Breakfast is eaten on the way to work, lunch is gobbled down frantically, and in the evening we eat in front of the TV: Nowadays, fewer and fewer people consciously take time for individual meals. Eating is increasingly seen as an activity that is best done quickly and on the side. But those who gobble down their food in the long run have to fear negative consequences for their health. Eating slowly, on the other hand, can have a positive effect on our bodies and even make us slim. Slow eating can be learned at any age. Dr. Martin Hofmeister is an ecotrophologist and works in the department for nutrition and food at the Bavarian Consumer Center. In an interview, he explains why eating slowly is healthy and what tricks there are for getting into the habit of slower eating.
What is typical of our eating behavior today?
Hofmeister: “Nowadays, it’s common to buy something for breakfast on the way to work, eat lunch at a nearby fast food restaurant and have dinner at a restaurant. Alternatively, something is quickly bought at the bakery as a main or snack. “Snacking” and “out-of-home” eating are currently in vogue in Germany. Eating in passing has become a matter of course, and we usually take too little time for each meal.”
What are the health consequences?
Hofmeister: “Since we hardly take time to eat, food is often gobbled down hastily and in large bites, but this is not very beneficial to health. The word meal contains the concept of time – we should take time for our meal.”
How can you tell if you’re eating too fast?
Hofmeister: “A first indication of increased eating speed is when one regularly takes less than 15 minutes for a meal. To assess one’s eating speed individually, one should ask oneself questions such as:
- Do I take my time to eat?
- How do I self-assess my eating speed (very fast, fast, normal, slow, very slow)?
- Do I tend to eat hastily and devour the food or do I eat slowly and enjoy the food?”
What are the risks of eating too fast?
Hofmeister: “In both children and adults, there is a connection between eating too fast and the development of overweight. The feeling of satiety sets in only 15 to 20 minutes after starting to eat – but many people have already finished their meal at this point. This is why fast eaters do not even notice whether they are already full or not and often eat more than necessary. Controlling the speed of eating is therefore an important factor in the perception of satiety and thus also in limiting portion size. Overweight individuals should therefore be guided to adopt slower eating patterns, as it may lead to greater weight loss.”
Are there other disadvantages?
Hofmeister says, “People who eat too quickly are more likely to suffer from heartburn after eating than someone who eats more slowly. Digestion also works better when you eat more slowly and chew more frequently, since the food is already better chewed. Due to faster food intake, there is also a higher risk of insulin resistance. Similarly, there is a link between eating too fast and the development of metabolic syndrome.”
Is it true that food tastes better when you eat slower?
Hofmeister: “Yes, that is correct. The connection between slow eating speed and better taste has been known for a long time. If you eat too quickly, you can’t even properly grasp the composition and aroma substances of the food. If, on the other hand, the food is sufficiently chewed by frequent chewing, the aroma substances can be better distributed in conjunction with the saliva and we perceive the taste more intensively.”
Can you still get into the habit of slower eating as an adult?
Hofmeister: “Of course, adults can still get into the habit of reducing their eating tempo. If, for example, smaller cutlery is used exclusively, smaller portions are eaten per fork and unnecessary gobbling is avoided. However, it is easier for children to learn new habits. Since children learn primarily by imitating others, special attention should be paid to a slow eating pace when children are present.”
How can I proceed if I want to learn to eat more slowly?
Hofmeister says, “It is generally important to make only minimal changes in your daily eating routine and to increase them only slowly. For any change introduced, it’s important to teach children and adults the principle that they must stick with the change over a trial period of six to eight weeks. Most people who are willing to change don’t stick it out for this period-often because they put themselves through too much change at the beginning-and then fall back into old behaviors. Therefore, it is important to remain realistic and set manageable interim goals. For each interim goal, the six- to eight-week time frame must be adhered to – only then can the next change come.”
What tips do you give for “training” slower eating behaviors?
Hofmeister: “First of all, you should plan enough time for each meal – you should reserve at least 20 minutes for eating. In addition, you should always eat at a set table and with a knife, fork and spoon instead of your hands. In addition, however, there are a few other tricks that can be used to reduce the pace of eating:
- You should only take small bites and chew them well before swallowing – each bite should be chewed at least ten times. Only when the mouth is completely empty again, you should eat the next bite.
- While eating, you should fully concentrate on the meal and not do other things on the side. Because who reads or watches TV while eating, eats faster.
- It is also important to drink enough: Before and during each meal should drink a large glass of water.
- To eat more slowly, you can also use smaller cutlery, such as a cake fork. Because if less fits on the fork or spoon, you automatically eat slower. Alternatively, you can also try to eat the meal with chopsticks.
- Those who eat too quickly should try to put down the cutlery several times during the meal – in extreme cases after each bite – and only pick it up again when the mouth is completely empty. Likewise, you should not talk to others at the table until there is nothing left in your mouth.”
