What is normal eating? 
     Normal eating . . . 
         is going to the table hungry, and eating until you 
         are satisfied.
     Normal eating . . .
          is being able to choose food you enjoy and to eat 
         it and truly get enough of it—not just stop eating 
         because you think you should.
     Normal eating . . .  
         is being able to give some thought to your food 
         selection so you get nutritious food, but not 
         being so wary and restrictive that you miss out 
         on enjoyable food.
     Normal eating . . .
         is giving yourself permission to eat because you are happy, sad, or bored, or 
         just because it feels good.
     Normal eating . . .
         is mostly three meals a day—or four or five—or it can be choosing to munch 
         along the way.
     Normal eating . . .
         is leaving cookies on the plate because you will let yourself have cookies 
         again tomorrow, or eating more now because they taste so great!
     Normal eating . . .
         is overeating at times, and feeling stuffed and uncomfortable . . . and 
         undereating at times, and wishing you had more.
     Normal eating . . .
         is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.
     Normal eating . . .
         takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as only one 
         important area of your life.
     In short, normal eating is flexible . . .  
         it varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your food, and your 
         feelings.
           Copyright © 2018 by Ellyn Satter. Published at www.EllynSatterInstitute.org. You may 
           reproduce this handout if you don’t charge for it or change it in any way and you do 
           include the copyright statement.
       What is normal eating?                                                                      What is normal eating? 
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . . 
                 is going to the table hungry, and eating                                                     is going to the table hungry, and eating 
                 until you are satisfied.                                                                     until you are satisfied.
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .
                  is being able to choose food you                                                            is being able to choose food you 
                 enjoy and to eat it and truly get                                                            enjoy and to eat it and truly get 
                 enough of it—not just stop eating                                                            enough of it—not just stop eating 
                 because you think you should.                                                                because you think you should.
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .  
                 is being able to give some thought to                                                        is being able to give some thought to 
                 your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so                             your food selection so you get nutritious food, but not being so 
                 wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.                                    wary and restrictive that you miss out on enjoyable food.
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .
                 is giving yourself permission to eat because you are happy, sad,                             is giving yourself permission to eat because you are happy, sad, 
                 or bored, or just because it feels good.                                                     or bored, or just because it feels good.
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .
                 is mostly three meals a day—or four or five—or it can be                                     is mostly three meals a day—or four or five—or it can be 
                 choosing to munch along the way.                                                             choosing to munch along the way.
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .
                 is leaving cookies on the plate because you will let yourself have                           is leaving cookies on the plate because you will let yourself have 
                 cookies again tomorrow, or eating more now because they taste                                cookies again tomorrow, or eating more now because they taste 
                 so great!                                                                                    so great!
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .
                 is overeating at times, and feeling stuffed and uncomfortable . . .                          is overeating at times, and feeling stuffed and uncomfortable . . . 
                 and undereating at times, and wishing you had more.                                          and undereating at times, and wishing you had more.
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .
                 is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.                                is trusting your body to make up for your mistakes in eating.
         Normal eating . . .                                                                         Normal eating . . .
                 takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as                             takes up some of your time and attention, but keeps its place as 
                 only one important area of your life.                                                        only one important area of your life.
         In short, normal eating is flexible . . .                                                   In short, normal eating is flexible . . .  
                 it varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your food,                              it varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your food, 
                 and your feelings.                                                                           and your feelings.
                  Copyright © 2018 by Ellyn Satter. Published at www.EllynSatterInstitute.org.                Copyright © 2018 by Ellyn Satter. Published at www.EllynSatterInstitute.org. 
                  You may reproduce this handout if you don’t charge for it or change it in any way           You may reproduce this handout if you don’t charge for it or change it in any way 
                  and you do include the copyright statement.                                                 and you do include the copyright statement.