I honestly think we should be able to eat food anytime out of combat. During combat might seem a bit much for some, but even that has been done in some movies such as the 1973 Three Musketeers movie (Michael York, & Raquel Welch starred), where at the Bastille fight scene they used and ate baguettes, cheese, and drank wine in combat. It made for a very enjoyable and fun scene to watch. Not saying this would be common place though, but really it depends on the personality of the participants (i.e. ROLEPLAYING). So it would be nice to have more options. And for those that are stick in the mud rules lawyers... give them the option to restrict themselves without inflicting their opinions (and options) on players that want more freedom in playstyle.
