Are you an extrovert? A risk taker? A traditionalist? These crave-worthy foods can tell you some surprisingly intimate things about yourself.
Here’s What Your Favorite Food Says About You
Updated on Jun. 26, 2025
If you put hot sauce on your hot peppers
If your taste buds crave heat and your motto is “bring the burn,” chances are you live for excitement, in and out of the kitchen. According to a study published in Food Quality and Preference, people who love their food spicy are also adrenaline junkies, desiring novel and intense stimulation.
Spicy foods set off pain receptors—which you’d think would be a deterrent to eating them—yet for some people, that’s the allure. Who needs roller coasters when you’ve got jalapeños?
If you love sour gummy worms enough to lick the last sugar crystals from the bag
Who doesn’t love a good sweet-and-sour combo? Yet there’s something particularly crave-worthy about those sour fruit candies, especially if you often feel conflicted or frustrated with your life, says Kessler.
That’s right: Your favorite candy can say a lot about you. “Sweets in general are often used as comfort foods, while people seek out sour foods when they’re on edge, restless or anxious,” she explains. If you constantly crave the two flavors together, it may indicate that you get overwhelmed easily, but you’re also good at bringing balance back to your life.
If you’re always first in line at the newest food truck
When deciding where to eat out, do you feel excited to experiment with the new fusion restaurant? Do you buy random foods at the store, even if you don’t know what they are, just because they look fun? Did you serve a Turducken at Thanksgiving? If you answered a rousing yes, your craving for new foods suggests that you’re likely a risk taker who also loves things like bungee jumping or the stock market, according to Kessler.
She adds that for you, a new food is like a new adventure waiting to happen, and you’re not going to miss a minute (or taste) of it.
If you pick the caramel corn out of the cheese-and-caramel popcorn mix
Having a sweet tooth may mean you have a sweet personality too, according to a study published in the Journal of Research in Personality. The researchers found that people who crave cake, candy bars or other similarly sweet foods are more likely to be agreeable, friendly, pleasant and outgoing.
Maybe Oscar the Grouch just needed to spend a little more time with Cookie Monster?
If your go-to happy food is pizza
You’re not alone if pizza tops the list of your favorite foods. One reason you can’t resist a slice is that pizza is the most addictive food, according to a study published in PLOS One. The combination of fats and simple carbs makes the brain light up like a Christmas tree. (Hey! We’re right there with you.)
But your love for that cheesy, crusty goodness also shows that you may be an extrovert, Kessler says. Pizza is the ultimate party food—convenient, cheap, feeds a crowd—which makes it the go-to dish for people who love to be surrounded by others, she adds.
If Sunday dinner is always a pot roast with potatoes and carrots
Traditions are the ways we keep in touch with where we came from, and in no area is that more true than with food. Being a traditionalist doesn’t mean you’re boring either! If a hearty meal is your ideal weekend dinner, here’s what your favourite food says about you: “Meat-and-potatoes people prefer an uncomplicated, simple life and put a lot of importance in family and traditions,” Kessler says.
And it doesn’t have to be a pot roast, per se, but rather any food that you grew up eating in a routine way that makes you feel connected to your loved ones, she adds.
If just the thought of banana pudding triggers your gag reflex
Bananas: You either love them or hate them! Thanks to banana pudding’s slimy texture, there aren’t many people who are on the fence about the classic dessert and its cousins—custard, ripe bananas, yogurt and flan. If you’re one of those people who sees it and thinks boogers, it doesn’t mean you have an unsophisticated palette, but rather that you’re sensitive to little details, Kessler says.
Being the type of person who’s meticulous at paying attention to all those details can have big payoffs in your career and love life, she adds.
If you’ve tried escargot, cricket burgers, seaweed salad and rattlesnake
Seeking out and trying exotic or rare foods means that you’re someone who loves a challenge and loves learning new things, Kessler says. And this is true regardless of whether or not you actually enjoyed eating it!
“Simply being willing to try out a ‘scary’ food shows innate curiosity and a desire to learn about other cultures and cuisines,” she explains.
