The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating: Beginner’s Guide

The 10 principles of intuitive eating cover every aspect of tuning out external rules and tuning into your own innate wisdom. Learn how these principles can help you improve your relationship with food and become a confident eater. 

This post was originally published on March 3, 2022 and updated with current information, research, and helpful examples on May 27, 2025.

If you’re under the impression that intuitive eating is the “eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, and eat whatever you want’ diet, you’re in for a treat with this post. There are TEN principles to guide you on your intuitive eating journey. 

Each one is essential and can have a different level of importance for you, depending on where you are in your journey and what you struggle with the most.

Whether you’ve been stuck in the diet cycle for years or just want to feel more at ease in your own skin, there’s something here for you. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “dieter,” these principles can help you reconnect with your body and create a more balanced, peaceful relationship with food.

What is intuitive eating? 

Intuitive eating is a refreshing (and honestly, long overdue) way of eating that helps you tune into your body and tune out all the diet culture noise.

I call it “radical” with a big ol’ eye roll, because listening to your body should be normal. But instead, we’ve been taught to ignore hunger, obsess over weight, and treat health like it’s all about how you look on the outside.

Intuitive eating is a framework created by two dietitians in the 1990s. It’s made up of ten principles that guide you to eat in a way that feels good physically and mentally, without food guilt or restriction.

You’ll learn how to give your body what it needs, let go of food rules that mess with your head, move your body to feel better—not to punish yourself—and care for yourself with more kindness and less pressure.If you want to learn even more about intuitive eating and how it can benefit you, make sure you check out my beginner’s guide! 

Is intuitive eating evidence-based? 

You can bet your bottom dollar that intuitive eating is evidence-based. 

Since this framework started gaining popularity three decades ago, there have been over 100 research studies proving that intuitive eating effectively improves physical health, mental health, life satisfaction, and decreases disordered eating and eating disorders. 

According to an eight year study published in Eating and Weight Disorders, researchers found that those who had higher baseline intuitive eating scores and those who improved their intuitive eating scores had lower rates high depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, high body dissatisfaction, unhealthy weight control behaviors, extreme weight control behaviors and binge eating at the 8-year follow-up.

The effects of intuitive eating on binge eating are so strong that just a one point higher IE score predicted a 74% reduced risk of binge eating at the follow up.

And if you’re worried that you’ll gain weight like crazy or constnatly over eat, the evidence says otherwise. A 2024 study in Eating Behaviors found that women with higher intuitive eating scores were more likely to maintain their weight within a 8 to 10 pound range and had fewer overeating occurances compared to women who scored as low intuitive eaters.

What are the 10 principles of intuitive eating? 

Some principles get more attention than others, but each of the ten principles of intuitive eating is important to creating a healthy relationship with food and your body. 

When diving into these, remember that you don’t have to follow them in any particular order. The only one that I feel is most important to handle first is principle number one. After that, it’s fair game to work on whichever principle speaks to you the most. 

1. Reject the Diet mentality

Before you can truly embrace intuitive eating, you have to let go of the idea that another diet is the answer. And I mean really let it go deep down in your soul and in your everyday choices.

Think about it: how many times have you started a diet full of hope, only to end up feeling frustrated, guilty, or like you “failed”? That’s not your fault, it’s the diet. They’re built to keep you stuck in a neverending cycle of restriction, overeating, and guilt.

Start by clearing out anything that keeps you tied to diet culture. Toss those old diet books, unfollow the influencers promoting “what I eat in a day” videos that make you feel like you’re not doing enough, and unsubscribe from apps that track every bite you eat. That stuff isn’t helping you, it’s just adding to the diet noise.

Instead, commit to building a new kind of trust within yourself. Trust that your body is smart, and that with practice and knowledge of how to properly fuel it, you can tune in to what it needs without relying on outside rules to tell you how or what to eat.

2. Honor Your Hunger

Hunger is not your enemy. In fact, it’s one of the most helpful cues your body gives you, and honoring it is one of the first steps toward rebuilding trust with yourself. Understanding the types of hunger you may experience can help as well.

Think of hunger like your body’s low fuel light. You wouldn’t ignore that in your car, right? Same goes for your body. Skipping meals or waiting until you’re absolutely starving can lead to that frantic, “I need something…anything!” kind of eating where it’s hard to feel in control.

Instead, aim to eat regularly throughout the day, including meals and snacks that keep you feeling steady and energized. For example, if you tend to skip lunch because work is busy, try packing something easy like a turkey and cheese roll up or meal prepped chicken salad along with some fruit, and a handful of trail mix.

Giving your body what it needs before you’re hangry helps you feel more in control around food and builds a sense of safety between you and your body.

3. Make Peace with Food

Ever notice how the more you tell yourself you “can’t” have a certain food, the more you think about it? That’s what happens when we put foods on a forbidden list. It gives them power and sets you up for intense cravings, overeating, and guilt.

Making peace with food means giving yourself unconditional permission to eat all foods. Yes, even the ones you consider “off-limits.” That doesn’t mean you’re going to eat cookies for every meal forever. But when you stop restricting, the obsessive thoughts about food start to quiet down.

Start small. Pick one food you’ve been avoiding—maybe chips, ice cream, or bread—and give yourself permission to eat it without guilt. Sit down, slow down, and pay attention to how it tastes and how you feel before, during, and after. You might be surprised by how quickly that food loses its “all or nothing” pull once it’s no longer forbidden.

4. Challenge the Food Police

You know that voice in your head that says you’re “bad” for eating dessert or “good” for having a salad? That’s the food police, and it’s time to send them packing.

