my snack. It definitely makes me enjoy it more 🙂
Living in Hawaii, chopsticks are a great way to slow down and eat more mindfully.
I was always told to take a sip of water in between bites. Sometimes I also try to use my left hand to hold my fork which requires more effort because I am right handed.
I snack every afternoon at work while I break to read either news or a book. I try to wait until the end of a paragraph (news) or page (book) before I take another few bites!
To stop myself from eating fast, I chew each bite five times (or there abouts) so that I am fully able to recognize different flavors. Right now, my favorite snack is a mini pizza made on a tortilla, with cheese, salsa, spinach and olives on top!
I like to take a break during the work day to have a healthy snack and surf my favorite websites as a mental break.
My trick when out to eat is to put my fork down between bites and to also stop and talk with my boyfriend about how our meals taste. When out to eat we always try to get two different meals and so we can share them. Talking about if we like our meals or what it reminds us of or figuring out what special ingredient they used in a sauce helps us to slow down and think about what we’re eating and in turn savor each bite!
P.S. all your snacks featured in this post look delicious!!
My favorite way to savor a snack is to share snack time with my daughter after I pick her up from school. Her sweet little face and stories about her day make everything taste better!! My latest snack obsessions by the way was something I snagged from the Canyon Ranch website. Its is 1 part peanut butter, 1 part low fat ricotta cheese and/or greek yogurt, dash of vanilla, drizzle of honey and a few sprinkles of cinnamon. Oh my goodness, it is so good on crackers, bread, bananas, anything!!!
I try to put my fork down between bites and chew slowly.
I’m a teacher.. And I rush through meals way too often so that I can multitask or get more work done. My trick is to just do my best on keeping my designated lunch time, my actual work time. I force myself to put my feet up and enjoy my packed lunch. Packing things in fun containers and being excited about what I’m about to eat helps too 🙂