Do you take the time to form the perfect bite?

Most of the time, I just don’t have time in my daily life to sit and enjoy a meal. I don’t think many people do. People are always rushing around so busily. They eat because they need to, not because they enjoy what they are eating. I’m guilty of this myself. I only ever get to enjoy my meal on holidays or rare occasions. Most of my meals are shared with a history textbook or rushed in the car. I can imagine how pleasant life would be if I could eat without being stressed. I hate to sound cliché but the term “yolo” comes to mind. You should enjoy every meal because you never know which will be your last. And we are so fortunate to have easily accessible food to scoff down. On the opposite side of the spectrum, many people would cherish the food we idly chomp on.

I generally shovel it in as fast as I can, which has resulted in forming the perfect set of spare tires on my abdomen. If I’m trying something new, I’ll attempt to have a very focused sensation of taste/smell. But for all the usual favorites that I eat, I just feed the craving. I am not fully evolved, but I’m working on it.

I don’t always form the perfect bite, but as my husband and I share cooking duties, we do try to slow it down and enjoy it. Our friends are also interested in healthy, good, preferably local foods grown without pesticides.

We love the idea of all of us living in a commune type setting and growing all our own food, possibly opening a restaurant with natural foods and game.

Drink a full glass of water before each meal, or eat celery if you don’t like water.

I live to eat, and my stomach is testimony to that fact.

Most foods do not conform to the perfect bite theory. Thanksgiving meal is the exception to that pattern. But there are certain foods that are particularly moving. They grab you when you taste them. They have interesting contrasts in texture and creaminess and variety and piquancy of flavors.

I’m not a big fan of eating with your sole attention on food. For me, food is more of a social thing, and I want to pay attention to my children when we eat dinner. It is the one time we gather all together during the say. Still, food and flavor is a part of that. But perfect bite seems to me to be giving food too much attention. There’s a balance. The perfect bite seems excessive to me.

I am a foodie so I do live to eat, but I am also a diabetic so I understand the importance of eating to live. Skipping a meal or not paying attention to what I am eating is simply out of the question for me. If I rush a meal or eat haphazardly, I might forget what or how much I’ve eaten, which will lead to a miscalculated insulin dose, which could screw my cognitive abilities up for a whole day, or even lead to getting an infection.

Plenty of my colleagues work right through all their meals, but I will only do this if I am feeling particularly rushed on a specific assignment. I consider meals the one time of day I get to relax.

And I love combining foods on my fork (or in my hand… Indian style) to form the perfect bite.

I love rice and meat, but I must have both in the same bite, so I am always trying to get rice and meat on my fork, which is not that easy and I’m sure is not that pleasant to watch. Sorry for all of those that have observed this.

Yes. Sandwiches need to have all ingredients evenly across the bread and I even try to bite the crust so there is a similar amount in each bite I take. Same when eating pizza. If I am having a regular entree I still am arranging things on my fork to have ideal bites. I also think about having my last few bites being especially perfect.

@Gabby101 I always eat rice and meat in one bite. Rice on the back of the fork, meat at the front. I get complimented all the time with how I hold and use my flatware. I doubt you have bothered people.

I eat to live; quantity over quality. Sometimes I like it, but most of the time it is just because I should eat. Also, if I eat too slow, I may get fuller faster.

I plan meals so the flavors will go together and there will be some variation in texture and color. I like to do that and I guess I live to eat. I certainly travel on my stomach. Once we had an itinerary that was based primarily on a chain of hotels that were family owned, had an historical building, comfort and an excellent kitchen. We loved it and it was definitely off the beaten track.

I too like good combos on my fork, but I vary it as I eat my meal.

And with my salad at lunch, I like to eat all of the greens before I finish off with a last bite of avocado and cucumber and any bacon on the salad,

My son likes to eat his foods in order, not mixing them at all.

I only do that when I have time to sit down and eat, and when I really enjoy what I’m eating. I definitely live to eat; I’m going to school to be a Chef soon. xD

@NostalgicChills yay! Remember food allergies!
@zenvelo love avocado! So many things are better for it, chocolate pudding, muffins, smoothies. And didn’t we all do that as a child?

@Sunny2 sounds great. A complementary whole is essential and I’m going to have to do meal planning dor my trip.

@dxs ah to be young and carefree.

@JLeslie Yes yes sandwhiches and tacos burritoes easy to get optimum distribution and so worth it.

Gabby101 jleslie is right but another easy way is to use bread or a knife to scoop.

@bookish1 Hands on food is special you have a better connection with your food. I need to learn how to cook indian.

@wundayatta social interaction is an important component and bonding ritual. There are so many rituals surrounding food.

@picante it’s worth the practice your body will reward you.

@KNOWITALL actually I consume little water during a meal. Because i am filling my stomach with food i don’t want to stretch the muscle by adding water to it. Just a thought. But celery is a great snack.

@Carinaponcho Welcome to fluther. What is yolo? And how can you be too busy to take care of yourself?

@rosehips I never would have guessed @Gabby101 is eating without a knife since she is talking about meat. Unless she is Asian, then that would make sense. I always have to ask for a knife in Asian restaurants. Part of the reason is to be able to make the perfect bite, partly because they may not have cut the ingredients small enough for me, and lastly to be able to use the knife to help me get the food on my fork. I never use bread to get food on my fork. Well, I rarely eat bread during an entree anyway, but using other food to eat kind of turns me off. I’m not sure if that is proper etiquette? Not that I am scrutinizing the etiquette, I am just curious about it. I guess people sop up sauces and gravy with bread. I don’t like that either.

@JLeslie I suppose I was pulling from my own experience in which I make one skillet or crockpot meals on occasion, I either pre cut the food or the meat can be pretty soft.

So often I have to run back to the kitchen for a knife.

As far as etiquette and bread sopping well I suppose it is a matter of opinion or what society you are in.

I have fair to decent table manners drilled into me and yet this was perfectly acceptable.

Another stereotype I have in my head is I don’t think of rice meals being served with bread. Not just Asian, Cuban, Mexican, etc. Maybe bread when you first arrive in a restaurant, but not with the rice meal, and especially not at home. But, it’s just a generalization.

@rosehips “Yolo” is an annoying term used by “hipster” teenagers. It stands for “you only live once.” And I’m really too busy to enjoy my meals because I am always rushing between school, work, and taking care of my grandmother who has Alzheimer’s. I barely have time to shower.