I ate a wonderful meal tonight. On the advice of friends, my dinner date and I went to check out Divino, an Italian restaurant that’s somewhat more pricy than my typical dining choices.

Image: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We started off with a bottle of Malbec and an antipasto classico. The platter contained a tiny portion of each of eight or nine savory treats—fresh mozzarella, chunks of aged Parmiggiano, several kinds of preserved meat, little slices of grilled polenta, quarters of baby artichokes, and pickled onions. It was enough food for each of us to enjoy a taste of everything, but not much more than a taste. We were disappointed that the waiter didn’t bring bread—or even offer to bring bread.

Then came the entrees: lasagne Bolognese for my friend and goat cheese ravioli for me. The menu was typical of restaurants in Italy, listing separate prices for the various salads and sides. So we weren’t surprised that neither entree came with any accompaniments. Still, my first reaction when the waiter put the plate down in front of me was to think, “That’s it?” Eight tiny pieces of ravioli were lined in two rows down the center of the plate and decorated with fried sage leaves and a scattering of pine nuts. We’d also ordered a side of roasted fennel to share. The dish contained four small wedges of fennel, beautifully browned and shiny with olive oil.

My companion remarked on the modest size of my dinner. His comment prompted me to tell him about this blog project, and how just the other day I’d written about dividing my restaurant meals in half. I laughed and said, “That practice will not be enforced tonight!”

Can you see where I’m going with this story? Wouldn’t you think that having figured out that most typical restaurant portions are excessive, I’d be able to recognize an appropriate serving when it was staring me in the face? But I guess I’ve been conditioned always to want more, so I looked at the meal and couldn’t help wondering how soon I’d be hungry again.

But by the time I’d worked my slow, relaxed, attentive way through eight pieces of ravioli—the tangy goat cheese perfectly balanced by buttery pine nuts and crisp, fragrant sage—and a few mouthfuls of sweet, spicy fennel, all washed down with the mellow Malbec, I was utterly satisfied. Sure, I could have put away another dozen of those ravioli, but it wouldn’t have improved the quality of the experience the tiniest bit.

I left Divino recalling the Exploring Mindful Eating workshop in which I took part in March. The presenter, chef Adam Miles, emphasized choosing food carefully and giving it the time and attention it deserves. I’ve spent the last several years trying to craft a similar philosophy and psychology of food for myself. I’ve dubbed my collection of tactics, tricks, and mental exercises related to food “eating with intentionality.”

I’ve learned that although you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get a wholesome meal, you do have to invest something: the time to locate and buy good ingredients, the effort to prepare and cook the food, and your attention to appreciate what you’re eating. Tonight’s divine dinner reinforced this lesson about eating with intentionality:

What we choose to eat is ultimately a reflection of what we value. What do you want from your food? If your goal is to consume the most calories in the least time for the smallest amount of money, you might want to try a strip-center Chinese buffet, or any place that offers to “supersize it.” But if you want the experience of eating fine ingredients that have been prepared with care and attention, it’s going to cost you something. But it will be worth the price.

Last Saturday I took part in a workshop at Studio NiaMoves called “Exploring Mindful Eating.” Personal chef and food consultant Adam Miles talked about how human beings develop issues with food, and what we can do about it. His premise is that we start out with an instinctive ability to eat right, eat only when we’re hungry, and enjoy what we eat, but that we pick up bad habits, bad information, and a twisted relationship with food as we grow up. We learn to eat the wrong things, for the wrong reasons. But we can unlearn.

Adam is kind, soft-spoken, and charismatic (and slim). Having spoken to him on the phone once, I arrived at Studio NiaMoves already prepared to like him, and he made it easy. He started the session by asking each of us to talk about a food memory from childhood and a food issue we’re dealing with now. This seemed to be a tough exercise for some people, and Adam took care to thank each of us for sharing. When it was my turn, I said that I felt as if I have a good handle on my food issues these days, and that I’d only come to see what new information I might pick up, since there’s always more to learn. (I hope I didn’t sound like a self‑satisfied jerk.)

After the group sharing, Adam talked about his own experience of growing up, putting on weight, developing bad eating habits, and then cycling through lots of fad diets and self-destructive behaviors. He talked about how he got through it by eventually coming up with his philosophy of “mindful eating.” And then he outlined that philosophy. It’s mostly about choosing natural, unprocessed, healthful foods and giving eating the care, time, and attention it deserves in our lives. It’s also about being gentle with ourselves when we stray from better choices.

Toward the end of the workshop, he demonstrated a couple of easy recipes for smoothies—one fruit, one veggie. He surprised me by putting kale in the fruit smoothie and avocados in the veggie one. Although they were palatable, I can’t say that I plan to add them to my regimen. I need something I can sink my teeth into.

He said a lot more, but I was too captivated by listening to Adam speak to take any notes. I’ll just add that enjoying the support of the group and Adam’s energy and enthusiasm were worth the price of admission. I encourage anyone who’s working through issues with food—which is most of us, I think—to take his next class if you get the chance.

Adam doesn’t have a web site, but he expects to offer future workshops at Studio NiaMoves. To receive announcements, subscribe to the NiaMoves mailing list and select the category “Nutrition ~ Mindful Eating ~ Workshops.” Or become a fan of Studio NiaMoves’ Facebook page, or follow Nia’s Kristie Bryant on Twitter.