If your favorite dessert is an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top
If ice cream is your go-to, here’s what your favorite food says about you: “People who love ice cream often have a childlike innocence or a sense of wonder,” Kessler tells us. Because there are so many options for toppings, cones, mix-ins and variety, it gives you a feeling that anything can happen, which really appeals to those who love the mystery of life, she adds.
And the cherry on top? You love to look for little, surprising moments of joy.
If you use your grill more than your actual stove
Love a juicy, grilled burger? It’s not just you. There’s just something so primal about standing outdoors with a hunk of meat roasting over an open flame. And die-hard carnivores love that feeling.
“People whose favorite food is meat are often intense and serious,” Kessler says. Hearkening back to when mankind were hunters, they can also be aggressive, which in today’s world may translate to being active go-getters, she adds.
If you know the name of every vegetable in the supermarket
There is a wide world of produce that goes beyond apples, oranges and iceberg lettuce. Yet many people buy the same exact fruits and veggies every time. If you’re the type who adores all types of produce—including things like scallions, Swiss chard and Jerusalem artichokes—it shows that you value learning about your food.
It also shows that living a healthy lifestyle is an important part of your identity and you take a lot of pride in keeping everything as clean and whole as your food, Kessler says.
If you never go anywhere without a smoothie in your hand
“Shakes and smoothies are the ultimate in convenience, perfect for someone who loves to multitask,” Kessler says. Why spend time chewing all those different foods when you can blend them together and get on with your busy day? Make sure you’re using healthy, high-quality ingredients for a meal on the go that will keep you fueled all day.
If nothing tops chicken nuggets and mac and cheese
Forget about fancy Gruyere macaroni and cheese or panko-coated chicken tenders—if you like your pasta straight from the blue box and chicken in a take-out carton, it means that you romanticize your childhood, Kessler says.
“When you prefer the comfort foods you loved as a child, it shows that you love remembering the past, ” she explains. You’re the one who calls your sister just to share a favorite story about that time the car broke down on the way to Disney.
If your idea of fast food is sushi
Sushi is portable, convenient, bite-sized and delicious—the ultimate “fast food” if you think about it. But a spicy tuna roll with wasabi is no burger and fries. Eating sushi as your favorite food-on-the-go shows that you’re sophisticated and open to a wide variety of experiences, Kessler says.
If your favorite accessory is your portable coffee mug
If your outfit isn’t complete without a Starbucks cup in hand, and you can’t imagine how you’d survive without your daily coffee infusion, then you’re likely a classic type A personality, Kessler says. You’re likely competitive, impatient and operate under a constant state of stress, but you’re also highly organized, ambitious and great at juggling a busy schedule, she adds.
If your idea of heaven is a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie
Did your mouth just start watering? (Ours did!) Cookies are a common craving, and for good reason. The sweet flavor triggers a release of oxytocin, also known as the “cuddle” or “love” hormone, according to a study done by the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior.
In addition, chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that has a calming effect. So if these are your go-to comfort foods, chances are you’re chronically stressed out and frazzled. No worries, though; it’s nothing a relaxing snuggle (and a cookie-and-milk combo) can’t help!
If you not only know what matcha is but also drink it every day
Matcha is a powder made from green tea leaves and is said to have many health benefits—it can potentially prevent some types of cancer. If you already knew that and love drinking it or adding it to smoothies, you’re someone who prides themselves on being unique, Kessler says.
Not up for the latest health powder? Don’t stress, as it may be more of an age thing. “If you love matcha, you’re a millennial or a millennial at heart,” she jokes.
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Sources:
- Alana Kessler, MS, RDN, registered dietitian and clinical nutritionist
- Food Quality and Preference: “Personality factors predict spicy food liking and intake”
- Journal of Research in Personality: “Cross-cultural evidence for an association between agreeableness and sweet taste preferences”
- PLOS One: “Which Foods May Be Addictive? The Roles of Processing, Fat Content, and Glycemic Load”
- Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior: “Oxytocin’s role in binge eating”
- Forbes: “What You Need To Know About Theobromine, Poster Child For Valentine’s Chocolate Chemistry”
- Healthline: “7 Proven Ways Matcha Tea Improves Your Health”
