Prefer comfort food to a Michelin star restaurant? This poll says you’re not alone

Keep your bougie meals — Americans would rather eat comfort food than fine dining for the rest of their lives.

That’s according to a poll of 2,000 U.S. adults which revealed that Americans are more than three times more likely to opt for comfort food (70%) over gourmet meals (16%) if they could only choose one for the rest of their days.

According to the results, the perfect forever meal (a meal that you’d eat for the rest of your life) starts with chicken wings (45%), mozzarella sticks (33%), Caesar salad (30%) or even cheesy garlic bread (28%) to round out the top four.

For entrees, pasta dishes reigned superior, with spaghetti (23%), fettuccine alfredo (17%) or mac and cheese (16%) all landing in the top 10, along with classics like pizza (39%) and burgers (29%).  

Stuffed pasta (14%), such as tortellini or shells and penne vodka (8%) also came out as fan favorites. 

Americans love pasta so much that mac and cheese is also a favorite side dish (34%), along with french fries (39%), mashed potatoes (36%) and baked potato (35%).

To finish off their forever meal, respondents would opt for ice cream (63%), cheesecake (53%) or chocolate cake (46%), while nearly a quarter of respondents (24%) would prefer a rice crispy treat.

And it seems pasta and carbs are the favored staples in Americans’ diets — interestingly, results revealed that respondents are most likely to get tired of the dessert portion of their forever meal first (28%), followed by the appetizers (21%).

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Noodles & Company, results revealed that for the base of a meal, Americans prefer meat most of all (42%) followed by pasta (14%) and seafood (12%).

“We’re not surprised to see that classics like mac and cheese and pasta-based entrees are fan-favorite forever meals that are perfect to be enjoyed with the whole family,” said Stacey Pool, Chief Marketing Officer at Noodles & Company. “Timeless, comfort dishes will always hold a nostalgic, sentimental place in both our hearts and stomachs, providing a sense of familiarity and joy that spans across generations.”

In fact, respondents already eat parts of their forever meal about three times per week and they’ve also been enjoying these nostalgic comfort meals for most of their lives. The average respondent admits this has been a favorite for 15 years, and 46% say it has been their first choice for more than two decades.

When offered the opportunity to eat their favorite meal every day, Americans estimate that they’d only be able to do so for an average of eight days straight before getting sick of it.

However, that could change if their favorite meal was no longer freely available. Two in five (40%) would be willing to take a 20-hour flight to eat it one last time. Interestingly, 17% would ride their bike for 300 miles and 14% would walk for 200 miles.

“Nothing brings people together quite like the combination of food and family. Fast-casual comfort meals are the top choice for families when dining out and this study validates that sentiment,” said Pool. “As reflected in this study, families are actively seeking uncommonly good value through diverse menu options (56%), outstanding team members (48%) and a robust rewards program (18%).”

Family also plays a large part when it comes to enjoying favorite meals. Twenty-two percent of respondents said if they could only have their favorite meal once more, they would choose to do so with a parent, 14% would want to share it with their child, and 7% would prefer to share it with a brother or sister. 

So, what exactly makes Americans crave their favorite meal? Results revealed that needing a pick-me-up (25%), visiting family and friends (24%) and their favorite time of year (23%) bring about the most hankerings.