The video series explores how individuals can approach cooking, eating and grocery shopping in a mindful manner. Each video also spotlights a different mood that food can instil in individuals – such as joy, energy, focus and relaxation. The videos are being released as a weekly series starting in mid-March, and consumers can also access a Whole Foods-branded landing page on Headspace’s website that provides supporting content like recipes and guided meditations.

The first episode features American chef and welfare advocate Sophia Roe cooking a berry crumble with Dr. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist at Harvard University. While Naidoo shares how the crumble’s ingredients contribute to a healthy diet – the berries are rich in antioxidants, the hazelnuts high in omega-3s – the dialogue reinforces the sensory pleasure of cooking. Roe comments on the berries’ striking purple hue, and Naidoo says she loves the aroma when it bakes. This discussion directs the viewer to perceive the berry crumble not only as a health-promoting dish, but as a pleasurable one as well.

As we discuss in The New Food Freedom, interest in concepts like holistic nutrition and intuitive eating are gaining mainstream attention, as consumers eschew punishing diets that prioritise weight loss over health. This offers brands a fertile space to explore food culture from an angle of delight, and to reposition terms like ‘emotional eating’ in a positive light – see Future Food Tech Summit for more.

For more on new attitudes towards healthy eating, read The New Food Anxiety. For more on mindfulness promotions, see Meditation’s Mass-Market Moment.