Mindful Eating Exercise

-    Understand the concept of mindful eating and its benefits for overall health.
-    Develop awareness of sensory experiences while eating, including taste, texture, and smell.
-    Explore how mindful eating can promote healthier food choices and portion control.

-    Provide each participant with a small snack such as a piece of fruit, a granola bar, or a handful of nuts.
-    Lead them through a guided mindfulness exercise, instructing them to focus on their snack and engage their senses.
-    Encourage them to observe the appearance, texture, smell, and taste of their snack without judgment.
-    Prompt them to take small, deliberate bites, paying attention to the sensations in their mouths and the flavours of the food.
-    After the exercise, facilitate a discussion about the experience of mindful eating and its potential benefits for overall well-being.
 

Start the debrief by everyone to share their thoughts and observations from the mindful eating exercise.
-    Guide the conversation towards the concept of mindful eating and its connection to healthier food choices and portion control.
-    Use open-ended questions to prompt reflection and critical thinking, such as:
•    How did paying attention to your snack make you feel? Did you notice any differences in taste or satisfaction?
•    How do you think practicing mindful eating could help you make healthier food choices in the future?
•    What are some strategies you can use to incorporate mindful eating into your daily routine?
-    Reinforce the idea that being mindful while eating can help them develop a healthier relationship with food and make more conscious decisions about what and how much they eat.
-    Encourage everyone to continue practicing mindful eating and explore other mindfulness techniques for promoting well-being.

1.    Snacks for each teen participant
2.    Optional: Guided mindfulness script or audio recording