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Students will understand the connection between the five senses and the
foods they eat.
By the end of the lessons, students will be able to:
- Use their five senses in a mindful eating activity
Like breathing, eating is something that we do every day and rarely give our full attention. By guiding students through a mindful eating exercise, you are providing them with a direct experience of mindfulness and an opportunity to practice mindfulness each time they sit down to eat.
The lesson begins with a mindful moment in which students practice a full body breath by standing and breathing in and out while raising their arms. The class then does a visualization in which they imagine their favorite foods and meals. You then lead students through a guided mindful eating activity using raisins. Students discuss and reflect on the activity through a class discussion and in their journals.
For either live or recorded you can still do the mindful eating activity! Start the lesson by telling students to go to their kitchen and with their family’s permission to bring back to their computer a couple raisins, crackers, or pieces of cereal. We suggest using a raisin for the activity, but if that’s not an option at home, students can find another food to practice mindful eating with.
For a live delivery, have students turn off their cameras so they can focus on their five senses during the activity and not get distracted by the video.
For a recorded option, make sure to provide time for students to explore the different senses for the mindful eating activity. If possible, have students fill out the journal entry as a form of a graphic organizer during the mindful eating activity.
Self-awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.