Mindful Eating Activity for April                                       


Spring is in the air and another mindfulness post is here! This month our Mindful Strategy is Mindful Eating.

When we eat, most of us are usually sitting around a table, conversing with friends and family. Or we are busy sitting at our desks, having a working lunch (or dinner). We are mostly paying attention to the tasks in front of us, whether that be work, family conversations, or handling squabbles around the table. However, there is one thing we are not paying attention to: our food! We eat without tasting our food, without seeing it. But how could that be, you ask? I see food on my plate. When I eat it, I taste the spiciness of the food, the meat or the vegetables I am consuming. But are you really?

With mindful eating, you are slowing down the process of eating, enjoying each little bite, each little morsel. We slow down so we can really look, smell, taste, enjoy your food. It's amazing what one can see or taste in a piece of chocolate (my favorite) or goldfish (the kids' favorite). Food becomes a lot more interesting and flavorful when we can sloooow doooown the process. Try the exercise below.

Mindful Eating in 7 Easy Steps

1. Choose a piece of food. It can be a piece of apple, chocolate, cracker, broccoli, whatever.
2. Look at the food. Check out the texture, shape or the color of the food.
3. Smell the food. What can you smell? You'll be amazed how the food smells may not always taste the same.
4. Taste the food. Place it on your tongue, but don't chew yet. See what individual flavors/spices your tastebuds can pick up.
5. Take one small bite. Don't eat it in one mouthful. Just a nibble. Notice the texture and sounds the food makes as you chew.
6. Chew the food. Pay attention to how the texture and flavor of the food changes as you chew.
7. Swallow. Notice the sensation as the food travels down your throat to your stomach.

Try to practice one mindful bite at each meal. You'll find that eating is a whole new experience!

Here are some other resources for mindful eating:

You tube reading of "No Ordinary Apple" by Sarah Marlowe.  A story about Elliot and experiences with mindfully eating an apple.

Cosmic Kids Zen den video to teach kids about mindful eating.