Intentional cooking is a simple yet powerful practice that can help individuals find more peace, pleasure, and connection in the kitchen. It’s an invitation to rewire patterns and approach cooking and eating with a new mindset.
The concept of intentional cooking is not about following a strict set of rules or achieving perfection, but rather about cultivating a deeper connection with oneself and the food being prepared.
The BESTT Practice
Nicki Sizemore, a recipe developer and culinary educator, has developed a simple practice called BESTT, which stands for Breathe, Engage your senses, Set an intention, Thank your food, and Thank your body. This practice is not a prescription, but rather a suggestion for approaching cooking and eating with more intention and mindfulness.
The BESTT practice can be adapted to fit individual needs and preferences. It may involve taking a few deep breaths, engaging with the senses, or expressing gratitude for the food and the body.
Cultivating Mindfulness in the Kitchen
The practice of intentional cooking can involve simple pauses that change the tone of cooking and eating. For example, taking two slow breaths can help ground oneself in the present moment and calm physical and emotional tension.
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Engaging with the senses, such as smelling the kitchen or feeling the feet on the floor, can also help individuals become more intuitive cooks and eaters. Setting an intention, such as choosing how to feel while cooking or eating, can also be a powerful way to cultivate mindfulness.
Expressing gratitude for the food and the body can help individuals appreciate the nourishment and the many hands and forces of nature that brought it to the table. With repetition, these small acts can become as natural as tying on an apron or turning on music before dinner.
Putting Intentional Cooking into Practice
Individuals can put intentional cooking into practice with simple, nourishing recipes, each paired with a thoughtful intention to inspire mindfulness in the kitchen. Some examples of recipes that can be used for intentional cooking include a no-recipe one-bowl green salad, potato salad, and yogurt cake.
These recipes can be adapted to fit individual tastes and preferences, and can be used as a starting point for cultivating a deeper connection with food and the self.
As individuals practice intentional cooking, they may find that it becomes embodied, and they begin to pick up their knife, breathe, tune in, and give thanks without even thinking about it. This practice can help individuals tune in to their body and heart, and cultivate a greater sense of connection and mindfulness in the kitchen.
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With intentional cooking, the goal is not perfection, but connection. It’s a way to approach cooking and eating that values the process over the product, and that seeks to cultivate a deeper sense of awareness and appreciation for the food and the self.
They find that intentional cooking can be a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness and awareness in daily life.
It is a practice that can help individuals develop a healthier relationship with food and their body.
Intentional cooking can be a valuable practice for individuals looking to cultivate greater awareness and appreciation for the food they eat and the process of cooking.
Nicki Sizemore combines more than two decades of experience as a recipe developer, culinary educator, and cookbook author with a passion for nurturing inner connection and personal growth, helping her readers nourish their bodies, minds, and spirits. She’s the author of Build-a-Bowl and Fresh Flavors for the Slow Cooker and publishes the Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter and podcast, along with the From Scratch Fast blog. Find her at nickisizemore.com and on Instagram at @nickisizemore.Well Being Journal adapted the above excerpt from Mind, Body, Spirit, Food by Nicki Sizemore. Copyright © 2026 by Nicki Sizemore. Printed with permission from Storey Publishing, an imprint of Workman Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
