A recently published study examined the intriguing link between our food preferences and our traits. We all know people with unusual or extreme preferences – those who add tons of salt to everything, eat cake for dinner, or ask for the spiciest dish at every meal. The interesting question is whether these are just personal tastes or if they reveal something deeper about our personality. The recently published article "What is the link between personality and food behavior?" reviewed current research on personality and food preferences and revealed nine things our taste may disclose about our personality.
Bitter Food – Antisocial and Psychopathic Traits
If you like bitter food, you might be a bitter person. In other words, you are likely to have antisocial or psychopathic traits. A study that examined 953 Americans found that preferences for bitter food predicted antisocial traits, psychopathy, aggression, and particularly everyday sadism – the experience of enjoyment from others' pain in day-to-day life.
In addition, the preference for bitter taste was negatively associated with humanity. This preference goes against biological instincts, as bitterness often indicates toxicity. Therefore, researchers argue that preferences for bitterness may be learned. For example, more psychopathic individuals may enjoy bitter foods because of the discomfort they cause others. Furthermore, eating bitter food has previously been found to cause hostility.
Sweet Food – Warm and Social Personality
If you like sweet food, you might be sweet. Have you ever been told you're as sweet as cake while eating cake? Exactly. In direct contrast to bitter preferences, a preference for sweetness is linked to greater sociability. We also tend to classify those with a sweet tooth as more likable. Like with bitter food, there is a two-way connection between sweet food and personality, such that eating sweet food can make us more pleasant and helpful. Researchers note that sweetness is universally comforting and rewarding, and that we call our loved ones sweet nicknames like “sweetie” and so on.
Healthy Food – Openness, Conscientiousness, and Happiness
If you like healthy food, you might be more liberal, conscientious, and even happier. A study of more than 1,000 young people found that eating fruits and vegetables was linked to greater openness, and to a lesser extent, conscientiousness, but not to neuroticism or agreeableness. Researchers suggest that more intelligent, curious, and social people eat healthier. Perhaps because people with these traits are more willing to experiment with different fruits and vegetables and apply healthy food restrictions to themselves. Additionally, a separate study found that people in a more positive mood preferred healthier foods.
Spicy Food – Testosterone
If you like spicy food, you’re likely a man with high testosterone. There’s something thrilling about pushing ourselves to the limit, especially with spicy food. In many cultures, men tend to push boundaries when it comes to spiciness in food. A study of 114 men found that those with higher levels of testosterone in their saliva used more Tabasco sauce in their food.
Foods That Might Be Dangerous – Extreme Seekers
If you like foods that might be dangerous, like a high amount of alcohol or snails at that restaurant you visited in France, you might be someone who seeks extremes. A study of 303 participants found that those who preferred food and drinks that could be dangerous (i.e., food that could make us sick), including alcohol and snails, scored higher on sensation-seeking and thrill-seeking.
Bland Food – Lack of Zest for Life
If you like bland food, you might be someone with little zest for life. The same study found that people who preferred bland or “safe” foods (i.e., avoiding new foods or not adding sauces to food), like bread and corn, had lower zest for life.
Picky Eating – Anxiety and Neuroticism
If you eat fewer types of food and have a long list of things you don’t eat, you might be anxious. Of course, this refers to adults, as teens and children often eat only a few foods and take time to expand their “food chakra.” Picky eating reflects an anxious personality. The study found that anxious people had more aversions to certain foods, due to neuroticism and lack of emotional control. The most common aversions in the study were cow brain, sour butter, and kidneys. Picky eaters may also be supertasters – people who have more taste buds and therefore experience flavors more intensely.