Engage All Your Senses at Dinner

It is possible to buy a box, microwave its content, and have the result as dinner. You can also call for pizza and eat it while watching TV. However, in spite of all the commercials portraying happy families brought together around the dinner table by ready-meals, it is interesting to notice that food, as a major means of immediate satisfaction, has become unsatisfactory. If you ever gulped down your favorite food without even chewing it properly – because you were in a hurry or simply preoccupied with something else – you probably know exactly what I am talking about. We live a fast and often overloaded life, in which enjoying our meals is increasingly hard. But you can do something about this.

Dinner is supposed to happen at the time of the day when you’re home, relaxing, and preparing for some well-deserved rest. Unlike in the morning, you are not in a hurry or preoccupied with what you’ll have to do during the day. You most likely are tired, and that is precisely why you need to make dinner a very pleasant experience. Daily, if you can. Relaxing dinners don’t and mustn’t happen only on vacation. You may think it’s no big deal, since you’re only eating, but it really is a big deal – eating is a vital part of your life. Nourish your whole self.

For your taste buds, prepare a truly tasty dinner. It doesn’t have to be complicated, or take hours to cook. You just have to love the taste of what you’re eating. The healthier, the better.

Your sight has to enjoy dinner as well, so get in the habit of arranging your table and the food in your plate tastefully. You don’t have to go to great lengths for this. Matching plates, a simple table cloth, a nice window view (or, at least, the lack of a less fortunate view) will do. And, remember that flowers are not only for romantic dinners – put a vase on your table even if you’re eating by yourself.

The main smell you have to feel during dinner is that of fresh delicious food. You can also have a bowl of fragrant fruit on the table. Open the windows for some fresh air before dinner, and burn some incense or essential oils in another part of the room, so that the scent is vague, delicate, and somewhat neutral. Try aromas such as citrus, mint or pine.

Hearing some beautiful music, will enhance the pleasant dinner atmosphere. Play some undistracting, slow, relaxing music that you enjoy. Instrumental music will make sure you chew your food well and not sing with your mouth full 🙂

Don’t foods we touch with our fingers taste great? Doesn’t pizza seem tastier when you eat it without silverware? Eating directly with your hand sends a powerful message to your brain, and is very sensual. You can’t eat this way without licking your fingers, and… when do we lick our fingers? When the food is delicious! You can’t eat soup with your hand, but there are foods, like a bowl of strawberries, that are perfect for this. Think of this aspect too while eating; it will enrich the experience.

Oh, and whatever you choose for dinner, don’t watch, read or listen to news while you eat – you may want to avoid any digestive discomforts.