What do you think?
Rate this book
Mindful Eating on the Go: Practices for Eating with Awareness, Wherever You Are
A compact, carry-along collection of meditative eating practices to use wherever you happen to be.
Eating should be a source of joy—not a cause of angst, stress, or calorie-counting. Jan Chozen Bays’s 2009 edition of Mindful Eating demonstrated the timeliness of that message in a world where our relationship with food is often negatively charged to the point where eating disorders are epidemic. Her approach ties together the latest science with Buddhist mindfulness techniques (she’s an MD as well as a Zen teacher) in a way that’s brought amazing results to folks who had no idea eating could be such a fulfilling and fun activity. With this little book, Jan now makes mindful eating even more accessible, providing simple exercises you can use anywhere in a small format you can keep in your pocket or purse to pull out for inspiration wherever you might be—any time you want to find a way to reconnect with eating as one of life’s great joys.
Eating should be a source of joy—not a cause of angst, stress, or calorie-counting. Jan Chozen Bays’s 2009 edition of Mindful Eating demonstrated the timeliness of that message in a world where our relationship with food is often negatively charged to the point where eating disorders are epidemic. Her approach ties together the latest science with Buddhist mindfulness techniques (she’s an MD as well as a Zen teacher) in a way that’s brought amazing results to folks who had no idea eating could be such a fulfilling and fun activity. With this little book, Jan now makes mindful eating even more accessible, providing simple exercises you can use anywhere in a small format you can keep in your pocket or purse to pull out for inspiration wherever you might be—any time you want to find a way to reconnect with eating as one of life’s great joys.
176 pages, Paperback
Published December 24, 2018
29 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 22, 2019
I'm very much a skeptic. I also don't like mindfulness. I hate yoga, meditation, reflective journaling, gratefulness lists and all that jazz. BUT I really enjoyed this book. You can tell it comes from someone who really knows what they're talking about. It doesn't focus on what you eat, but how you eat it. Which is so refreshing.
If you're someone who doesn't like being told what to do and how to do it as if there's "one true way" to eat, then this is the book for you. It's about examining how you eat and recognising if there are things you could do differently in order to make your relationship with food a more positive one. It's not about eating a specific meal plan or losing weight or eating less, but it helps you get insight into why you eat the way you do and deciding for yourself what works and what doesn't.
The nine hungers exercises were very interesting, though i skipped a few that didn't seem relevant specifically to me personally. Which is another great thing about this book, you can go through it at your own pace. You can blaze through it or take time, it's divided well so that you can skip to the bits that seem most relevant to you. It is also quite short, it doesn't waffle on and gets straight to the point.
Highly recommend!
If you're someone who doesn't like being told what to do and how to do it as if there's "one true way" to eat, then this is the book for you. It's about examining how you eat and recognising if there are things you could do differently in order to make your relationship with food a more positive one. It's not about eating a specific meal plan or losing weight or eating less, but it helps you get insight into why you eat the way you do and deciding for yourself what works and what doesn't.
The nine hungers exercises were very interesting, though i skipped a few that didn't seem relevant specifically to me personally. Which is another great thing about this book, you can go through it at your own pace. You can blaze through it or take time, it's divided well so that you can skip to the bits that seem most relevant to you. It is also quite short, it doesn't waffle on and gets straight to the point.
Highly recommend!
June 23, 2022
A fairly simple book by Jan Bays, a part of her series of "Mindfulesness" collection. I liked the fact that she does not talk about what to eat and not, rather, on how to eat. Personally, I think the "what" is as important as how, but there is a lot of information on the former. Learning to understand food for what it is meant for the body, through the eyes, nose, touch, sound, in its most innate sense is the kind of philosophy the book holds. While talking about all forms of hunger, the author puts a quick giveway or TLDR for the ones who (ironically ) don't have time to read or eat. Just like food, you need to savour the chapters, one at a time, do not sit and finish it one go. (I never understood why it's considered an act of pride in the reading community) It holistically speaking, teaches you to create a more patient experience with food, where you treat it with respect by making use all your senses. Goes without saying, it's a book best practiced.
February 7, 2024
I find mindfulness a beneficial method for things I'm anxious about. In college, I developed an unhealthy relationship with food: eating too much in the dining hall to make my money worth it and really trying not to waste any food to save money. This book helped me realise that you can take your time to eat and it makes it much more enjoyable!
Also, paying attention to my stomach helps me realise that it doesn't want to eat an entire bag of white cheddar Cheetos in one sitting, even if my mouth just wants the yummy yummy taste. Are they really enjoyable after eating 10 in one go?
Good book to keep in mind!
Also, paying attention to my stomach helps me realise that it doesn't want to eat an entire bag of white cheddar Cheetos in one sitting, even if my mouth just wants the yummy yummy taste. Are they really enjoyable after eating 10 in one go?
Good book to keep in mind!
July 18, 2020
I read this book in one day! It was such an insightful read- especially for someone like myself who has always had a complex and sometimes negative relationship with food and eating.