These thoughts often come from years of dieting, messages from social media, or things we’ve heard growing up. But they’re not helping you. In fact, they create guilt, stress, and a whole lot of pressure around eating.

Instead of judging your food choices, try replacing those thoughts with neutral or kind ones. For example:

• “I can’t believe I ate that—now I’ve ruined everything” becomes “I enjoyed that. It was what I needed in the moment.”
• “I should eat a salad because I was ‘bad’ yesterday” becomes “What sounds satisfying and nourishing to me right now?”

Challenging these thoughts takes time, but the more you do it, the easier it gets to show up for yourself with compassion instead of criticism.

5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor

Food isn’t just fuel, it’s also meant to be enjoyable. When you allow yourself to truly enjoy eating, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and less likely to keep grazing, looking for something to hit the spot.

Think about a time when you ate something just because you thought you should, maybe a bland salad when you were really craving something warm and comforting. Even if your stomach was full, you probably didn’t feel satisfied, right?

Satisfaction is the key to feeling content after a meal. It comes from tuning into what you’re truly craving and creating an eating experience that feels good. That might mean slowing down, eating without distractions, or even setting the table and making your plate look appetizing.

If you’re craving pasta, make pasta. Add some veggies and a protein for balance, but don’t skip the parmesan if that’s what makes it delicious to you. When you honor your cravings and your needs, you walk away from meals feeling nourished, not deprived.

6. Feel Your Fullness

Just like your body tells you when it’s hungry, it also tells you when you’ve had enough. But if you’ve spent years ignoring those signals, whether because of food rules, distractions, or feeling like you have to “clean your plate,” it can take time to hear them again.

Feeling your fullness isn’t about stopping at the perfect bite. It’s about checking in and noticing how your body feels while you eat. You might ask yourself halfway through a meal: “Am I still hungry? Am I starting to feel satisfied?” These little pauses help you stay connected to your body.

It might help to use a hunger and fullness scale to guide you—something simple, like a 1–10 scale where 1 is starving and 10 is stuffed. Aim to start eating around a 3 or 4 (gently hungry) and stop around a 6 or 7 (comfortably full). It’s okay if you go past that sometimes. This is about awareness, not perfection.

For a real life example: Let’s say you’re eating dinner after a stressful day and you notice you’re eating quickly. Pause, take a few deep breaths, and ask yourself how your stomach feels. Slowing down even a little can help you recognize fullness before it tips into “ugh, I’m too full” territory.

7. Cope with your Emotions with Kindness

If food has become your go-to when you’re stressed, sad, bored, or overwhelmed—you’re not alone. Emotional eating is common, especially when life feels heavy. And here’s the thing: using food to soothe emotions isn’t bad. It just might not be the most helpful tool every time.

Instead of shaming yourself for emotional eating, get curious. Ask: “What am I really feeling right now? What do I need?” Maybe you’re lonely and need connection. Maybe you’re overstimulated and need quiet. Maybe you’re just tired and need a break.

Start building an emotional eating toolbox of other ways to cope. Some ideas:

• Step outside for fresh air
• Journal for 5 minutes
• Call or text a friend
• Watch a comfort show or take a warm shower
• Move your body gently (like stretching or walking)

Food can still be part of emotional self-care—think tea and toast when you’re feeling low—but it doesn’t have to be the only way you comfort yourself.

8. Respect Your Body

We live in a world that constantly tells women their bodies need to be smaller, tighter, or “better” in some unobtainable way. But chasing an unrealistic ideal can leave you exhausted, discouraged, and disconnected from the body you have right now.

Respecting your body doesn’t mean you have to love every inch of it every day. It means treating it with kindness, meeting its needs, and recognizing that your body deserves care no matter its size or shape.

Instead of focusing on changing your body, try shifting your attention to supporting it. That might mean:

• Buying clothes that actually fit and feel good
• Speaking to yourself the way you’d speak to your daughter or best friend
• Nourishing your body with meals that give you energy
• Getting enough rest

You don’t have to love your body to respect it. Start by accepting that it’s worthy of care. today, just as it is.

9. Movement – Feel the Difference

If exercise has ever felt like punishment or something you “have to” do to earn your food, it’s time for a reset. Movement should feel good, not like a chore or a form of self-criticism.

Instead of focusing on burning calories or shrinking your body, start thinking about how movement can make you feel. Energized. Less stressed. Stronger. Clear-headed.

Explore different ways to move until you find something you actually enjoy. That could be dancing in your kitchen, going for a walk while listening to a podcast, hitting the pickleball court, stretching on the floor after a long day, or taking a fun group class with a friend.

Even a 10-minute walk counts. It’s not about doing more, it’s about finding a rhythm that works for your life and supports your well-being.

10. Gentle Nutrition

Once you’ve done the work of healing your relationship with food and your body, nutrition starts to fall into place in a way that feels much more doable.

Gentle nutrition is all about looking at the big picture. It’s not about tracking every nutrient or following a perfect meal plan. It’s about finding foods that support your health and that you actually enjoy eating.

Shift your thinking into addition, not restriction. What can you add to your meals to make them more satisfying and nourishing? Maybe that’s adding avocado to your toast for some healthy fats, tossing spinach into your smoothie, or keeping pre-chopped veggies on hand for quick stir-fries.

You don’t have to eat perfectly to eat well. One meal, snack, or even day of eating doesn’t make or break your health. Focus on progress, not perfection, and trust that small, consistent choices add up over time.

The Bottom Line

There’s no perfect way to move through the principles of intuitive eating. Take your time, go at your own pace, and start with what feels most helpful right now. Each step is a chance to rebuild trust with your body, feel more at ease around food, and find confidence in the way you nourish yourself—without guilt, pressure, or perfection. You’ve got this.