# If you could only have one food... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269 "2011-11-17T21:01:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/1 "2011-11-17T21:01:49Z")
Woe is you! you’ve been cursed with severe allergies to all foods but one. Which one food would you suffer least on? Which food would you survive longest on? I vote salmon. It is rich in many essential vitamins, fatty acids and minerals. Protein can be converted to glucose and fat can be converted to ketones for energy, Though the total lack of carbs would slow the brain, I think I’ll eventually die of scurvy due to total vitamin-C deficiency. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/2 "2011-11-17T21:12:22Z")
There is no “perfect” food, so no matter what you choose sooner or later you’ll succumb to some manner of nutritional deficiency, in which case I’ll just go with something I could never tire of, which would be cheese. Has the benefit of existing in myriad varieties so it would never get boring. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/3 "2011-11-17T21:14:42Z")
I guess you’d have to define “food”. Because if I could have nothing but pizza - I think there’s enough potential varieties to sustain me. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/4 "2011-11-17T21:23:27Z")
Pizza - is pizza a food group? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/5 "2011-11-17T21:33:25Z")
I will ride out the time to my demise with fresh sourdough bread. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/6 "2011-11-17T21:35:15Z")
Peanut butter ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/7 "2011-11-17T21:42:24Z")
Potatoes. My Irish ancestors are grinning. Vitamins aren’t food, technically, so supplements will keep me going. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/8 "2011-11-17T21:44:01Z")
Can you choose a dish that has a lot of different ingredients? If so, I’d probably choose bibimbap. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/9 "2011-11-17T21:46:44Z")
Peanut butter. If we can’t take one that’s already been mentioned, then Fried Chicken. I’m not worrying about nutritional issues as I’m not worried about becoming allergic to all other foods except one. I mean, if I choose fried chicken, that implies that I’m also not allergic to flour or seasonings or milk or whatever else I decide to use in its preparation. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/10 "2011-11-17T21:52:08Z")
Sweet potatoes. They can be sweet or savory and are quite nutritious. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/11 "2011-11-18T02:32:14Z")
That’s easy: Pez. Seriously.\* \*10 points if you get the reference. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/12 "2011-11-18T02:32:25Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Sweet potatoes. They can be sweet or savory and are quite nutritious. Yeah, even the carb-hating paleo folk love eating sweet potatoes ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/13 "2011-11-18T02:38:43Z")
Chili. No doubt about it. (Can I drink beer with that?) ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/14 "2011-11-18T02:57:53Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > That’s easy: Pez. Seriously.\* > \*10 points if you get the reference. Cherry pez? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/15 "2011-11-18T07:50:40Z")
Can “cheese” be considered one food? If not, I’m going with eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/16 "2011-11-18T08:12:34Z")
I think “food” indicates a single ingredient or category, vs. dish. Cheese is a food. Bread is a food. Tomatoes are a food. Pizza, however, is a dish. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/17 "2011-11-18T08:21:58Z")
Venison. I could eat deer steak every day. I already do when I have it. Woe is me, those long months of summer and spring after it’s all gone from my freezer. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/18 "2011-11-18T08:25:53Z")
now that i’m avoiding red meat, i’ll go with chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/19 "2011-11-18T09:16:05Z")
Peanut butter and strawberry preserves sandwiches. On wheat toast. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269/20 "2011-11-18T09:26:06Z")
I was going to go for lentils. They’re pretty much a superfood: high in protein while low in fat and calories, and chock full of fiber, vitamins and minerals, including calsium and iron. They’re also extremely cheap and super easy to cook, for what that’s worth. If I could have some rice as well, I could probably survive pretty much indefinitely on not much else (large parts of humanity has). However, I had lentils this whole week, and now I’m sick to death of them. So that’s right out. Ask me again next week, I guess. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-have-one-food/603269.md?page=2)