Proper Dining Etiquette - Showing Class And Poise At The Table

Proper dining etiquette is all about the way you eat your food. If you need a refresher course on which utensil to use when, you will want to check out the table setting etiquette page. 

So, the real question is how to eat without offending other people... 

Do other people really get offended by the way people eat? Well, let me ask you a few questions:

• Does it bother you when people eat with their mouth open?
• Or when they talk while chewing so that food is spraying out?
• Or slurping their drink?
• Or using their fingers to eat when they shouldn't?
• Double dipping a chip in a salsa bowl for the table?
• Belching loudly at the end of the meal?

If any of these sounded gross to then, then you would be offended by someone's table manners. That is why you want to have proper dining etiquette. You want people to remember you in a good way...if they remember that you are a pig, that isn't a good thing...

Proper Dining Etiquette Rules

Not Proper Dining Etiquette

The first thing to remember is that no one wants to see your food when you are chewing. Food only looks worse when you are chewing it. It will not look any better in your mouth than on your plate. So, do everyone a favor and keep your lips closed when chewing. 

If you have to talk, do it after you are done chewing. Everyone will appreciate the proper eating etiquette. They will be happy to wait to hear what you have to say if you are chewing. 

No one likes a double dipper. The double dipper is the person that dips food into a sauce, takes a bite, and then puts the part of the food that touched their mouth back into the sauce for another dip...GROSS! That is almost like licking everyone's food and expecting them to eat it. Have more manners than that...

If you must have more sauce for the rest of the food that you have already bitten, there is a proper way to handle it. Use your spoon to put some sauce on your plate. That way, you can double dip to your heart's content and the rest of the people will not be silently hating you for ruining the sauce. 

Use your silverware when eating with other people. There are certain foods (hamburgers, pizza, etc.) where it is socially acceptable to use your hands to eat. If you are questioning whether you should use silverware or not, it is better to use it and be too proper than not formal enough. Even if others are using their hands, using silverware can help you stand out in a positive way. 

These quick and simple tips will keep you from offending others at the table while eating.