Britain's minute meals: More than half are in too much of a rush to finish dinner to chew their food properly Brits eat in a hurry to 'get on with other things', survey finds Average adult spends less than 25 minutes to eat all their meals Meetings, commuting or looking after children takes precedence Minute meal: The average Briton finishes breakfast, lunch and dinner in under 25 minutes Britons are too busy to eat with the average adult finishing all three meals in under half-an-hour, a survey has found. Most people only spend six minutes on breakfast, eight on lunch and a shocking nine minutes having dinner. More than half rush through their meals in a matter of minutes to 'get on with other things' such as meetings, commuting or looking after children. According to research a majority of Brits finish all their meals in 23 minutes, despite knowing that the recommended time spent on each meal is 20 minutes. A fifth never even sit down at a table to eat and one third eat so fast they 'barely even notice the taste of the food'. Kristina Locke, founder of Conscious Food which commissioned the study, said: "We are constantly surprised by the lack of time and importance that people dedicate to eating. Eighty per cent of those polled understood that they should spend at least 20 minutes eating each meal but our research indicates that they are in fact eating all three meals in a third of this time. This only serves to highlight the need to address these issues and educate people on the importance of eating slowly and chewing food properly. Our lives have become increasingly hectic and it's clear that people are prioritising work and other commitments over taking time to sit down and eat meals. In truth, most British adults are grabbing food on the run, eating it quickly and as such aren't giving themselves the time to chew and digest their food. This common pattern results in an increase of people suffering with digestive issues which are easily preventable. Rush hour: The recommended time for each meal is 20 minutes, but a majority of UK adults do not even manage half of that for any food Work takes precedence for many UK adults, with a quarter skipping meals or preferring lunch 'al desco' to crack on with important work rather than waste time eating. A further 21 per cent of adults skip breakfast or eat it on the go in order to get to work early, and 16 per cent will either miss a meal or carry it with them on public transport, rather than risk missing the bus or train. And because of this, 33 per cent will eat one or more meal a day on the run, while 42 per cent think nothing of eating two of more meals at the desk. Our hectic life style has also had an impact on the traditional family dinner, with 15 per cent admitting they will squeeze meals in wherever they can between picking the children up from school and ferrying them to and from kid's clubs. The study found the typical adult plans just 3 meals out of 28 in advance each week - opting to "wing it" minutes before a meal time instead. Tradition lost: With the average adult spending only nine minutes eating dinner, family meals are becoming a rare occasion in many British homes This may be one of the reasons why nearly one fifth frequently skip meals altogether because they have not had time to prepare anything. Researchers found leading a busy lifestyle and rushing meals can have negative health consequences for many. A staggering 73 per cent of people polled suffer from digestive issues, with four in 10 people admitting this might be a direct result of eating too quickly. And 44 per cent of people are prepared to cut out food groups altogether to alleviate their problems, rather than simply slowing down and enjoying their food. Ms Locke added: "The time we spend eating and chewing our food is incredibly important to our digestive health. Sixty-five per cent of people think that each mouthful needs to be chewed ten times or less when in reality it should be between 20-30 times for improved digestion.