Eleventh International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This study explores the benefits of mindful eating perceived by college students. Fifty-four Marist College students were purposively sampled. They were instructed to download, use the Plum Village App for two weeks, and keep a daily diary. On the first day, they were required to listen to five lessons from Start Here, the first section on the Meditations menu. From the second to the 14th day, they had to pick one new meditation session from the Meditations menu per day. Findings were collected from diary entries for the four lessons under the category “Eating Meditation”: Coffee or Tea Meditation, The Five Contemplations, Tangerine Meditation, and Mindful Dishwashing. The coding scheme was built with both inductive and deductive strategies. Benefits revealed were content analyzed into the following categories: appreciation, enjoyment, focus on the food, relaxation, slowing down one’s eating (which prevents overeating), and time for myself. These findings suggest incorporating mindful eating into a healthy eating scheme for youths. Also, having various kinds of guided meditation that connect to everyday life such as mindful eating might help meditation apps—e.g., the Plum Village app—appeal to college students. Plum Village and other meditation apps should take this into consideration when planning a marketing communication campaign for college students. Mindful eating practiced through a free app—such as the Plum Village app—may make life during the COVID-19 pandemic more bearable. This study contributes to food studies, mental health, mobile communication, and contemplative studies.