How To Eat Like a Buddhist in 10 Easy Steps (And Why You Should)

I recently spent a week at Dhanakosa, a Buddhist retreat center in the Scottish Highlands, where we shared three meals a day with the community. As a nutrition coach, I took special note of the Buddhist diet and how it affected my energy levels, mood, and overall well-being. Here are 10 lessons on healthy eating we could all stand to learn from Buddhist monks:

Following the Buddhist precept of nonviolence to all creatures, our meals were all vegetarian. We didn't have any meat, dairy, or eggs. We did have lots of lentils, beans, soups, salads, and vegetable dishes. It's chilly in Scotland in October, so our food was hearty and warming.

At Dhanakosa, we followed a set routine each day: breakfast at 8:45 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Having a predictable daily schedule allowed us to plan our day and regulate the appetite. Dinner was early, and there was a long stretch of fasting from the evening meal until breakfast the next day, but my body quickly adjusted to the rhythm.

Since a cook was preparing all our meals, we didn't have much access to snacks. Other than fresh fruit and calming teas, no nibbles were available between meals.

Along the same lines, since all of our meals were shared together and there was no vending machine or secret stash of chocolate, everything we ate was visible to others. I see so many clients who sneak food (after the kids go to bed, for example), and I feel it's somehow healthier to eat in the presence of others.

Sugar and sweets were very limited at the center. Over the course of the week, we had rice pudding twice after dinner and homemade oat bars once, when we completed our cleaning chores on the last day. My palate quickly adjusted, and I found that I didn't even miss dessert. Instead, I appreciated my meals more and found that the taste of fruits and vegetables became more vibrant.

Every single meal was home-cooked, including fresh-baked bread, soups, and casseroles. As a result, there was not too much salt, no preservatives, and the flavors were fresh. I always encourage clients to slowly increase their number of home-cooked meals, because it's so much easier to eat healthy if you have more control over how your food is prepared. Start with a homemade breakfast, and work your way up from there.

At the monastery, we meditated before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This meant that we were in a calm, relaxed state before meals, which aided digestion. Most of us are not meditating three times a day outside of a retreat atmosphere, but it's still good to take a few deep breaths, reserve a moment of gratitude for your meal, and eat in an unhurried and calm state.

Along the same lines, we always ate without the distraction of radio, television, or newspapers and took several meals in complete silence. Silence can be especially powerful during breakfast since the morning is a more reflective time, and it's nice to start the day quietly, without chatter.

While lunch and dinner varied at Dhanakosa, breakfast was always porridge with toppings such as cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and muesli. This caught my attention because I often encourage busy clients to systemize their meals and find one thing they like for breakfast to stick with. Doing so can make your busy mornings flow more smoothly and allow your body to get into a rhythm.

Even though there was a cook in charge of actually preparing our meals, we all helped with the prep work and cleanup. This ensured that we were all involved in the meal somehow, and I know it helped me to feel more grateful for all of the effort that went into feeding the group.