Mindful Tasting GRADE

K
THEME: MAKING HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES
40
MIN. FALL

ESSENTIAL QUESTION SEE TOUCH/ SMELL TASTE HEAR

Red FEEL Fresh Juicy Crunchy
Why is it important to slow down and focus on Yellow Smooth Strong Sweet Crispy
our five senses while we eat? Spotted Rough Dull Sour Quiet
Bumpy Stinky
LEARNING OBJECTIVE Hard Sweet
Soft
Students will be able to practice focusing on
their senses while they eat.
ACTION STEPS
LESSON DESCRIPTION 1. Engage: Have students gather in a circle,
In this lesson, students learn the practice of and ask them if they can name the five senses.
slowing down and focusing on their senses while As each students names one, gesture to each
they’re eating. They review the five senses, take corresponding body part, making glasses
an imaginary trip to an apple orchard, and end around the eyes for sight and sticking your
by mindfully eating two apple slices from two tongue out for taste. You can also point to
different varieties of apples. each body part on your poster. Say, These are
our five senses. (5 min.)

MATERIALS 2. Sensory Field Trip: Tell students that you’re

2 varieties of apples (or other fruit); enough for each going to take them on a field trip in their minds
student to have 1 slice of each to practice thinking about the five senses.
Descriptive Sensory Word Bank Poster (optional) Walk them through a sensory trip to an apple
orchard (or other field trip appropriate for your
location), miming all the different actions that
PREPARATION you describe. Have them experience riding the
> Cut each apple variety into 1 slice for each bus and feeling the bumps in the road, getting
student, and put the apples on plates, ready off the bus and smelling the farm, hearing the
to pass out. birds as you walk through the field, seeing
> Make a poster of the descriptive sensory the biggest, brightest apple in the tree, feeling
word bank below: their hearts beat as they climb up the tree, and
tasting the apple at the end. Make it fun and
physical by having students quietly run, climb,
and jump in place. (5 min.)

190 Copyright © 2018 FoodCorps

3. Wash Hands Break! (5 min.) Taste: Tell students to take one bite of
their apple. Ask them to describe the taste
4. Breathing Exercise: Use an attention-getting and how the apple’s taste changes as they
strategy to bring students back to sitting continue chewing.
quietly. Have them close their eyes and do a Hear: Have students use their ears again
deep breathing exercise to gain focus and calm to listen to the sounds as they’re munch-
bodies. They might enjoy doing horse lips on ing on their apple. (10 min.)
the exhale. Do this a couple times or until the
group is relaxed. (5 min.) 6. Repeat entire sequence with a second
variety of apple. (5 min.)
5. Mindful Eating: Explain to students, Slowing
down while eating helps us enjoy our food better. REFLECTION
I’ll be giving each of you a slice of apple, but we’re Have students discuss the following ques-
going to take a really, really long time to eat it tions in small groups, then share with the
because we’re going to notice everything we can class: (5 min.)
about the apple using our five senses. And we’re • What was the same, and what was different
not going to eat it until I say to. Now everybody, about the two apple varieties?
close your eyes. Once all eyes are closed, hand an • Did you enjoy eating your apple slowly?
apple slice to each student:
What other foods could you try eating like
Touch: Have students close their eyes this? What would it be like if we ate our
and feel the apple with their fingers. Have breakfast or lunch like this?
them describe the texture of the skin and • Why do you think it’s important to slow down
then the texture of the flesh. Ask them if and focus on all the things you can feel, see,
it reminds them of something else they’ve hear, smell, and taste about your food?
touched.
Smell: With their eyes still closed, have ADAPTATIONS
students bring the apple to their noses Garden Setting: You can lead students in
and inhale. Ask them to describe the smell mindfulness walks, noticing and describing
of the apple. the different smells, sounds, sights, and feel
Hear: With their eyes closed, have them of the wind and the temperature. You can also
tap their fingernail on the skin and slide try “sit spots” with older students, where each
their fingertip along the skin and listen for student finds a special quiet place to sit and
any sounds. observe the garden. They can make a “sound
See: Have students open their eyes and map” of their spot, noting every sound they
carefully examine the apple, describing hear while they’re seated.
the colors and shapes they see and any
details they notice, for example bruises or
mottled coloring.

Copyright © 2018 FoodCorps 191

 ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS
English Language Arts Common Core State
Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.4
Describe familiar people, places, things, and
events and, with prompting and support,
provide additional detail.

192 Copyright © 2018 FoodCorps