Do your snacking habits show your true personality?

Sunday, June 08, 2008
by LuAnn Schindler


Can what you eat determine your personality? According to food expert Juliet Boghossian, author of Food-ology: You are How You Eat, the answer is a resounding yes.

Boghossian studied 5,000 people and tracked their tastes. She found an 87% correlation between snack habits and specific traits. Boghossian's research is currently being implemented by HR experts and marketers to judge job seekers and consumers.

So, let's carry this thought one more step. Is it possible that our snacking habits determine the type of writer we are? Or, can what we eat explain how we write? Perhaps our food choices determine the content we place on paper.

Consider yourself a peacemaker? If you believe ice cream is numero uno for dessert or if sour-cream based dips get you going, you fit the peacemaking category. Foods of this nature boost serotonin levels and bring about a general feeling of calmness.

If you crave candy, you might just be a dreamer. Boghossian believes that sugar cravings mean you like to daydream. The sugar rush might just be the boost you need to recharge your energy levels.

Baby, you were born to lead if you prefer crunchy snacks like popcorn and chips. Instead of being meek snackers hiding in the corner, people who prefer the crunch-packed foods, including nuts, aren't afraid to be heard.

What about those of us who enjoy a hint of cream in our coffee or snatch the dark chocolate from the box instead of heading for the milk chocolate candies? If you fall into this category, you are definitely an individualist. Not many people are wired to enjoy sour or bitter foods, so these individuals probably also have different tastes in other areas, too.

Me? I prefer salsa to dip. I like hot, spicy foods. In fact, the spicier the better! I'm a certified risk taker. People in this category like adventure. The chemical capsaicin boosts metabolism and also ignites the subconscious thrill of excitement. Risk takers are also passionate.

While I was reading these descriptions, I thought about the topics I tend to write about, as well as my writing style. I do take a lot of risks, and the majority of my writing is packed with adventure and passion. I also prefer those crunchy treats, like popcorn when I'm watching a movie, and I sense that my organizational skills are a result of what I eat.

Take a look at your writing. And consider your food habits. Are the two related?

Probably so.

6 comments:

Angela Mackintosh said...

Hi LuAnn,

Interesting post! So, from what I gather, I'm a peacemaker (ice cream is my #1 dessert), born to lead (my favorite snacking foods are chips & nuts), and a risk-taker (love spicy food--the hotter the better).

But, notice all those foods are pretty fattening...well, except for the spicy stuff. ;o) You can guess I have a nice "muffin top" going, LOL.

So, what do they say about healthy food? I love vegetables too...carrot and celery sticks to munch on. I'm not a big fruit person though. I literally have to force myself to eat fruit. Weird, I know.

Anyway, that was fun! I'm curious to find out what others preferences are.

Hugs,

Ang

Cher'ley said...

I'm in trouble. I've just discovered I have multiple personalities.

Annette said...

I didn't see anything in there about fruities (like me) who prefer fruit over any other snack. Especially for dessert, I'd choose chilled fresh fruit over ice cream any day of the week: a juicy pink grapefruit, a bowl of blackberries and raspberries, a bunch of fat green grapes, kiwi, honeydew and cantaloupe slices...I could go on and on. =)

Although, when it comes to chocolate, I'm definitely a dark chocolate girl. Especially if it comes with coconut or raspberry filling!

I rarely crave crunchy stuff, but I like BBQ and Ranch flavored rice cakes and mixed nuts if I want something salty; I really like cashews and macadamia nuts.

And spicy--absolutely! The hotter the better! I can eat sliced jalapenos like they are pickle chips. And I love cayenne pepper on my sunny-side-up eggs and my mac n' cheese. As for my hot salsa, I have to pour habanero "juice" into the jarred hot salsa to give it an extra boost.

So, I'll add up my food score: individualist, not afraid to be heard, and a risk taker, but the jury is still out on the fruit thing...

Anonymous said...

I love this site! I don't know how I never discovered Wow! before now.

OK, as I am reading this post I am (I swear!) eating candied pecans. So I guess I'm sweet and nutty?!

Anonymous said...

Great perspective on Food-ology, You Are How You Eat. You can certainly tie in eating habits to writing styles, work ethics and more! That is the whole premise of Food-ology, You Are How You Eat. Revealing underlying behaviors to understand yourself or those around you better. Log on to www.food-ology.com for more! AND, for personal inquiries about your eating habits. -Boghossian (Founder, Food-ology You Are How You Eat)

Anonymous said...

Well, a huge influence on what you eat has your growing up experience besides the personal preferences...
If chips, popcorn and salsa were always in your parents' house as only snack options while you were growing up then those would be your choices because you are used to them. Spicy foods... entire mexican cuisine is based on hot spicy dishes... but that can't possibly mean that entire Mexican nation has the same risk taking personality as they are all different people like everywhere else. People get hooked up on particular foods in the process of their cultural socialization in their family and then later in life keep picking those foods as now they crave them.
I have a degree in Sociology. In my opinion there is too much generalization in that research. Motives for people's food preferences are not so black and white. Another major point that researcher completely leaves out are the cultural differences between the people. Somebody raised in the country different from US is going to be used to completely different type of snacks about which the researcher seems to not have a clue. And now those people would be incorrectly and unfairly judged by the hiring recruiters using this research... Sad... sad... sad...

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