IE Principle #3: Make Peace With Food
What Does It Mean to Make Peace with Food?
At its core, this principle is about removing food rules and giving yourself unconditional permission to eat whatever you want. This doesn’t mean you’re throwing nutrition out the window or eating recklessly—it’s about getting rid of the idea that certain foods are “good” and others are “bad.” When you label foods as forbidden, your brain starts to fixate on them, creating cravings that often feel uncontrollable when you eventually give in.
Make Peace with Food: Intuitive Eating Principle #3 🕊️
The third principle of intuitive eating is all about learning to make peace with food. This might sound simple, but for many people, it’s a huge step toward breaking free from diet culture and building a healthier, more relaxed relationship with what you eat. Making peace with food means letting go of the anxiety and guilt that often surround your food choices and learning to trust yourself again.
Why Restriction Triggers Cravings
When you tell yourself you can’t have a certain food—whether it’s pizza, cookies, or anything else—it creates a sense of deprivation. This restriction triggers a response in your brain that makes those “off-limits” foods even more tempting. And when you finally do allow yourself to eat them, it often leads to feelings of being out of control, which can result in overeating or bingeing.
But here’s the truth: you are always in control of your actions. It’s easier to make calm, mindful decisions when you’re not constantly being driven by cravings created by deprivation. When you allow yourself to eat all foods, without guilt or shame, those intense cravings naturally start to diminish.
How to Start Making Peace with Food
Making peace with food means listening to your body and honoring what sounds good to you in the moment. Start by allowing yourself to eat any type of food when it genuinely appeals to you, while also giving yourself the freedom to say “no” when you’re not hungry or when it doesn’t truly satisfy you.
When deciding whether to eat a particular food, ask yourself these simple questions:
“Does this food really sound good to me right now?”
“Will this satisfy my hunger or craving?”
If the answer is yes, then go ahead and enjoy it! You can even take a small bite first to check in with yourself and ask those questions again. Pay attention to how the food tastes and feels—sometimes just one bite is enough to satisfy your craving.
Managing Guilt Around Food
If you find that feelings of guilt start to creep in after you’ve eaten, it’s important to reflect on why. Ask yourself, “What exactly about this food is making me feel guilty?” Is it because of a diet rule you’ve learned in the past? Are you worried about how others might judge your choice? Push yourself to answer these hard questions, because it’s through this self-reflection that real growth happens.
Guilt around food often stems from external beliefs we’ve absorbed from diet culture, not from the food itself. By challenging those beliefs and reframing the way you think about food, you can start to let go of that guilt and develop a more peaceful, enjoyable relationship with eating.
Trust Yourself to Make Balanced Choices
As you practice making peace with food, you’ll start to notice that you can trust yourself to make balanced choices. Without the pressure of restrictive rules, you’re free to eat the foods you love, but you’ll also find that you naturally crave a variety of foods—including those that nourish your body and make you feel good. This balance comes from listening to your body’s cues, not from rigid dieting.
What Will You Give Yourself Permission to Eat Today? 🍕🍫🥑
Making peace with food isn’t about eating everything in sight—it’s about giving yourself permission to enjoy all foods without fear or guilt. It’s about recognizing that you’re in control, and you can trust your body to guide you toward what it truly needs and wants.
So, what are you going to give yourself permission to eat today? And when you eat it, take a moment to enjoy it without guilt, knowing that you’re one step closer to a more peaceful relationship with food.
If you’re ready to explore these ideas further, check out my digital guide, Path to Mindful Eating Guide. In this guide, we dive deeper into making peace with food and other principles of intuitive eating that can help you break free from the dieting cycle and reclaim your relationship with food for good.
