Many of us are guilty of snacking without even noticing the food we’re popping into our mouths. But when we slow down and eat mindfully, we appreciate our food more. This leads us to make more conscious choices about the food we eat.

One way to pay better attention to our eating habits is to use all of our senses while eating. Enter: mindful tasting.

We recently provided Momentous School students with a mindful tasting activity at their school carnival. The event was Minion themed, so we decorated small cups with Minion faces and dropped in a few pieces of popcorn in each cup. As students came by, we used the script below to lead them through the activity. We loved their responses! Some said the popcorn looked like flowers, others noticed the way it got soggy quickly as it rested on their tongue. They heard cracking sounds as they chewed and the smell reminded them of going to the movies.

If you’re looking for a simple activity to try with kids, give mindful tasting a try!

Grab a cup of popcorn. Pause. Don’t eat it yet!

First, look at the popcorn. Pretend you’ve never seen popcorn before. What do you see? What colors do you notice? What textures, shapes and patterns?

Now, smell the popcorn. What does it smell like? Do you have any sensations or memories from this smell?

Now, pick up one piece of popcorn and touch it. What do you feel on your fingers? What different textures do you notice? What temperature is it?

Now, gently place the popcorn on your tongue. Don’t chew it and swallow it yet! Taste the piece of popcorn as it rests on your tongue. What do you feel? What do you notice?

Now, start to chew the popcorn very slowly. Listen as you chew. What sounds do you hear?

As you chew slowly, notice the way the texture changes as you eat. Pay attention to the feeling of the food in your mouth and as you swallow.

You just ate your popcorn mindfully! What was different about it from the way you normally eat popcorn? Did you notice anything new?

When we slow down and use all our senses to enjoy our food, we can appreciate it more. Do you think you could try this with one special food item at home? Do you think you could teach this to your family to try together?

Click here for a printable copy of the script.