11 C – Consideration
“C.R.E.A.T.E Your Plate”
(AKA Conscious Choices)
When we talk about Consideration, in the context of Conscious Eating, we are looking more deeply than just choosing recipes or from a menu.
This type of consideration means making thoughtful, conscious choices about what we put on our plates and, by extension, what we put into our bodies.
We’ve been spoon-fed a diet culture that’s largely about rules and restrictions, ‘shoulds’ and ‘should-nots’ – leaving little room for what really matters.
What if we chose food based on what aligns with our own values, and the types of lives we want to live?
Those values could be things like health, ethics, kindness, energy – or happiness.
Consideration of Conscious Choices is the practice of pausing, thinking and asking questions:
Questions Like:
- Does this food make me feel good?
- Am I eating this because it brings me joy, nourishment, or both?
- Will this make me strong?
- Will this give me energy?
- Is this the kind of food I would serve to someone I love?
Thinking in this way is the first step in breaking free from the shackles of diet culture.
Moving away from the rules someone else has decided and embracing a more authentic, low-pressure approach to eating.
The joy factor is vital.
Of course nutrition is crucial to health – but so is enjoying your food.
If you love chocolate, denying yourself the pleasure isn’t ‘consideration’ – it’s cruelty!
The art is in finding the balance and understanding that healthy eating isn’t about deprivation; it’s about nourishing yourself in a way that also brings happiness.
Conscious Eating is not just about the ‘what’, but the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of eating.
It’s a more mindful, fulfilling way to approach what you eat – and means you can celebrate food as one of our dearest friends, not your arch nemesis.
It’s all-positive:
- What you want.
- What you choose.
- How you want to feel
- How you want to live.
To begin:
Reflect on Your Food Values:
Take a moment to jot down what truly matters to you in your food choices.
Is it nutrition, pleasure, fitness, sustainability, or a bit of everything?
There is no right or wrong – only how you feel and what you think.
Mindful Meal Planning:
Plan your next meal with nutrition AND enjoyment in mind.
Just one meal for now.
Explore how you can incorporate your values into this meal, whilst making sure it’s delicious.
Joyful Conscious Foods List:
Create a list of food that make you happy.
These are your go-to items when you need a pick-me-up.
But can you make them align with your conscious eating values and goals.
Examples:
* You value a long, healthy life – but Chocolate Cake brings you joy – how can you make that work?
* You love animals, but also really love cheese – can you reconcile them both?
Take a moment to jot down your long term aims, what’s important to you and what you love to eat.
Getting it down on paper means you can make create choices that reflect, combine and honour all of those things.
It also means you can’t get tripped up or caught out – and you can feel really great about the food that you eat, and what it does for you.
This is the first step in building a new personal food framework, that puts you at the centre.