There are a lot of foods Americans don’t like, with tofu fourth on the list. Proteins, especially seafood, make up a majority of the top 10.
Americans love their eggs and bananas, but despise tofu, seafood, and bitter vegetables.
That’s according to a new YouGov poll, which surveyed nearly 2,250 US consumers last month about their food habits.
The market research firm asked people to reveal which foods they despise, developing a list of 40 foods with a good chunk of haters based on the responses. It then asked them about their feelings on each of the foods.
The results offer an insight into why certain food products don’t sell as well as others, and what brands need to keep in mind when developing new products.
Gen Z and rich households most receptive to tofu
The three products most hated or disliked in the US are anchovies (cited by 56%), liver (54%), and sardines (52%). These animal-based sources are followed by a plant protein, tofu, which is detested by 46% of Americans.
The dislike for tofu is consistent across genders, affecting 45% of men and 47% of women. But there is a discrepancy depending on how old the respondent is. Younger Americans are much less likely to hate tofu than older consumers.
According to the survey, 60% of people aged 45-64 aren’t fans of tofu, with over-65s showing similar contempt (53%). In comparison, only a third of Gen Zers hate tofu, while nearly half (49%) like or love the protein.
The hatred for tofu also differs based on race, income and political alignment. Half of white Americans don’t like tofu, falling to two in five Black Americans and 38% of Hispanic respondents.
And tofu seems to be less popular among low-income households, 50% of which dislike this food, versus 38% of those earning $100,000 or more. The trend is clear: the richer the household, the more likely its inhabitants are to like tofu.
Interestingly, 36% of Democrats hate the soy product, rising to 41% of independents and 62% of Republicans. And among 2024 presidential voters, two in five people who voted for Kamala Harris hate tofu, much lower than the 55% who helped put Donald Trump into the White House.
Overall, only 6% of Americans say they love tofu, and another 15% like it. More of them (22%) have a neutral stance, while just 12% remain unsure about their feelings.
Brands should focus on the vegetables Americans love
The survey shows that Americans don’t care for a lot of seafood, with five of the 10 most hated foods coming from the ocean. This explains why seafood sales declined slightly last year, and why alternatives like plant-based seafood continue to struggle.
Aside from seafood, many fruits and vegetables also appear in YouGov’s list. Beets are hated by 35% of Americans, while 31% either hate or have a neutral stance towards kale. Other items from the produce category in the list include okra, Brussels sprouts (each hated by 29%), eggplant (28%) and olives (27%).
Conversely, bananas (82%), green beans (78%), onions, broccoli (both 77%), tomatoes and beans (both 75%) are the most liked plant-based foods in the US.
As plant-based meat leaves Americans unimpressed, companies offering whole-food innovations – from bean burgers to veg-led meals – stand to gain a lot more. But the trick is to focus on the produce that people love, like beans, broccoli and tomatoes, and avoid the vegetables they hate (such as beets, kale and eggplant).
YouGov noted one interesting finding from the survey. Even though the list included 40 of the most hated foods chosen by people, 31 of them were actually more liked than disliked.
“People really like food, even types of food that have lots of detractors,” the firm noted. “And maybe a food needs enough fans to find its way to the plates of enough people to be widely disliked.”
The YouGov survey came shortly after similar research in the UK found that there are several foods consumers reject without trying them, with vegan cheese, tofu, and plant-based milk all in the top 10.
Conducted by Bel Group-owned Boursin, a subsequent taste test found that over 90% of Brits couldn’t tell the difference between the brand’s non-dairy and conventional cheeses, with over half of consumers having a change of heart about foods they thought they’d hate. Would Americans respond similarly to a taste test?
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