{HMW} Why eating alone might actually make food taste better

Dear Reader,

I have a ritual that I look forward to doing in the Spring.

I take myself out on solo dining dates at a new restaurants with lots of plant-based options. In previous years, I've driven as far as Maine to find cute little cafes and eateries to dine at.

My dirty little secret is that I love going out to eat by myself.

I used to see solo diners in restaurants and project loneliness onto them for no good reason. Now I see that many people choose to eat alone and love it.

Here are just a few reasons why:

🍜You can create a self-care ritual around it (for example setting the stage from a sensory perspective with mindful eating)

🍜You can focus on your food without distraction

🍜You can have a better sense of hunger and satiety cues in the body than when dining with someone and conversation drowning out food cues.

🍜You can taste your food more intensely, which increases the pleasure you experience with that meal

Don't get me wrong though. I love going out with family and friends too!

3 Reasons why eating with others is great too.

🍜Great conversation can be inspiring, can help you bond over food and that is great for your nervous and digestive system.

🍜Celebration through food and drink is an important part of almost every culture.

🍜Sharing a meal with someone is sacred. It can remind you to pause, put your fork down and truly listen to whomever is speaking.

Do you like eating in restaurants or at home alone or do you always prefer meals with friends and loved ones?

Do you Prefer to dine (home or restaurant) alone or prefer to have meals with friends and/or family?

Prefer to eat alone mostly

Prefer to Eat with others

Prefer alone at home / with someone at a restaurant

Prefer alone at a restaurant but with someone at home

Other? (email me!)

Have it:

Interesting article alert: This muscle is the Unsung Hero of Longevity (NYT: Gift Article)

I download this app while simultaneously kicking myself for not knowing about it sooner.

Made it:

This week's 5-Senses Sunday is a little unfinished, a little imperfect, and completely intentional. Also: picnics, scent memories, accents, a wildlife refuge, and virtual national parks.

Want it:

The ads I've seen about this product are pretty compelling. Some people are even describing it as a "Brain orgasm."

Ingredient Spotlight:

Fenugreek

I ordered dal and rice at an Indian restaurant this week and it was exactly what I needed. Something about it settles you from the inside, and fenugreek is a big reason why. Its maple-sweet bitterness rounds out the earthiness of lentils into something that feels ancient but perfect.

What it's like: Toast the seeds and they turn nutty and fragrant. Grind them and they become a warm, sweet-savory base note that lifts an entire spice blend. The maple flavor quality is real — it shares a compound with actual maple syrup, kept grounded by a celeriac-like bitterness.

🌿 Nutritional context: Rich in galactomannan for gentler gut response, plus iron and magnesium for energy and nervous system support. Used for centuries in Ayurvedic practice as a digestive aid.

✅ Ways to use it:

Bloom toasted seeds in oil as the flavor base for lentils or roasted vegetables

Grind into your own curry or garam masala blend

Brew as a simple tea with honey

Add to savory chickpea pancakes or flatbreads

15 fenugreek recipes to try this week →

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