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September 9th is National I Love Food Day, an interesting insert into the annual calendar of food holidays. Is there anyone who doesn’t love food, we wondered?
Since no pollster is out there asking “Do you love food or just like it?” we have to lean on our pal Chat GPT for some educated guesswork. Here are his/her/their/its thoughts.
Enjoyment of food is nearly universal. Surveys like Pew, Gallup, and various food industry polls regularly show that food ranks very high as a source of pleasure and identity.
In U.S. surveys, upwards of 85%–90% of adults say they “enjoy” food and dining as one of life’s main pleasures.
Food enthusiasm is strong. Around 60–70% of people self-identify as “foodies” or at least “very interested in food trends” when asked in consumer research.
Parsing “love” vs. “like.” If we interpret “love” as being excited about food, talking about it, seeking variety, or finding joy beyond simple nourishment, says Mr. Chat, then a majority of people in the U.S.qualify. A cautious estimate:
Love food: ~55–65%.
Like food (but not passionate): ~25–30%.
Apathetic/indifferent (eat to live): ~10–15%.
Internationally
In food-centric cultures (France, Italy, Japan, Mexico), the “love” percentage is likely higher, closer to 70%–80%.
Elsewhere, where convenience and efficiency dominate food culture, the share who “merely like” or feel neutral may be higher.
“My best global guess,” says Mr. Chat:
Roughly 6 in 10 people truly love food.
3 in 10 like it.
1 in 10 are fairly indifferent.
Who Invented National I Love Food Day?
There’s no identifiable originator or food blog credited with starting this holiday. It appears to be one of those spontaneous food celebrations that caught on via social media.
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A Concluding Thought
We asked Mr. Chat to conclude with a poem to celebrate the day. He/she/they wrote:
I don’t just like food—I love every bite,
From breakfast at dawn to a snack late at night.
A feast on the table, a treat on the go,
Food fills up my heart as it nourishes so.
Happy I Love Food Day, dear Nibble readers.
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[1] We’re illustrating this blog post with some of the foods we love the most. First on our personal list is sushi (photo © Tenzan Restaurant | NYC).
[2] Steak tartare (photo © The Seafire Grill | NYC).
[3] Tuna tartare (photo © BLT Steak | NYC).
[4] For dessert, ice cream (photo © Häagen-Dazs).
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