How food photography helped me love food, eat less + have more fun

I want to change my relationship with food and eat it because I love it, in normal quantities, and enjoy every bite.

Food is not my enemy. I just need to find a way to eat less.

It’s also essential to eat less as you age, because the body needs less food.

However, it’s essential to focus on the good stuff, including plenty of nutrients, protein, and fiber.

You may have a different relationship with food, but please hear me out and share your thoughts.

This article is not for people with serious food and weight issues, the type that causes diabetes and all that. Although it may help you to read this because it may help you deal with food in a more artistic way during your treatments.

Food is beautiful: Photograph it.

Let’s take a close look at some foods, study their colors, textures, and sculptural features. Yes, food is about all that and taste, but I want to focus on their looks. Veggies are the best!

Cauliflower

Many photographers drizzle water or oil on veggies to make them look more desirable. Very similar to what some fashion publications do to bodies with bikinis and suits.

Veggies also look beautiful with and without oil and water.  

The Cauliflower

I chose a cauliflower because it’s a great veggie to practice with, and it’s not a “trigger food.”

Pick up a cauliflower and look closely at the flower sections, study the textures. You can get lost here. There are different sizes of flowers, and some are “glued” together well, while others are loose and seem to be about to fall off. The flower is hard and rough when you slide your hand over it. Rip off a few small flowers with their stems, they look like tiny white trees.

Notice how you are looking at this veggie as an object and not as food! Do you know that you can do this with chocolate cake, ice cream, pastries, and all foods?

What would happen if you took a few minutes to look at all your food carefully before eating?

• You would appreciate what is in front of you.
• You would slow down your food anxiety.
• Your idea of food would change with time. It would be about beauty, texture, color, and taste.
• You’ll love telling your story through food photography.

Eat less, photograph more, make art.

I had a lovely nutritionist in Miami who helped me lose weight and change my relationship with food. She worked with me on the psychological side of overeating, anxious eating, and mindless eating.

During the first few months, she gave me a set menu that I could vary slightly, and I had to keep a written record of everything I ate. The daily journal helped me eat less.

I started photographing instead of writing, and everything became a lot more fun. I aimed to create beautiful plates.

Food photography

Cabbage, cauliflower, Lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers make any dull-colored meat look beautiful.

I look at many food photos for inspiration, and then I create my own versions of the dishes.

Do you see how I am talking about food?  Before, I would dream about snacks, and I would mindlessly pile food on my plate. Now, it’s about something else.

All this planning for colors and textures has changed how I eat.

What would happen if you took a few minutes to photograph your food before eating?

You will have a beautiful collection of food photography.

You would eat less (probably) because you would spend more time making art.

You will visually love food.

Let me know if photographing food has also helped you slow down your meals and eat healthier and more colorful dishes! 

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Updated September 2025