Teaching Our Children to Eat Mindfully

Eat Mindfully

Mindfulness is about paying attention. Regarding food, it’s about our conscious awareness of the experience of eating, both outside and inside the body. We pay attention to the smells, textures, flavors, temperature, and even sounds of our food. We notice the physical expression of the body. Where do we feel hungry? What does being full feel like? How would you describe an empty tummy? 

Incorporating this kind of mindfulness approach into your kitchen is actually quite simple, and involving your children, from preparation to cooking and even cleaning, can improve everyone’s relationship with food. Whether or not your children are old enough to appreciate a well-stocked kitchen, or the joy of creating a fantastic meal for friends to appreciate together, children enjoy the creativity of preparing a recipe or cooking a meal, time with parents/family and friends, and learning. So how can we turn preparation, cooking, and cleaning into something fun? 

Let’s start with a simple seasonal recipe that children can participate in and enjoy: Apple Crisps. Not all kids like apples, and some people may have allergies to walnuts, so feel free to replace this with something that best fits your family. What’s important is sharing in the process.

fall scents for your home

Preparation 

Ingredients:
– 4 medium unpeeled or peeled sliced apples (4 cups)
– 1/4 cup flour
– 1/4 cup brown sugar
– 1/2 cup quick-cooking or regular oats
– 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
– 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
– 1/2 cup butter

First, lay out all the ingredients on your counter top with a small sampling of each set aside. Talk to your kids about each ingredient, encouraging them to touch, smell, and taste. How does the apple smell after you cut into it? What does a tiny pinch of cinnamon taste like on its own? What do the smells and tastes of brown sugar bring to mind? This simple exercise can pique their senses, and teach them the unique subtleties that every individual ingredient brings to a dish.

Cooking

Directions:
– Heat oven to 375˚
– Spread apple slices in ungreased 8-inch square pan
– Mix remaining ingredients, sprinkling them over apples
– Bake uncovered until topping is golden brown and apples tender (typically 30 minutes)

If your children are too young to work with the oven, this is a teaching opportunity to learn to respect the kitchen and cover some simple safety rules. Then, work together to start spreading the apples around the pan, mixing your seasoning together, and sprinkling over the dish. Make it into an art project where they can be hands-on, engaging them about the colors, smells, and textures. 

Memory is associated with all our senses, with taste and smell being powerful catalysts. This fun exercise can create beautiful memories that they will carry into the future, associating positive emotions with your holiday traditions. 

Cleaning

You have 30 minutes before your dish is ready, so take this time to encourage teamwork to clean up your space. Assign simple jobs, with the reward of your tasty creation waiting just around the corner. Celebrate small victories with positive reinforcement, like putting away utensils, cleaning out measuring cups, wiping down counter tops. 

By Collin McShirley− Looking to break free from emotional eating and learn to love your body? Want to do it from the comfort of your home? Go to collinmcshirley.com and sign up for our E-COURSE to learn how to stop eating emotionally. Individual coaching sessions available to help support you. Call for a free 20 minute discovery session on phone or Skype by giving promo code “livingbetter50.” 

 

 

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Teaching Our Children to Eat Mindfully
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