Eating slowly could help you swerve obesity by chomping each mouthful 40 times — but is this realistic at work?
Nick Pritchard gives his s-lowdown on how long it took him to eat six 'fast' foods, chewing each mouthful 40 times
IS eating slower to swerve obesity biting off more than you can chew in your lunch hour?
A study suggests we should chomp away 35-40 times on each forkful to keep trim – so we tested out if it was realistic amid the daily grind.
Here, NICK PRITCHARD gives his s-lowdown on how long it took him to munch through six “fast” foods, chewing each mouthful 40 times.
Chicken Jalfrezi
Time: 28 minutes 16 seconds
I normally wolf this down in seven chews per forkful but this mega munching method means half my lunch break is gone by the time my food is. It’s hardly currying favour with me.
Pizza
Time: 55 minutes 52 seconds
Pillowy dough means this took ages to eat. With collecting it too, I am well over the hour I have for lunch. I could fly halfway to Italy in that time. Usually the cheesy chewfest takes me ten chomps per bite.
Big Mac and fries
Time: 13 minutes 44 seconds
Repeated chewing gives me a new appreciation of the balanced flavours of this McDonald’s mainstay. This is mindful munching and doesn’t eat up too much time. I’d chew each bite seven times usually.
Subway sandwich
Time: 28 minutes 20 seconds
Chowing down so much is starting to gnaw at me. But I opt for a foot-long sub, toasted – a wise move as it stays fresh to the end. It still consumes half my lunch hour – I’d normally nibble each bite eight times.
KFC and chips
Time: 18 minutes 48 seconds
Eating the three pieces of chicken off the bone means sometimes I can only bite off a few scraps – which I must then chew. The chips are cold by the time I get to them. I normally devour this at five chews a chomp.
Fish and chips
Time: 13 minutes 18 seconds
This makes for a great al desko Friday lunch. It’s best eaten quick while still crisp and steaming, at six chews per mouthful. But my overzealous chewing means the final few bites are limp and clammy.
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