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This Super-Simple Habit Helps You Eat Less and Feel More Satisfied

May 19, 2025

What if you could eat 16 percent less at every meal but feel just as satisfied?

For most people, that’d be enough to lose two or three pounds a month—without intentionally cutting back or feeling deprived.

And what if this same strategy could help reduce your stress levels? A side effect that could help you make better nutrition choices overall. (Hint: Most folks aren’t reaching for veggies when they “stress eat.”)

It takes some practice, but this is exactly what can happen when you get really good at “slow eating.”

The end-result: Easier weight loss, better digestion, and a healthier relationship with food. So, if you want to eat less but feel more in control, keep reading: I’ll show you how.

The Science of Slow Eating

When it comes to calorie intake, we can sum up the research pretty quickly, thanks to a University of Liverpool meta-analysis of 22 slow eating studies.

The researchers found that people consume fewer calories when they eat slowly but don’t report feeling hungrier afterward.¹ For example, in one study the scientists reviewed, participants ate 16 percent fewer calories just by eating fewer bites per minute.²

How Fast Eating Triggers Your Stress Response

It’s pretty obvious that wolfing down breakfast over the sink doesn’t give off “I’m totally chill” vibes. But most people don’t realize it can actually elevate your stress levels.

That’s because when you rush through a meal, your body interprets that to mean you’re under stress or being threatened in some way. (Even just eating while you drive or are working can send your body the wrong signals.)

That’s not great for your digestion—and it can also cause you to eat more.

Here’s why: Stress activates your sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your “fight or flight” response.

This is helpful if you’re in danger. But if you’re eating? Not so much. It deprioritizes digestion, making it harder for your body to process food efficiently.

Slow Down to Calm Down

By consciously slowing down, fully chewing your food, and trying to savor every bite, you can engage your parasympathetic system and switch to “rest and digest” mode.

The benefits: One study found that chewing food thoroughly enhances blood flow to your intestines for better digestion and increases diet-induced thermogenesis (the energy you burn digesting food).³

Other studies show this approach can help decrease calorie and self-reported hunger levels because it gives your gut enough time to produce hormones to tell your brain it’s full.⁴

But there’s also this: When you’re less stressed, you think more clearly. You feel more in control. And you act less impulsively. So it’s easier to make food choices you’ll actually feel good about.

How to Master Slow Eating

As weird as it sounds, slow eating is a skill. Some people are innately good at it, but most of us have to practice to develop it. And like anything, the more you practice, the more natural it’ll start to feel.

To be sure, slow eating can feel really hard at first. Especially if you’ve been a fast-eater most of your life. Don’t feel like you should master it overnight—and don’t give up if you really struggle in the beginning. Just try to make progress.

Here are some tips for getting started:

1. After each bite, do one of the following:

Put your fork down.
Take a deep breath (or two).
Have a sip of water.

Or, if you’re up for a real challenge, try combining two or three of these tips. Drinking water between bites will also add volume to your meal, which can increase fullness and satisfaction.

2. Try timing your meals. Aim to take a little longer each time you eat—even if it’s only by 10 seconds. This approach isn’t for everyone as, for some, it can cause some extra stress. So disregard if it seems too much like a competition, or you hate “being on the clock.”

3. Chew your food twice as much as normal. You could count chews, but you don’t have to: Right before you have the instinct to swallow, pause, and chew a few more times.

4. Pretend you’re a food critic. Smell your food first, take a small bite, try to identify the different ingredients, flavors, and textures. Sample it again, and repeat. Have fun and really experience what you’re eating.

5. Remember this saying: “Don’t put food in your mouth when there’s food in your mouth.” This one can work wonders for fast eaters.

One last tip: Slow eating can help with nearly any meal—but it tends to work best with whole, minimally processed foods. The flavors are more satisfying, the textures take more time to chew, and your body gets more of what it actually needs.

In other words, the more your food looks like food, the more your body responds the way it’s supposed to.

And it’s not just about eating less. It’s about feeling better every time you sit down to eat.

(BTW, if you like this “slow eating” challenge, you’ll love the Hyman Hive, where we take on monthly challenges as a community. Plus, get VIP access to live events with me and 20% off all supplements and programs in the Dr. Hyman store.)