14 Advantages / Benefits of Eating Fast (Devil’s Advocate!)

Last Updated on February 14, 2024 by Lifevif Team and JC Franco

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We often hear about the benefits of eating slowly, and these benefits do, of course, have merit. But what if we played devil’s advocate for a few minutes? What if we considered the possible benefits and advantages of eating fast? Let’s dig a little deeper into how eating fast can be beneficial too.

Yup, as you’ll see, there are quite a few benefits of eating quickly. If you can get your meals done and dusted quickly, you can enjoy a variety of advantages. If you would like to learn about the advantages and benefits of guzzling down your next meal quickly, read through the 14 simple benefits and advantages of eating fast and discover a bit more about why and how eating fast can add some value to your life.

These are 14 benefits and advantages of eating fast:

1. Be more productive. 

When you eat fast, you can quickly distract from your to-do list, but get back to it as soon as possible. If you have a demanding job or are working on a project that takes a lot of your time and attention, there’s probably not much time for enjoying a languid meal. It is better to gulp your meal back quickly than to miss out on it altogether. 

2. Be ready and on the go – always.

Have you ever been asked to head out for a night on the town or to go somewhere exciting, but you haven’t had time for a meal yet? Or you are just sitting down to dinner with the family? If you take a long time to eat your meals, chances are that you will miss out on opportunities. If you eat fast, you can always be ready and on the go. You will miss out on fewer exciting opportunities and will have a mindset of always being ready for what life has to throw at you.

3. Eat fast, and you will never miss out on meals.

If you take too long to eat, you might find yourself running out of time to eat when you are pressed for time. By eating fast, you can sneak meals in between classes, meetings, school runs, and time at your desk. By eating quickly, there’s never a need to miss out on a meal and feel hungry. 

4. Bulk up (bodybuilding).

It’s no secret that bodybuilders need to eat more food in the day than the average person. This is to ensure that they get extra protein and carbohydrates. For some, eating so many meals isn’t easy. If you want to bulk up but don’t have time to stop every few hours to have a meal, you might need to learn to eat a lot faster. 

5. Enjoy more quality and fun time.

How much free time do you have to relax, unwind, and have fun? There’s no denying that prepping and cooking meals takes plenty of time out of the day – then you need to spend even more time eating these meals. Is there a way to cut back on the time spent? 

Get meals out of the way by eating quickly so that you can spend more time having fun with family, friends, and loved ones. For some, a meal is a good time to spend quality time with others, but if you prefer to do an activity together, getting the meal out of the way quickly is the best way to ensure that you have enough time for fun. 

6. Gain weight.

If you are underweight but don’t particularly like to eat, you can get your meals out of the way by eating as quickly as possible. Gaining weight doesn’t have to involve poor quality meals, but can involve smaller, more frequent meals that can be eaten quickly. If you have an eating disorder or don’t enjoy eating frequently while being underweight, try eating a bit faster – just to get it out of the way.

7. Get the nutrients in without the taste.

Some people absolutely love the taste of vegetables, while others don’t. Of course, we all need to have a healthy and balanced diet, including fresh fruits and vegetables in order to get the vitamins and nutrients we need to be healthy and flourish. 

woman eating fast food salad
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If you want to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need, but don’t want to spend too much time savoring the broccoli and Brussel sprouts on your plate, gobble them up quickly. The quicker you eat them, the easier it will be to get what you need.

8. Avoid embarrassment.

If you go to a restaurant or have a dinner party at your house and hold everyone up by taking far longer to eat than everyone else, chances are that you are going to feel embarrassed. You may even end up wasting your meal by saying you are finished when you are not. If you want to avoid the possible embarrassment, make sure that you speed up your eating style. The faster you eat, the less chance you stand of being an embarrassed slow-eater, the next time you head out to a restaurant meal or invite others over for a dinner party. 

9. Make meals less of a big deal (for fussy eaters).

If you are dealing with kids who are fussy eaters or if you are a fussy eater yourself, you will know just how difficult it can be to get through a meal. For some, it is the look of the food; for others, it is the taste or texture that puts them off certain foods. Whatever the case may be, fussy eaters can avoid the unpleasant experience by eating their meal quickly. This makes mealtimes less of a big deal and makes it easier to get the required nutrients too. 

10. Eat while working. 

If you are a slow and languid eater, chances are that you won’t be able to eat while sitting at the computer, studying a chapter of your course, or being on the go. You can’t sit down and cut up your food and chew each bite carefully when you are working and mostly distracted. By learning to eat fast, you can get a meal in while you are working, studying, or traveling. 

11. Don’t miss out on nutrients and vitamins. 

For many people, it is the time that a meal takes that puts them off. Often missing meals or eating takeout as a way to save on time results in a more serious problem: missing out on nutrients and vitamins. There is no need to skip meals or buy takeout meals in order to save time when you can eat your meals faster. This way, you can get the nutrients and vitamins that you need while saving on time. It’s a win-win. 

12. More time to relax and unwind.

Meals can take a lot of time to prepare, cook, eat, and then clear away. If you would prefer time reading a good book, watching television, or going for an evening stroll, you can speed up your meal times to allow for it. Eating faster means that you can get everything cleared up and packed away early so that you have more free time to relax, unwind, and enjoy yourself. 

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13. Feel less lonely. 

Meals are universally seen as something to share with a significant other, friends, or family. If you find that you feel lonely when you sit down to eat a meal, eating faster can solve this problem for you. Eat a quick meal on the go and completely eliminate the risk of feeling lonely

14. Hog the “seconds” for yourself.

If you live in a big family where there’s high competition for second helpings, you might want to eat a bit faster so that you can get to those “seconds” before anyone else. Want all the leftovers or “seconds” to yourself? Eat quicker and beat others to it.

In closing

Eating fast has merit; there’s no denying that. Finally, those who do eat fast can find some justification in their eating style. If you have been looking for reasons to warrant the fact that you eat faster than other people, here they are! The above 14 benefits and advantages are all thanks to eating a little faster. If you need to, go ahead – eat your meal a little bit faster! 

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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
Editor | + posts

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.