In the classroom this week we read the book No Ordinary Apple: A Story About Eating Mindfully. We learned that mindfulness is a practice that asks us to slow down and engage all of our senses. When we practice mindfulness with our food, we can learn to appreciate a whole new world of color, texture, scent, sound, and taste!
In the the kitchen the kindergarten chefs ripped up New Zealand spinach to add to a batter for carrot and spinach latkes. While the latkes were frying, they participated in a mindful tasting of four varieties of apple: Cosmic Crisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady. We smelled the apples, listened to them, noticed many had speckles and contained multiple colors, chewed them thoughtfully, and observed all the juicy, tart, sweet flavors. Then we enjoyed the latkes with a homemade applesauce made from the same four varieties of apples we tasted. When we practiced mindfully eating our meal together, some chefs noticed that the latkes had the same aroma as sausage or that the applesauce contained lemon. Mindfulness is a practice we can continue to employ throughout our lives to keep our bodies and our communities strong and healthy.
