Intuitive Eating, Meal Prep and Answering, “What Do I Want to Eat?”  

Read on for some questions to ask yourself when deciding, “What do I want to eat?” as well as tips for navigating meal prep and intuitive eating!

When I work with clients to build a better relationship with food and break free from dieting, I find we often come to this beautiful place of being able to rediscover food! We can choose foods for flavor, fuel, fun, or a combination of all three! When we’re no longer bound by food rules or a strict diet plan, the world of food opens up and we can begin to explore our why for choosing certain foods, meals, or snacks. 

There can be a variety of factors that can influence what we’re in the mood for, and when we’ve spent so much time being guided by external food rules or strict diets, beginning to explore these questions can feel super overwhelming! So, if you find yourself in this place of rediscovering food, and you’re just getting started with taking back some autonomy with your eating, allow me to offer a few reflection questions to help you answer the question of, “What do I want to eat?”:  

What flavors sound good to you?

At this moment, would you prefer something sweet, or savory? Perhaps something spicy? Or more neutral? 

What textures are you in the mood for?

Are you looking for something crunchy? Or perhaps something smooth? 

What temperature are you looking for?

Are you in the mood for something cold and crisp, or perhaps something warm and comforting?  

How long does this meal/snack need to hold you?

This is one of my favorite questions because it allows us to start exploring the staying power of different foods. Do you need something that will give you energy for an hour or two before dinner? Or do you need a meal that will anchor your energy and appetite for 3 to 4 hours?  

Taking some time to reflect on these questions can help you decide, “what do I want to eat?” and create a meal or snack that is truly satisfying. However, we don’t always have this luxury at the moment, and that’s where we can apply gentle nutrition concepts to our meal planning and prep.

Can I still meal prep while practicing eating intuitively? 

This is a common question I get when we think about balancing the intuitive eating journey with the realities of daily life. And the short answer is: yes, absolutely!  

Meal planning and intuitive eating can co-exist and I believe that we can hold space for both of these things. But let’s unpack that a little more… 

First, we need to acknowledge that while it would be amazing to be able to honour our hunger at the moment by eating exactly what we want in the quantity that we want (using some of the guiding questions above), in our day-to-day life we also have busy schedules, external commitments, and time limits when it comes to preparing and enjoying food! This is real life, and that’s why I believe some gentle meal planning/meal prep can definitely serve you through your intuitive eating journey and help reduce some stress and anxiety that may come up. 

There are lots of different definitions of meal prep, and often I think our minds drift to images of rows on rows of containers filled with weighed-out, pre-portioned foods for each meal and snack for an entire week. Now, I don’t mean to guilt or shame ANYONE for their preferred method of preparing food, but I do want to gently ask this: does this method of food preparation come at the expense of your relationship with food? Are you able to build in variety and honour your body’s hunger cues and eat to your fullness cues in this way? Just something to consider.  

When I discuss meal planning with clients, I tend to take a looser approach that will help you save some time throughout the week, while still giving you flexibility to make choices in the moment about what foods, and how much of a food will be satisfying to you!

How this might look… 

Meal planning before heading to the grocery store 

• Plan your grocery list to include staple foods that you find satisfying and enjoyable. Include meal components and snack foods that you enjoy right now! 
• Take a look at this list and ask yourself – what other foods can I add to this list to help me round out some meals throughout the week? Consider your schedule for the week. How much time will you have to cook? Will there be some nights you eat out? Will you have space for leftovers? This can help guide how much food you need to buy.

Loose meal preparation when you get home 

I am a big fan of prepping single-ingredient foods in a neutral way so that you have the flexibility to repurpose these foods throughout the week, giving yourself permission to ask at the moment, “What do I want to eat?”  

Here are some ideas:

• Chop up vegetables to have them ready for snacks, stir-frys, or bowls 
• Think about foods that take longer to cook and consider preparing these ahead of time – grains and proteins often take longer to prepare. You could cook some rice ahead of time and store it in the fridge to repurpose throughout the week, or even put some in the freezer for the future! Perhaps you bake some tofu or roast chicken to add to salads, wraps, and sandwiches during the week! 
• I typically will not “portion” my food as this allows me to choose how much food I want to eat at the moment – because I don’t know how hungry I’m going to be on Tuesday at lunchtime! I’ll store these prepared foods in sealed containers in the fridge and pull from them as I need!  

As with all things intuitive eating, the work is in the process, and each new grocery trip and every meal is an opportunity to learn more about what works best for YOU when it comes to honoring your body and respecting your needs.  

Looking for more discussion on grocery shopping while on your intuitive eating journey? Check out this great podcast episode from fellow non-diet dietitian Claire Chewning. Working with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in Intuitive Eating can be a great support as you are finding the right rhythms for YOU! Reach out to our team at Health Stand, it would be our joy to support you!