Is 20 Minutes REALLY The 'Ideal Length Of Time' For Eating A Meal?

Tuesday, 29 September 2009

Is 20 Minutes REALLY The 'Ideal Length Of Time' For Eating A Meal?

One of the best “known” tips for losing weight is to eat slowly and savor your meal. Ideally, it should take you about 20 minutes to eat a meal, since that’s when your brain starts signaling that you’re feeling full.
However, I’m definitely not a big eater, so I normally eat small portions throughout the day. So, based on the portion I eat for each meal, it usually takes me about 10 to 15 minutes at most to finish a meal, even if I eat slowly and savor my food. But then I realized my friend eats a lot more than I do and because of that, it takes more time for her to finish her food; she usually takes between 20 to 30 minutes, which fits the “ideal time” in which to eat a meal.
So now I’m wondering, should we all try to take at least 20 minutes to eat a meal? Is this really the “ideal time”?
What do you guys think? How long does it take for you to finish a meal?

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30 minutes for me
- 9/29/2009 9:44 PM
- strictlyskinny@xanga (message)
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Not that long. Jr. High broke me of that habit because all my friends would finish eating and leave the table, making me scarf it all down to catch up. Now, over a decade later, I still eat too fast.
- 9/29/2009 9:44 PM
- joyouswind@xanga (message)
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Eating slowly is good for digestion, but it doesn't take 20 minutes to eat a single salad. Twenty minutes on my cup of homemade soup means that it is cold before I finish. It seems better to wait 20 minutes before having that second helping than to try and chew that long. Dinner conversation anyone?
- 9/29/2009 9:47 PM
- Alatariel40@xanga (message)
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@joyouswind@xanga - sounds typical. My daughter's school granted only 20 minutes from standing in line to clearing the table. Teachers would shout in the cafeteria for students to keep quiet, eat, and get out.
- 9/29/2009 9:50 PM
- Alatariel40@xanga (message)
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IMO, pre-portion instead of relying on time. I also eat in small portions through the day.
I eat some meals in less than a minute. Usually most in less than 5.
I usually also dine alone. No sense sitting around by myself having a romantic dinner by myself. I prepare food, it's functional, consume it, and go.
Besides, most hot meals go cold pretty quickly, especially if you don't warm your plate/ bowl before serving; and lukewarm food that's supposed to be hot isn't appetizing.
- 9/29/2009 9:54 PM
- chow@ireallylikefood (message)
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If I'm really hungry... like 10 minutes. If not, then about 15 minutes.
- 9/29/2009 10:02 PM
- soniiuh@xanga (message)
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@chow@ireallylikefood - MC, why is it that I always see you whenever I go to post something!!!!! lol
While I understand that it's "better" to eat more slowly so that your stomach can catch up and let you know when you're full, but it takes too long.
I really should portion out my food like CHOW but I just use a small bowl (Vietnamese rice bowl) and that suffice. Of course I get hungry again in like... 2 hours but whatever!
- 9/29/2009 10:03 PM
- tigerdauphin@xanga (message)
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Because everyone is all the same and should follow all of the same guidelines.
- 9/29/2009 10:05 PM
- Imnotcrazyjustinsane@xanga (message)
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Well my family talks at the dinner table... and so do me and my friends if we're eating together so if Im ever sitting down with people, the meal can last up to an hour. I only eat fast when Im on my own.
But besides dinner, I dont really eat meals. Like, I'll get a pear, and spend two or three hours eating it slowly. Like a bite here and there. I eat like that all day and it works for me. I like it, ever since I've started eating like that I started losing weight.
- 9/29/2009 10:10 PM
- MangoWOW@xanga (message)
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mmMm i really just take about 20 minutes
( in school, silent reading, 20 minutes, i usually finish my lunch before its over)
- 9/29/2009 10:17 PM
- soberheartss@xanga (message)
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A few minutes? Honestly though I would just think that eating a diet high in fiber would take care of the hunger problem. But I don't know, it all depends on your willpower. Eat slower if you need to. Enjoy that meal, you only get a few a day anyway.
- 9/29/2009 10:34 PM
- Whatsyourstory87@xanga (message)
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I'm a really slow eater, I can take 20 minutes without trying. It even seems a little too fast to me. When my dad was little he worked on some tea picking farm and they were only allowed however long it took the master to finish his bowl of rice, which was something like 5 minutes. And if they didn't finish by then, the rest of the rice was forfeit. It sucked.
- 9/29/2009 11:22 PM
- black_lie@xanga (message)
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I have no idea, but do eat slower to feel more satisfied
- 9/29/2009 11:25 PM
- Mac_Libureet@xanga (message)
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its not ideal, its average time it takes your body to respond in feelign satisfied or full from have food in the tummy
- 9/29/2009 11:32 PM
- DaRkFaiRy314@xanga (message)
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I don't think it was ever named the ideal length of time for a meal, just the amount of time it takes you to feel full.
- 9/30/2009 12:06 AM
- hungerx33@xanga (message)
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That must be one of the least "known" tips because I've never heard of it.
- 9/30/2009 12:28 AM
- EndlessMike03@xanga (message)
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I eat in small portions too and depending on the food and the meal (e.g breakfast is shorter than lunch and dinner for me) I can finish a meal in 10 to 20 minutes (sometimes 5 if all I have is a banana and a nutrition bar of meal shake for a snack)
- 9/30/2009 2:22 AM
- TheScaleDiaries@xanga (message)
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an actual meal, that i'm enjoying, around an hour. when i was a kid i would take 2-3 hours to eat my meals because i would just talk and forget about eating, plus i'd avoid eating the food because i didn't like it. hahaha
i'm a slow eater. :]
- 9/30/2009 8:44 AM
- PenaltyLife@xanga (message)
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I don't eat very much at one time unless I'm in a restaurant. I have a tendency to overstuff myself. So when I'm home I'll eat a sandwich every half hour. It drives my mom crazy.
- 9/30/2009 9:46 AM
- Chandlerklebs@xanga (message)
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umm lets say my meal is a bowl of cereal ie breakfast.

I would hope it takes me under 20mins cause my cereal ould be soggy and gross.

I dont think you should imte your eating, just eat and enjoy.
- 9/30/2009 11:41 AM
- hedcandy@xanga (message)
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my disorder makes me usually try to take 1-2 hours to finish a meal.
- 9/30/2009 12:00 PM
- deprivation_now@xanga (message)
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It really depends on the meal. I try and take at least 20-30 minutes for most meals, even snacks, unless it's something like cereal. But I do have an ED...
- 9/30/2009 2:26 PM
- xnumbxandxbrokenx@xanga (message)
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the only time that i eat a 20 minute meal is at a buffet... when i'm eating way more than any person should normally eat lol.
- 9/30/2009 9:03 PM
- pretend2fly@xanga (message)
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I take about 10-15 minutes...It depends on what the meal consists of.
- 10/1/2009 3:41 AM
- fL0riiZee@xanga (message)
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it depends on the meal size i guess. when i eat small portions, i can take 5-10min while medium portions, 10-20min
- 10/1/2009 3:58 AM
- xueyo@xanga (message)
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