I am one of the people that takes twice as long to accelerate at a stoplight...
1. Gasoline engines are most efficient at wide-open throttle where they can breathe and aren't sucking against the restriction of a throttle blade, but...
2. The more power the engine generates, the more waste heat created from fluid shear.
3. The longer it takes to reach cruising speed, the longer the transmission takes the transmission to reach 5th gear. You want to be in as high a gear as possible.
Considering items 1-3, there is a "most efficient" balance point between acceleration times and fuel economy. You don't want to burn rubber, but you don't want to drive like you're on ice, either. The most efficient acceleration point is in the middle. The biggest waste of energy in a non-hybrid vehicle is use of the brakes. It doesn't matter how "hard" or "gentle" you are on the brakes since a light application over a long distance generates the same amount of waste heat as a heavier application over a shorter distance. You're convering the kinetic motion of the vehicle to waste heat with any brake application - this is simple physics.
The highest fuel economy will be obtained by:
1. Combining short trips into one long trip.
2. Using the brakes as little as possible.
3. Accelerating "normally" - not too slow and not too fast.
4. Never running the air conditioner.
5. Always keeping the windows up.
6. Turning as little as possible.
7. Minimizing electrical loads.
8. Eliminating all possible weight.
9. Using ethanol-free gasoline.
10. Avoiding headwinds and preferring tailwinds.
11. Drive only on smooth, flat roads to avoid downshifting.
12. Drive as slow as possible, but at least 45 MPH so the transmission can remain in 5th gear.
The more of these things you can do, the better your fuel economy will be. It is very possible (although very impractical and often unsafe) to achieve over 25+ MPG in a Ridgeline.