Mealtime is for eating

"Happy eaters make mealtime sacred. They sit down to savor their food, away from distractions like computers or TVs," says Marissa Vicario, a health and wellness expert.

Rania Batayneh, Masters of Public Health, says "Happy eaters are also those who eat well independent of a weight loss goal. They focus on good nutrition and creating a healthy eating lifestyle that satisfies their taste buds while nourishing their bodies."

Anyone can become a happy eater

So how do these happy eaters have such a great relationship with food? Are they born this way or is being a happy eater something that can be taught?

The answer is YES to both questions. Some people are just born loving veggies and fruit and others prefer meat and dairy. The good news is that regardless of what food preferences you have, it is possible to develop and maintain a healthy relationship with food so that you too become a happy eater.

Write what you eat

Frances Wilkins of MemoryMinder Journals, Inc. says the best way to be a happy eater and stay on track with your nutrition is to keep a journal. "It's fun, it's easy and it works!" Perhaps the next time you feel a 4 o'clock slump, you won't opt for a Starbucks latte and a cookie, if you know that you have to write it down in your food log.

Martha McIntosh, a health psychologist, says that happy eaters usually do the following:

• They don't diet. They make healthy decisions instead.
• They don't skip meals.
• They eat for health, not appearance.
• They eat everything, just in moderation.

"Happy eaters tend to not focus on food because they have strategies in place to address issues and events as they occur, such as office parties, happy hours and meals out. They have developed skills that make food easy to manage." 

"It's not about being perfect, but about making the best possible choices," reminds McIntosh. "Happy eaters know they can adjust as necessary to balance out the food equation in the long run." And you can too.

More on food and mood

• Moves that boost your mood
• Healthy mood-boosting foods
• Boost your mood with these foods