Streamlining the process of consuming food would make Survival mode less of a hassle to play. There should be an option to assign a key to consume the first food item in the inventory (prioritizing readily-edible food over potentially harmful food). It would mean more time spent enjoying the game, and less time spent fumbling around with the UI every time you need to get some grub.
I bound inventory to Q (and bound whatever defaulted to Q to something else) and it makes it very very quick and easy to eat. Just Q, click food tab, click food and eat, Q to close inventory. Takes moments, and hunger drains so slowly that you really have all the time in the world. Healing items are better to have as a hotkey since those are likely something you want instantly in the heat of battle. But in either case, you can put it on the hotbar too. Mkae your alt-hotbar just a whole array of foods. Swap bars and instantly you have food in hand
Q is faster to press since my fingers are already at WAD. 'i' is much more out-of-the-way. When you want to act fast, Q is far more ideal I think Q is the default for drop too, which is horrible for me. I'd hate to accidentally drop something. I'd prefer the functions I commonly need to be right around WASD
I think a quick eat key would be a welcome addition but ultimately unnecessary addition. What benefits are there to quickly eating something? A few seconds should not be the difference between life and death, as you are warned of starvation long before you actually starve. When you open your inventory you at least have an option as to what you shove down your pie hole. I take my welcome back, a quick eat key is unnecessary. Quick eat will not save your life, what will is putting meds on your hotbar.
On that sort of note, in Skyrim there was a "Loot all" key. Now that is a hotkey I wouldn't mind. I know they have a button in an inventory to "Take all" but the same issue here is just moving your mouse over it each and every time.
