Project | 02 Cooking/Meal outing

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As part of the Intensive Out patient Program at Zephyrus, I also lead a cooking group or meal outing with clients.  I will buy the groceries and we will cook a meal together or I will pick a restaurant and we will all go out to eat.  These experiences are a very important part of the program, and also to the clients and myself.  It promotes balanced eating, how to cook, what to order at restaurants as well as meal support.  Once dinner has been made or ordered, we all sit down together and share a meal.  We check in as to how hungry we are, as well as describing what our own unique hunger feels like, and we end by checking in with our fullness and what that feels like.  Bringing an awareness of our bodies during meals is very important part of healthy eating and living.  Working to limit distractions during meal time, and focus on the enjoyment of the food and eating is a part of the experience as well.

Once a week we invite the families of the clients to come and join us for dinner.  We ask that every one bring their own meal, and we continue with the same hunger/fullness check in.  The family meal allows families to come together and experience the enjoyment of food and the company, while continuing to bring an awareness to their own body and emotions.