A lot of times, kids are bombarded with many distractions when they eat. The TV running in the background, music playing from the radio, interesting snippets of conversation from around the house…With all these stimulants going on, eating becomes almost secondary for a child. They end up not being mentally present during meal times. We want kids that eat mindfully, and we can cultivate such habits by creating an experience of it. Not every day of course—only sometimes. Just to get them interested in the dining experience.
Try blindfolding them and getting them to taste a dish placed before them; encourage them to use their hands. Ask them what they think they’re eating.
Try shutting out all stimuli except for one, like soft music in the background. Alternatively, choose fast music instead.
Cover the light source in the room with tinted cellophane; this changes the colour of food and makes their eating experience just that bit “cooler”.
Not only do these techniques make mealtimes more interesting, they get children to regard foods with a different perspective. Perhaps they start looking at foods they didn’t like in a different light. Literally—under blue light, their usually hated corn turns a funky green.
To take things one step further, ask them questions to get them thinking about the connection between their environment and the food on their plate. Some good questions include “Do you feel like we’re eating faster with the fast music? Why do you think that’s so?” or, “Does your corn taste better or worse when it’s green? Do you think you’d still eat it if it were simply yellow?