Why I Romanticize My Meals, And You Should Too

There was a time when I ate like it didn’t matter.

I skipped breakfast in the rush of school, ate cookies in bed between assignments, and ended the day eating recklessly. I told myself I didn’t have time. That eating was just another task to check off. But in reality, I was disconnected from my body, and it showed.

I was bloated, tired, and always craving something out of range.

To improve my eating habits, that’s when I started romanticizing my meals, not in an Instagram aesthetic way, but in an intentional way. And it improved everything.

What It Means to “Romanticize” Your Food

Romanticizing your meals means:

Making time to prepare and consume them (even if it’s just 10 extra minutes)
Sitting down to eat without distractions
Adding small touches that personalize your plate (a sprinkle of seasoning, a fresh herb, a song you love)

In a fast-paced society, this is how I slow down and remind myself: I am worthy of care and a balanced meal.

The Science Behind the Ritual

The way we eat affects how we feel, how we digest, and how we heal.

Here’s how it works:

Eating slowly activates your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as your “rest and digest” mode. This improves digestion and nutrient absorption.
A calm eating environment lowers cortisol levels, which helps support stable hormones and balanced blood sugar.
Chewing thoroughly and breathing deeply tells your body it’s safe, reducing bloating and inflammation.

Romanticizing your meals is one of the most underrated ways to regulate your nervous system. It’s nourishment on a sensory, emotional, and physical level.

As a Black woman with PCOS, food has become more than nutrition. It’s culture & joy. But in the beginning, I conformed myself to believing that I should fear food. To count it, restrict it, or earn it. I had to unlearn that.

Romanticizing my meals became an act of resistance against diet culture, grind culture, and the lie that women should always be shrinking, rushing, or sacrificing.

Eat slowly and enjoy your meals. Add the herbs. Use the fancy glass. Your plate doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be yours.