Ever wonder how long does various food stays in our stomach before it gets ’emptied’ ?
Here are the list of common food groups and their digestion times :
Water
When stomach is empty, water leaves immediately and goes to the intestines.
Juices
Fruit, Vegetables or Vegetable-based Broth -> 15 to 20 minutes.
Semi Liquid Food
Blended Salad, Vegetables or Fruits -> 20 to 30 minutes.
Fruits
Watermelon, Canteloupe, Honeydew, Oranges, Grapefruit, Grapes, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Cherries -> 30 to 40 minutes.
Vegetables (in Raw Tossed Salad form)
Tomatoes, Lettuces, Cucumber, Celerey, Red & Green Pepper -> 30 to 40 minutes.
Steamed Or Cooked Vegetables
Spinach, Kale, Collards, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, String Beans, Yellow Squash, Corn On Cob, Carrots, Beets, Parsnips, Turnips -> 40 to 50 minutes.
Semi Concentrated Carbohydrates (Starch)
Corn, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Yam, Chestnuts -> 60 minutes.
Concentrated Carbohydrates (Grains)
Brown Rice, Millet, Buckwheat, Cornmeal, Oats -> 90 minutes.
Concentrated Carbohydrates and Proteins – Legumes and Beans
- Lentils, Lima Beans, Chick Peas, Peas, Pigeon Peas, Kidney Beans -> 90 minutes.
- Soybeans -> 120 minutes
Seeds and Nuts
Sunflower, Pumpkin, Sesame Seeds, Alomnds, Peanuts(raw form), Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Walnuts, Pecans -> 2.5 Hours to 3 hours.
Dairy
- Skim Milk, Cottage/Low-Fat Pot Cheese, Ricotta -> 90 minutes
- Whole Milk Cottage Cheese -> 120 Minutes
- Whole Milk Hard Cheese -> 4 to 5 hours
Animal Proteins
- Egg Yolk -> 30 minutes
- Whole Egg -> 45 minutes
- Salmon, Herring, Fatty-type Fish -> 45 to 60 minutes
- Chicken (without skin) -> 1.5 to 2 hours
- Turkey (without skin) -> 2 to 2.25 hours
- Beef, Lamb -> 3 to 4 hours
- Pork -> 4.5 to 5 hours