What happened when 13,768 people started eating more mindfully?

By Hugo Francisco de SouzaReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Jun 9 2025

A large French study shows that being mindful while eating is a key factor in choosing healthier, plant-focused diets, offering fresh insights for improving public health and sustainability.

Study: Mindful eating is associated with a healthier plant-based diet in the NutriNet-Santé study. Image Credit: Elena Eryomenko / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers conducted a large cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between mindful eating (ME) and the quality of a plant-based diet. The study utilized questionnaire data from 13,768 French adults to examine the statistical associations between Mind-Eat Scale scores and Plant-Based Diet Index (PDI) outcomes.

Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that higher ME scores corresponded to improved PDI and healthy PDI (hPDI) outcomes, while they demonstrated a negative association with unhealthy PDI (uPDI). Subgroup analyses further highlight that participants with higher ME scores were more likely to increase their plant intake (and adhere to pescetarian, vegetarian, or vegan lifestyles) while curbing their meat and dairy intakes. However, no association was found between ME and fish consumption. Together, these results suggest that ME may promote the adoption of healthier, more sustainable diets.

Background

Decades of nutritional and clinical studies have established the benefits of a plant-based diet for human well-being and environmental sustainability. Studies have demonstrated that adherence to plant-based diets can significantly reduce individuals' risks of mortality, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and other chronic and infectious diseases.

In contrast, adherence to a diet high in red meat consumption has been associated with several adverse health and environmental outcomes. Unfortunately, the widespread adoption of plant-based diets remains underwhelming, underscoring the need to identify consumer needs and implement targeted strategies to meet these needs through effective plant-based dietary interventions.

Mindful eating (ME), the practice of enhanced attentiveness (to the eating experience) and non-judgmental awareness (of consumer reactions) during food consumption, may help researchers and policymakers better grasp consumer choices and tweak dietary recommendations to meet these requirements in healthy and sustainable ways.

Unfortunately, while previous ME studies have focused on its impacts on environmental sustainability, they have failed to compare ME's association with different dietary regimes (plant- vs. animal-based diets) and its implications on healthy and unhealthy plant-based nutritional outcomes.

About the Study

The present cross-sectional study addresses current literature gaps by investigating associations between total ME, plant-based dietary patterns, and eating habits across a large adult population. Study data were obtained from participants in the French NutriNet-Santé study, an extensive web-based prospective cohort designed to elucidate nutrition-health relationships.

The cohort overrepresented health-conscious individuals (older, female, and highly educated), limiting generalizability. Data were collected using questionnaire-based diet evaluations, demographic records (including age, sex, and education status), anthropometric measures, medical records (including physical activity and health status), and socioeconomic records. ME (total and sub-dimensions) was estimated using the Mind-Eat Scale (French version, 24 items). ME sub-dimensions consisted of 1. Awareness, 2. Non-reactivity, 3. Openness, 4. Gratitude, 5. Non-judgment, and 6. Hunger/satiety.

Participant food intake was estimated using 24-hour dietary records (sets of three) reported during study inclusion and every 6 months thereafter. Dietary impacts were assessed by first categorizing participant-reported food items into 18 groups (7 healthy plant-based, 5 unhealthy plant-based, and 6 animal-based) and subsequently using the Plant-based Diet Index (PDI), the healthy PDI (hPDI), and the unhealthy PDI (uPDI) to evaluate participant health outcomes.

Associations between ME and dietary indices (DIs) were computed using multivariate linear and logistic regression models adjusted for demographic and lifestyle factors. To unravel the psychological traits of consumers linked to their dietary choices, these models were repeated for each of the six ME sub-dimensions under investigation.

Study Findings

Of the 28,857 NutriNet-Santé participants who completed the Mind-Eat Scale test, only ~48% provided complete datasets, restricting the final sample cohort to 13,768 volunteers (Mean age = 62.46, 28.35% male, 39.64% high education).

ME score evaluations revealed that older individuals generally demonstrated higher ME scores, as did males, those with higher socioeconomic status, more physically active participants, and retired individuals. Higher ME was positively correlated with better plant-based diet scores (β = +1.19 for PDI, β = +1.00 for hPDI, β = −0.48 for uPDI).

Individuals reporting high ME scores were also more likely to report lower consumption of meat and dairy products. However, they did not show reduced fish consumption. They demonstrated a higher likelihood of being vegetarians (OR = 2.19), pesco-vegetarians (OR = 1.56), or vegans (OR = 1.35). Sub-dimension analyses confirmed these findings, further highlighting that 'gratitude' and 'openness' were most closely associated with healthier plant-based diets.

Notably, the sub-dimension of 'non-judgment' was linked to increased consumption of unhealthy plant-based foods, while 'hunger/satiety' showed no association with healthy plant diets or vegetarianism. 'Non-reactivity' and 'awareness' demonstrated weaker but significant associations.

Conclusions

The present study establishes a significant positive association between higher ME scores and improved dietary choices. Participants who were mindful of their food demonstrated increased consumption of healthy, plant-based foods and reduced dependence on meat and dairy products. The nuanced sub-dimension findings highlight distinct psychological pathways to dietary choices.

While this cross-sectional study requires further longitudinal evidence to verify causation, it identifies key behavioral drivers for sustainable nutrition interventions. The possibility of reverse causality, that plant-based diets may themselves foster mindful eating, remains an important consideration.

These results highlight mindful eating as a promising, psychologically grounded approach for encouraging sustainable and healthful dietary change. Incorporating ME practices into nutritional guidelines or interventions may support transitions toward plant-focused diets, benefiting public health and the environment.