Last Updated on February 14, 2024 by Lifevif Team and JC Franco
Ever wondered if eating solo often could be bad for you? I personally eat alone quite often and have been told by a few people that sharing meals with another person or other people would be better for my mental and emotional state. I couldn’t help but wonder if this is true.
I have a variety of reasons why I believe that eating alone can be quite beneficial. Maybe you agree with some (or all) of my reasons. For people who have never “got” why I prefer to eat alone, perhaps the below 12 reasons might serve as a meaningful explanation. When you eat alone, you do derive quite a few benefits from the situation.
Eating alone doesn’t have to be sad and boring. It can actually be quite rewarding. It all depends on what your reasons for eating alone are and if you are isolating yourself or have very good reasons for keeping your meal times all to yourself. Because I like to eat alone often, I thought I would elaborate on some of the benefits of eating alone. Below are 12 simple reasons why some people like to eat alone on a regular basis.
12 reasons why you should eat alone more often:
1. Spend the entire meal on your phone, guilt-free.
Most people don’t like spending time with a person who keeps checking their mobile phone. But if you have a busy day and only have dinner times to check messages and emails, you might find it limiting to dine with another person.
If you don’t have time to be polite and want to make sure that you get to check your phone messages and keep up with other people in your life, eating alone and using that time to scroll social media and catch up with messaging works in your favor.
2. Eat at your own pace.
Not everyone likes to spend a few hours over dinner. In fact, a lot of people have learned the habit of eating very quickly. I like to eat slowly for my health and for the enjoyment of the meal. It is one of the reasons I like to eat alone. If you share meals with other people and they like to eat quickly and then get home (in a restaurant situation), you might find yourself being forced to rush your way through meals.
If you would prefer to eat slowly or at your own pace, eat alone more regularly. You will enjoy mealtimes far more – trust me on that one!
3. Take some time out from the noise of the day.
Some days are so busy that you don’t get time to think or take a breath. It’s important to take time out from the day and the hustle and bustle of life to just be. Sometimes there’s pressure to be on the go, the life and soul of the party, and “be there” for other people when it’s best for your mental and emotional health to have some more me-time for yourself.
Mealtimes provide the perfect opportunity to be there for you and just take some time out from everything else. If you share meals with other people, you will have to be polite, make conversation, and be fully present. Sounds exhausting after a long and demanding day, doesn’t it?
4. Get time to write a to-do list.
Have you ever thought about how a to-do list can change your life? No, I am not being overdramatic. The “to-do” list is a very underrated thing in many people’s lives. That’s because most of us simply don’t have time to put them together or haven’t been exposed to them before. Most people don’t know just how much more they would get done and how more organized they would feel by simply starting the day with a well-structured to-do list. You can strike things off the list as you work through them.
If you don’t have time during the day to create a to-do list, use your meal times to construct lists. You won’t regret it!
5. Skip the small talk.
If you are anything like me, you spend your entire day talking. All I want to do at the end of the day is spend a bit of time not talking. A lot of people don’t want to spend their evening meals making small talk with other people. If you don’t like to spend your evenings being the entertainer and would prefer to skip the small talk, eat more meals alone. You deserve a little quiet time for yourself too.
6. Pig-out if you want to.
When you eat with other people, do you hold back and eat less than you want to or actually would if you ate alone? I do… I am very sensitive to other people watching and seeing how much I am eating. We all have days where we want to eat, eat, and eat some more. Pigging out isn’t something that we do every day, and if the day arrives and we have to share our meals with another person or people, we might hold back. You shouldn’t have to.
When you eat alone, you can supersize your meal, order extra fries, double up on your pizza order or get a whole selection of puddings and chocolates to follow your meal up with. There won’t be anyone to judge you! If you want to pig out more often, organize more meals alone!
7. Grab a quick meal on the go.
Not everyone likes to sit down for every meal and share it with other people. Some people don’t see meals as social opportunities or catch-up times. Instead, some people feel that meals are a functional part of the day and prefer to grab their meals on the go.
If you like to drink a smoothie in the car on the way to work or grab a quick burger at the drive-through, on the way home…do it. Enjoy your meals alone and on the go if it makes you happy.
8. Run the risk of making better meal decisions.
How healthy do you eat when other people aren’t eating healthy? When you eat with a partner or in a group, you might feel peer pressure to eat certain foods. Often when someone is alone, they make better decisions. You might find yourself choosing fruit instead of a dessert or a veggie bake instead of a pizza.
9. Lower restaurant bills.
It is undeniable that when you eat alone in a restaurant, your bill will be lower. People tend to eat more frugally alone. For instance, you might order a juice or a single glass of wine instead of a bottle. You will probably skip on the starters and just have a main meal. If you enjoy eating alone, you will also enjoy cheaper restaurant bills.
10. Eat exactly what you want – no judgment.
Everyone has a few quirks when it comes to eating. Maybe your favorite meal grosses everyone else out. Or perhaps no one enjoys the same type of food that you do. When you become comfortable with eating alone, you can order exactly what you want to eat and never have to deal with embarrassment or judgment.
11. Catch up on reading and television watching.
When you eat a meal with other people, you are typically expected to practice good manners and make conversation. If you eat alone, you will be able to read a book while you eat or catch up on your favorite series while munching back on your favorite meal.
12. Follow a strict diet.
If you are trying to diet and lose weight, it is easier to do if you eat alone. When you eat with other people who are not on a strict diet, you will have food envy – but that’s not the worst of it. You will also be more prone to cheating on your diet. If you are serious about dieting, eating alone can really help you to reach your goals with greater ease.
All in all
When it comes to sharing meals, everyone is different. If you enjoy sharing meals with other people; great – you should. If you don’t and you have your reasons for eating alone, you absolutely should. Eating alone has its perks – I’d know!
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who share their experiences and knowledge about the "Seven F's of Life".
JC Franco
JC Franco is a New York-based editor for Lifevif. He mainly focuses on content about faith, spirituality, personal growth, finance, and sports. He graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, majoring in Marketing. He is a certified tennis instructor who teaches in the New York City Metropolitan area. In terms of finance, he has passed the Level I exam of the CFA program.