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NEW YORK — What do your snack choices say about you? When it comes to sweet versus savory, a new study finds your pick reveals a lot about your personality. If you have a sweet tooth, for example, chances are you like to live on the wild side of life.
A survey of 2,000 Americans finds there are major personality differences between those who prefer sweet treats and those who munch on savory snacks. Among those differences, fans of sweets are more likely to be social butterflies while snacking — like when hanging out with friends (20%) or during a game night (19%).
Savory snackers meanwhile tend to save their snacks for more intimate or leisurely events, like on dates (27%) and binge-watching TV (23%). With more time on their hands, sweets lovers would likely end up at the beach (28%), a museum (20%), or in the wilderness (17%). Those with a savory palate, however, would rather go shopping at a mall (31%) or explore a new city (10%).
Commissioned by Hickory Farms and conducted by OnePoll, researchers also find when it comes to television and other types of entertainment, savory snackers prefer science-fiction movies, historical fiction books, and documentary TV series. Meanwhile, Americans with a sweet tooth appear more into comedies and mysteries across books, film, and television.
Giving the foods we hate a second chance
Sweet tooth respondents are also more likely to be more creative, adventurous, into trying new things, and are more organized than their savory counterparts. Perhaps most surprising of all, both groups actually flip sides when it comes to breakfast. Sweet fans reach for eggs (72%) and bacon (66%) while savory fans go for fresh fruit (58%) and pancakes (57%).
“We’ll admit we didn’t expect to find so many personality differences between sweet and savory palates,” says Judy Ransford, Chief Marketing Officer for Hickory Farms, in a statement. “I love to see this, because it tells me that when people shop for food gifts, they’ll seek out retailers who offer something for everybody. In fact, 67 percent of our gift basket sales in the first quarter of 2021 were from baskets with a combination of both sweet and savory treats.”
Regardless of their palates, there’s still a number of things American snackers universally agree on. For 35 percent of the poll, the prime time for a snack is in the early afternoon.
Many adults have also come around and now embrace foods they once hated. Top among those foods are bitter greens like broccoli (42%), kale (39%), and Brussels sprouts (39%). On average, Americans won’t start embracing these foods until they’re at least 22 years-old.
Two-thirds of Americans are also serious when it comes to their snacking habits. Sixty-two percent say they could eat an entire family-sized bag of chips in a single sitting if given the opportunity. Likewise, the same number say they easily give into their cravings.
“Americans love to snack,” says Ransford. “We all have obvious flavor preferences, but it’s great to see that ultimately snacking both helps bring us together and get us through the day.”
