With the festive season fast approaching, everyone is in the mood for food! Beyond Christmas dinners and sweet treats, Major League Eating contests are a huge part of our national heritage, with contestants loosening their belts in an attempt to be crowned the fastest and most dedicated eater.
With this in mind, the team at High 5 Casino wanted to find out which are the most extreme eating contests in America, and how many calories an “athlete” will have to consume to win the trophy.
The most extreme eating contests in America
America has a wide range of Major League Eating contests, each focusing on how many units and calories are consumed in a set timeframe. So, put on your bib and prepare to chow down, because here are the top 10 eating contests in the USA.
Indiana
Indiana is home to the top two Major League Eating contests: the Jack’s Donut World Donut Hole Eating Championships of 2023 and 2024. In 2024, which takes the number one spot, James Webb ate 359 donut holes in just 8 minutes. That’s a total of 71,800 calories! Webb beat the previous year’s winner, Geoff Esper, who “only” managed 344 donut holes in the same amount of time, which came to 68,800 calories. Both winners took home the $4,000 prize.
New York
New York takes second, fourth and twelfth place. At two of the Mattituck Lions Club World Strawberry Shortcake Eating Championships, the winner was none other than Geoff Esper, who ate 23.75lbs (37,275 calories) of strawberry shortcake in 2022 and 21lbs (32,959 calories) in 2023. The prize in 2022 was $3,500, which increased to $5,000 for Esper’s second win.
New York also held the Wing It On! USA Chicken Wing Eating Championship in 2023, where James Webb ate 276 buffalo wings (35,190) in 12 minutes and took home another $5,000.
Missouri
James Webb also won the Inaugural Eating Uranus Fudge Galactic Championship in 2024. At this contest he consumed 13.5lbs of chocolate fudge (28,230 calories) in 8 minutes, for which he was awarded $5,000.
New Jersey
Geoff Esper won two Trenton Thunder World Pork Roll Championships at River Fest in New Jersey. At one he ate 43.5 Case’s Pork Roll Sandwiches (22,490 calories) in 8 minutes, and at the other he managed 44.5 of them (23,007) in 10 minutes. Both championships awarded him $4,000 for his porky triumph.
Texas
It’s Geoff Esper again, as he won two of the Padrino Foods World Tamale Eating Championships in Texas, both of which awarded him $4,500. Esper ate 80 tamales (22,720 calories) and then 88 tamales (24,992), each in 10 minutes flat.
The best states for competitive eating
Now let’s take a look at which US states rank highest for competitive eating.
At number one it’s New York, with 103 eating challenges, 9 events in the last year, 5 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, and a Google Search volume of 27,410 for eating contests. This gives NY a total score of 83.57 out of 100.
Below are the rest of the top 10 states ranked from top to bottom. We’re sure you’ll agree that their stats are nothing to be sniffed at (although a burp would be acceptable).
MLE Events in the past year
- #2: Texas – 151 eating challenges, 3 events in the last year, 5 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 39,330 = total score of 81.99 out of 100.
- #3: Florida – 140 eating challenges, 2 events in the last year, 4 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 26,450 = total score of 64.18 out of 100.
- #4: California – 170 eating challenges, 2 events in the last year, 1 Major League Eating (MLE) eater, Google Search volume of 24,920 = total score of 52.79 out of 100.
- #5: Pennsylvania – 103 eating challenges, 0 events in the last year, 5 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 18,490 = total score of 52.78 out of 100.
- #6: Illinois – 91 eating challenges, 0 events in the last year, 3 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 18,190 = total score of 40.75 out of 100.
- #7: Ohio – 68 eating challenges, 2 events in the last year, 2 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 17,980 = total score of 37.64 out of 100.
- #8: Indiana – 61 eating challenges, 3 events in the last year, 2 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 10,170 = total score of 34.28 out of 100.
- #9: Michigan – 122 eating challenges, 2 events in the last year, 0 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 14,510 = total score of 33.67 out of 100.
- #10: North Carolina – 163 eating challenges, 0 events in the last year, 0 Major League Eating (MLE) eaters, Google Search volume of 12,620 = total score of 33.18 out of 100.
The best eaters in the country
Even if you have a healthy appetite, it’s not easy to win at a Major League Eating contest. Each MLE champion has earned their rightful place, as they have to beat the clock, impressive records, fierce competition, and the very real threat of debilitating acid reflux. Without further ado, here are the top 5 MLE eaters in the USA.
At number one it’s Joey Chestnut (40 years old), who in 2024 ate a record-breaking 14lbs of bologna slices.
Also in 2024, Patrick Bertoletti (39) took the record for chicken nuggets, eating a whopping 220 nuggies and putting him at second place in our rankings.
Back in 2010, Sonya Thomas (57) wowed the audience when she gobbled down 6.93lbs of buffalo chicken tenders, making her the third best eater in the country. This was particularly impressive when you take into account that she only weighs 105lbs.
Number four is good old Geoff Esper (49), who happily consumed 17.75 bagels with cream cheese in 2023.
And at number five it’s Matt Stonie (32), eating an amazing 28.5 24oz servings of popcorn in 2021. He wasn’t even watching a movie at the time.
How to prepare for an eating contest
Though Major League Eating may sound like the perfect sport for anyone who enjoys their food, you have to be very careful if you plan to enter a contest.
Here are some competitive eating tips from Food Challenges:
- Build stomach capacity gradually: Start by drinking lots of water in short intervals, then move to solid foods like watermelon to stretch your stomach gradually. This helps expand your capacity safely over time.
- Practice speed and chewing: Work on chewing and swallowing quickly with practice foods that are safe for fast consumption, like grapes or small bites of bread. This improves your pacing and helps avoid swallowing difficulties.
- Condition your breathing: Eating large amounts quickly can make breathing difficult, so practice breathing exercises that build control. Try deep belly breathing in between bites during practice to maintain a steady rhythm.
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Methodology
This study ranks the most extreme eating contests in America. To establish the ranking, all the major league events that took place in the last year were taken into account. Based on the discipline, the calorie count for each food was calculated and multiplied by the number of units eaten or pounds (lbs) of food consumed. The eating contests were then ranked from highest to lowest based on the number of calories consumed per minute by the winner.
The study also ranks the best states for competitive eating based on the following factors:
- Eating challenges – The number of eating challenges in each state as recorded by https://www.foodchallenges.com.
- MLE Eaters – The number of MLE eaters from each state as recorded by https://majorleagueeating.com.
- MLE Events – The number of MLE events in the last 12 months and where they are located.
- Search Volume – Search Volume for the keywords “competitive eating”, “food challenge”, “major league eating” and “man versus food” in the past 12 months for each state.
Data is accurate as of 11/07/2024. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided