A Guided Practice in Mindful Eating

This activity guides students to practise using their senses to eat mindfully. Some students may not want to taste the food. Let students know it is their choice to eat or not to eat the food item. They can still participate in the guided mindful eating activity.  

Students might be impatient during the mindful eating exercise and express that they “don’t like” mindful eating. Explain to students that this expression of feelings is a good example of being mindful of their experience and context. Encourage them to notice and explore these feelings without judgement. Acknowledge to the class that this exercise is very slow, so there is enough time to practise each step. This activity is meant to help us notice our senses and thoughts in more detail as we experience this one food. At meals and snacks, we do not need to eat this slowly to be practising mindfulness. 

Class Preparation 

• Purchase/obtain the food you will use in your activity. Examples of foods that work well for this activity include small, familiar, manageable snack-like foods such as raisins, chocolates, or crackers. 

Before Video 

• Have everyone wash their hands before handling any food. 
• As the food is handed out, tell students not to eat or touch it until you begin the activity as a class. Pass out one food item per student on a napkin. 

Watch Video 

• For students who would like to participate, play the video to guide them through a mindful eating exercise.

After Video 

After watching the video with your class, use the following questions to guide students in a group reflection: 

• How did you feel eating this way? 
• During this activity, was there anything you noticed about the food that you might not have normally noticed? 
• Would you like to try this approach to eating again? Why or why not?

If you prefer to read the guided practice to your students rather than watching the video together, you can find the script below.

This activity is an example of what it feels like to be “in the moment” while eating.

I’d like everyone to sit up in your chairs. Notice your breathing. Let’s take a deep breath together...in...and out....

Without picking up the food, take a moment to notice what you see.

What do you notice? What shape is it? What colour is it?
How do you think it will feel in your hand?
How do you think it will smell?

Now, pick up and hold the food in your hand. Feel the food between your fingers.

What sound does it make, if any?
How does it feel in your hand? What is the texture like?
If you feel comfortable, close your eyes, or look down.

Next, hold the food up to your nose and smell it. What do you notice?

If you’d like to, without chewing, you can put the food in your mouth. Let it sit on your tongue and notice how it feels.

Now, slowly move it around in your mouth. What do you feel or notice? Does it change?

Without swallowing it yet, slowly start to chew on the food. What is the flavour? The texture? Is there more than one
flavour? How does it change as you chew it longer? What is the texture like now?

Keep chewing and experience how the flavour and texture continue to change.

If you’d like to, swallow the food. Notice how it feels in your throat when you swallow it. If you do not want to swallow
the food, spit it into your napkin.

When you are ready, you can fold your hands on your desk to let me know you’re ready to move on.