I will definitely be re-reading, annotating and following the exercises in this book.
I will definitely be re-reading, annotating and following the exercises in this book.
October 19, 2018
Another Highly insightful book on mindful eating by one of my favorite authors on mindfulness. I will purchase this one when it comes out and carry it with me in my purse to look at as I go about my daily work and errands. I especially loved reading and learning about the many different aspects of hunger… I had never really thought of this before and it is making a difference on my Journey.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 1, 2020
Beautiful book, small & easily packable for day trips or otherwise. This is a book to buy, gift, check out and re-read. It is written in the Zen tradition from a Zen teacher who has been practicing since 1973.
Main theme: "If we eat with our mind open and aware, we can experience our intimate connection to these many beings, and our loneliness dissolves." (p. 143)
Skimmed. (In my defense, this book was among 30 other books stacked & awaiting my attention during the Covid-19 pandemic. Then came the day I decided to look through these books & move on.)
It includes sage advice, as if spoken by a friend. I appreciate how Bays addresses different kinds of hunger: eye hunger, mouth hunger, stomach hunger, nose hunger, ear hunger, touch hunger, heart hunger, etc.
Some notable parts:
Chapter 11: Trying a new fruit. A brilliant yet simple idea to visit your local supermarket & try a new fruit, experiencing it with all your senses. Lovely.
Chapter 13: Suggests a media fast or silent retreat, with the sage "Final words": "Your mind is shaped by the information you feed it. Choose its food wisely. A steady diet of negative news makes the mind and heart sick. Give them the good nourishment of silence, time alone in nature, beauty, and loving friendship."
Chapter 21: Bathe your body regularly in gratitude and loving-kindness. It will help it thrive.
Summary tips: Food changes mood; use it as good medicine. Adjust the dose; if you eat mindfully, a small amount may work better than a lot. Above all, know when it it not the body but the heart that is asking to be fed. Give it the nutrition to fill up. That nutrition could be meditation or prayer, walking, being in nature, listening to or making music, playing with a pet, fixing food for someone you love or who needs help, or just sitting and being present with people.
"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
My only fault with the book is that the font is pretty small.
Main theme: "If we eat with our mind open and aware, we can experience our intimate connection to these many beings, and our loneliness dissolves." (p. 143)
Skimmed. (In my defense, this book was among 30 other books stacked & awaiting my attention during the Covid-19 pandemic. Then came the day I decided to look through these books & move on.)
It includes sage advice, as if spoken by a friend. I appreciate how Bays addresses different kinds of hunger: eye hunger, mouth hunger, stomach hunger, nose hunger, ear hunger, touch hunger, heart hunger, etc.
Some notable parts:
Chapter 11: Trying a new fruit. A brilliant yet simple idea to visit your local supermarket & try a new fruit, experiencing it with all your senses. Lovely.
Chapter 13: Suggests a media fast or silent retreat, with the sage "Final words": "Your mind is shaped by the information you feed it. Choose its food wisely. A steady diet of negative news makes the mind and heart sick. Give them the good nourishment of silence, time alone in nature, beauty, and loving friendship."
Chapter 21: Bathe your body regularly in gratitude and loving-kindness. It will help it thrive.
Summary tips: Food changes mood; use it as good medicine. Adjust the dose; if you eat mindfully, a small amount may work better than a lot. Above all, know when it it not the body but the heart that is asking to be fed. Give it the nutrition to fill up. That nutrition could be meditation or prayer, walking, being in nature, listening to or making music, playing with a pet, fixing food for someone you love or who needs help, or just sitting and being present with people.
"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer
My only fault with the book is that the font is pretty small.
December 19, 2022
I learned so many great tips about mindful eating from this book. I’ve been practicing since I started reading it a few days ago, and even though I still have a long way to go, I’ve noticed that I’m eating much more slowly and much more intentionally. I used to think that, if you liked a kind of food, you had to eat a lot of it. This book nudged me to change my perspective on food. Now I put more effort into savoring the food that is in front of me than dreaming about having a second helping of the same food just because I like it. It’s a great little book!
June 22, 2019
This book is filled with exercises for readers to practise mindful eating. In our fast-paced lives, it would be nice to at least slow down for once and turn our attention to the sole focus of eating.
March 13, 2019
Def not a book for someone with an eating disorder (not like I have one, but just saying), but a book for very focused mindful eating wherever you are.
October 9, 2023
Great book on being more mindful while eating.
November 18, 2025
It was honestly the same book as before plus some different exercises 🫠
June 28, 2025
As someone with a tough binge eating history, the idea of mindful eating is something I've only come across recently and truly appreciate. There are some good reflections Dr. Boys shares in this book. The practice of trying a new fruit and tasting and sensing it in every which was very interesting. Chewing slow, being aware of the 9 different hunger types, and coming to the moment were great reminders. My goal with mindful eating isn't weight loss, isn't health, but it's not feeling overwhelmed or suffer because of the fierce strength of my hunger.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews