A lot of the game is based on timers, and I see no real reason to change that, however, meals are something that might make be more user friendly if they were not timed. Instead, they would be active for a fixed number of actions/interactions/requests/clicks on the appropriate feature. So rather than racing against a timer to sell things while your shrimp is up, it would be valid for X sales or items sold. Cat’s Meow would last for X fishing actions, Chiwder for X lemonades, Breakfast Boosts for X harvests, etc.
This removes the execution barrier for users with disabilities or even just so you don’t lose time trying to find the right fishing hole or sell capped items so you can keep fishing. It also makes meals equal for all users instead of punishing users with slow internet or devices while they wait for the server to respond or a screen to load.
A potential downside to this change is that meal effects may become too predictable and that may negatively affect the experience for users when they are deciding what meals to cook and eat. I’m not sure that’s really a downside, but I can see how an element of variance adds to the fun of a game, and being able to math out exactly how a meal will resolve might reduce enjoyment for some
