Preparing for the Challenge
Know the risks. Eating these in such a short amount of time with no hydration will make your mouth and throat extremely dry, and speed eating in general can be dangerous.
Believe in yourself. Watch videos of people successfully eating 6 saltines in under a minute. Know that the challenge can be defeated before you begin. Watching videos can also give you ideas for strategies to try. Imagine yourself accomplishing the task and remind yourself daily that you can do it.
Prepare your crackers. You'll want to have your crackers laid out in the order you want to eat them and make sure they are easy to grab. It's easier if you place the entire cracker in your mouth and chew so be prepared to pick each cracker up with your thumb and index finger in order to place it wholly in your mouth.
Have water nearby. You will need to keep hydrated so make sure to drink water right before the challenge and the crackers will have an easier time going down. It helps to drink a glass of water before the challenge so your mouth and throat are hydrated. If you want to get your mouth watering naturally just think about sour candy, or anything else that may jump-start your saliva.
Picking a Chunking Strategy
Try the 3,2,1 strategy. There are several strategies called chunking strategies that could give you better results. This strategy is done by eating your crackers in sets of three, then two, and eating the last cracker on it's own. Your saliva is absorbed after eating two saltines separately, so when you use this strategy it is said to be easier since half of the challenge is over with in the first go. The next two crackers can be managed, knowing you're almost finished, and the last cracker isn't as daunting since there is only one. There is always a choking hazard with food competitions and this one isn't any different. When stacking the crackers, gently place them wholly in your mouth and crush them between the roof of your mouth and your tongue. It's helpful to first gum the crackers to make sure they're covered in saliva so when you open your mouth the chew there aren't stray crumbs which can fly into your throat and cause you to choke or cough.
Try pairing the crackers for consumption. So eating 2, 2, and 2. You can set the pairs up in three stacks for a more efficient way to pick them up. This strategy may work for people who can't fit three crackers in their mouth at once but still want to get it over with faster than one by one. Again, the advantage here is that you can crush more crackers at a time with the same amount of saliva. There is less of a choking hazard by placing only two crackers each time, but the gumming technique still applies. This strategy may feel less effective than the 3,2,1 strategy when you have the last two crackers staring you down and your mouth is already dried up from the first two sets.
Try eating all 6 crackers at once! You'll want to stack the crackers first, then take your time figuring out how you will pick them up so none slip out. Finally, you can work on getting them in your mouth gently and efficiently. You'll have a minute to chew and swallow but the foundation to completing the challenge in time is finding a way to place them in your mouth that works best for you. Avoid breathing with your mouth. You're not really safe from the cracker crumbs until you can close your mouth around the crackers and gum away so breathing through your nose is a better option. This strategy can be skipped when practicing if you feel like the others will suite you better. This should only be done with water on hand in case things don't go so well and all those crumbs dry you out and leave you coughing up your crackers.
Performing the Challenge
Practice before the challenge. Have your timer ready and try out what strategy you think will work best for you. It's helpful to try these out on your own to make sure you can master it before making bets and doing the challenge in public. Watch more videos of people completing the challenge. How much time is given to chewing/gumming? How long is it taking others to finish two crackers at a time? One? Three? All six? Take notes on what techniques you believe are most effective.
Keep your cool. If you get over-excited or nervous you may breathe in the crumbs in your rush to stuff the crackers in your mouth and you won't be able to finish in time. Also, avoid shoving the crackers in your mouth as you could jab the back of your throat or poke your gums with the edges of the crackers. Try to relax and believe you can do it.
Go for it! You've done the prep work and are ready now. Tell your friends you can do it, take a deep breath, set your timer and defy the Saltine Challenge!
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