Mindful eating can be challenging in normal times, and these are far from normal times. Even though some people are now getting COVID-19 vaccinations, many of us have to wait a while. Until then, I, like many, am isolating as much as possible. Plus, I keep hearing about these new variations that can transmit more easily. So far, none have been reported in Maine, but it’s only a matter of time. Small wonder, then, that people have talked about “pandemic pounds” and eating more

A recent piece in the New York Times recommended eating chips. Not for any nutritional value, but because: “Eating these chips will rescue us, above all, from the very worst things on our screens, the cursed news of the outside world — escalating numbers, civic decay, gangs of elderly men behaving like children.” And I get it. Even in pre-pandemic times, it’s tempting to eat for emotional reasons, as a means of distraction or a way to fill some need, or for some temporary ple

Have you ever had a day where you ate whatever you wanted, no matter how indulgent it seemed? Or at least dreamed about such a day? That’s the premise of the title story in the short story collection The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg. For some reason, I’d thought the whole book was on that theme, but the story alone was enough to get me thinking. What to eat? First, I was very curious to see what the main character in the story would choose to eat. After all,

I know that buffets and potlucks probably aren’t top of mind for most people these days, but a comment in a recent episode of the Stuff You Should Know podcast got me thinking about them. The episode was “How Buffets Work,” and in the beginning, Chuck said, “I learned from my dad that you should eat until you were physically uncomfortable, and then eat a little bit more.” That made me wince, although I know it’s how some people approach buffets and possibly potlucks. But it’s

A college friend of mine used to start every year by writing a list of things she was grateful for, and each year she added one more thing. I’d forgotten about it until I started reviewing old journal entries, and I decided that it might be nice to start the new year by listing a few things I’m grateful for when it comes to food. Here are three things I’ve been thinking about recently, but it would also be easy to come up with more. Farmers and Grocers Last year taught us man