Still Love To Eat With Your Hands? Studies Say There is a Reason Why.

eat with hands

We have a variety of Nepali traditions that have either been forgotten or have changed over time. It’s reasonable to state that some of these have improved, while others have not. One of these customs is the basic practice of eating with our hands. The practice which has partly been displaced by the use of gleaming silverware. Though some of us have switched to spoons and forks, most people still like to eat with their hands. Most ancient civilizations, including the Indus Valley, Greeks, and Egyptians, embraced this approach.

According to the Vedas, the hands are the most valuable instruments of action. It says each finger is an extension of the five elements. The thumb represents space, the forefinger represents air, the middle finger represents fire, the ring finger represents water, and the little finger represents Earth. The nerve terminals of the fingertips, according to Ayurveda, are thought to aid digestion. In fact, when you eat with your hands and engage your fingertips, you become more aware of the textures, flavors, and fragrances. Using your hands to eat provides more health benefits than using spoons. We’ve got your back if you haven’t thought about it yet.

Food tastes better, is more pleasurable, and fulfilling when eaten with your hands. However, you may eat more as a result of this finger-licking experience. The study’s conclusions have been published in the Journal of Retailing.

In most parts of Nepal, why do people eat rice with their hands? According to researchers, personally touching the food enhances the eating experience.

In view of the findings, when people with strong self-control touch food directly with their hands rather than using silverware, they not only find what they eat to be tastier and more satisfying, but they also eat more.

The Study

According to many studies, eating meals with your hands enhances the overall experience. Particularly, the study published in the Journal of Retailing says eating food with one’s hands makes it not only tastier but also more gratifying. When compared to eating with silverware, this approach allows a person to consume more.

Their findings imply that physical touch induces a heightened sensory response in persons who frequently manage their food consumption, making food more attractive and enticing.


The researchers had 45 undergraduate students visually scrutinize and evaluate a cube of Muenster cheese. They were told to hold it before eating it, and then answer questions regarding their eating habits in her first experiment.

Half of the participants tried a cheese cube with an appetizer using a pick. The other half tried a cheese cube without a pick. Initially, there was no discernible difference between the two groups.


The researchers discovered that when participants used their hands to eat, the cheese was tastier and more appetizing. Participants who reported a high degree of self-control when consuming food — individuals who report that they can resist tasty foods and are conscious about what and how much they eat — found the cheese to be tastier and more appetizing.

Does Self-Control Play a Role?

These findings held true even when the researchers manipulated participants’ thoughts on self-control, goals, and food consumption. This implies that a high level of self-control influences how people experience food when they touch it directly with their hands — demonstrating whether self-control is real or primed.


The researchers divided a new group of 145 undergraduate students into two groups in the second experiment. Imagine that the first group has decided to be more careful with their food and cut back on overeating in order to attain their long-term goal of being fit and healthy. The second was that they had resolved to stop worrying about their weight all of the time. And instead allow themselves to appreciate life and its joys by indulging in delectable foods more frequently.


Only half of the participants were allowed to use their hands. The remainder utilized picks, and all were handed a plastic cup with four small donuts inside. The participants were next instructed to visually analyze and rate the tiny doughnuts on hedonistic attributes. This includes texture, freshness, quality, and nutrition, just as they had done in the first trial. In order to acquire a measure of mindfulness and sensory experience, the researchers also asked them to report their level of focus and attention while eating the mini donuts.


Participants rated the sampled food more highly when they were primed with self-control (vs. indulgent) thinking rather than when they touched it directly with their hands, according to the study. It also shows that the heightened sensory experience participants described in the direct contact or self-control conditions was the mechanism underlying this effect.

To Sum it Up

Ultimately, the big takeaway is that it explains why you might be reaching for an extra piece of chicken wings. Or why you might be overindulging in that bowl of french fries. You might eat less pizza if you eat it with a knife and fork. But the study also suggests that it won’t taste as wonderful as it does when you take a slice with your hands. Who wants to eat pizza with a knife and fork, anyway?

Visit our Food Archives to learn more about food related topics. You might also find this article about following the Keto diet in Nepal interesting.

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