
On Wednesday January 13 I joined Regional Wellness Director, Kate Giere, for a Mindful Wellness event at one of the State Street Financial locations in Quincy, MA. We had information on Sodexo's Mindful program, as well as a portion size game where people matched foods to their correct portion sizes using every-day objects such as a computer mouse for half a cup of grains, a golf ball for peanut butter, 2 game-dice for cheddar cheese, a deck of cards for grilled chicken, a baseball for a cup of non-fat yogurt, and a CD for 1 pancake. We were surprised by the number of people who did not know about portion sizes and had difficulty with the game. Almost everyone who came to the table had a question or concern about their food habits but did not necessarily know where to make a change. It turned out to be a great way to engage with café customers about healthy eating and small long-term changes. Games bring people together and make them laugh, which allows for a comfortable space in which to open up and ask questions about health and food choices.