The worksheet credits this gratitude exercise to Seph Fontane Pennock. Once a week, you eat a can of beans for dinner, straight from the can with a spoon, and nothing else that night. You need a can of white beans (or any other beans), a can opener and a spoon.
The aim is to notice how well off you are. While you eat, you will probably compare the beans with your regular meals, which can open up a fresh appreciation for the variety of food you eat without thinking about it, and for what it took to get that food to you.
The worksheet suggests that repeating the exercise weekly can make you a more mindful eater, help you appreciate what you have, show you how little you need to meet basic needs, and let you enjoy a simple ritual. It is also easier than cooking a full meal and doing the dishes.
If you live with a partner or children, you can explain the exercise and invite them to join if they wish, or do it on an evening you eat apart. If skipping your usual meal is not comfortable for you, for example because of a medical condition or a history of difficulty with food, you might eat the beans alongside your regular meal or choose another way to practice gratitude.
