How many times should you chew your food?

Soft foods should be chewed between five to 10 times before they are swallowed while tougher, harder foods should be chewed roughly 30 times. Chewing foods this frequently reduces the risk of choking and allows people to absorb more nutrients from the foods they eat.

Digestion starts in the mouth with a person's saliva. As food enters the mouth, saliva is created by salivary glands that contain digestive enzymes. Chewing helps to mechanically digest the foods a person eats while the enzymes in his saliva helps to break down the food into smaller chemical compounds that can be digested in the remaining digestive system.