# What one food would you put in your "people feeder" to attract the most and varied kind of people? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 28, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550 "2019-01-28T15:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/1 "2019-01-28T15:29:31Z")
Suppose you are an alien with multiple robotic food trucks that will be placed around the world in public places. You want one food/dish to attract the most and varied kind of people. it has to be something that will make people stop what they are doing walk over and say, “I will take some of that.” So it may have to be some sort of treat to get their attention and get them to stop and eat. Just for the sake of argument lets say the food trucks are in urban areas where there is other available food. I ask this because I started putting just pure black oil sunflower seeds in my bird feeder and within days the number and variety of birds increased. It seemed almost like a universally attractive food. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/2 "2019-01-28T15:33:40Z")
M&Ms ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/3 "2019-01-28T15:41:19Z")
Sushi. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/4 "2019-01-28T16:02:20Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Sushi. Nah, plenty of people don’t like, or are just unfamiliar with, sushi. And of the people who do like it, many of them would be wary of sushi that appeared randomly on the street. My first thought was pizza, but I like **burpo** ’s idea of M&Ms. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/5 "2019-01-28T16:02:55Z")
Ice cream! ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/6 "2019-01-28T16:08:05Z")
Chips! (That’s fries to USA ppl) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/7 "2019-01-28T16:11:04Z")
My first thought was candy - like mini candy bars - but now I’m thinking M&Ms is a better choice. Or Lindt truffles if you wanna be fancy! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/8 "2019-01-28T16:14:31Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > M&Ms Or Reese’s Pieces (think E.T.) ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/9 "2019-01-28T16:21:17Z")
Barbecue pulled chicken with cornbread. Oh yeah, baby. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/10 "2019-01-28T16:21:31Z")
Glazed cinnamon rolls. I think the smell alone would be enough to draw the curious over, to be beamed up by your specimen collectors. (That’s the plan, isn’t it?) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/11 "2019-01-28T16:24:42Z")
If I was going to make a human feeder like this, I’d make it some kind of vending machine/kiosk kind of affair, and I’d probably stock it with individually wrapped fun-sized candy, water bottles and some kind of healthy snack- maybe something like Kind bars. Then give it away for free. People would show up for free water and snacks. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/12 "2019-01-28T16:39:23Z")
Assuming people are being lured into some kind of alien probing, I’d use kale as my bait. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/13 "2019-01-28T16:43:41Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Or Reese’s Pieces… I was going to say this as a joke. Only in America! Croissants. Who doesn’t like a croissant? j ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/14 "2019-01-28T17:01:45Z")
Oysters Bienville ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/15 "2019-01-28T17:04:32Z")
Going by the little jar on my desk, I’m with the M&Ms crowd on what attracts the most people. Mint ones more than plain or with peanuts, almonds, or caramel. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/16 "2019-01-28T17:10:41Z")
Pizza ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/17 "2019-01-28T17:11:23Z")
Assuming that we’re trying to get people to eat actual meals and not just snacks, I’d go with some sort of rice-and-bean burrito. Most of the planet has some combination of rice and beans as a staple, and in most of the places where it’s not a staple, it’s still fairly familiar. And a burrito is a convenient way to eat rice and beans, without needing any utensils. It also avoids most of the world’s major food taboos. Another good option would be fried chicken. You’d lose the vegetarians, but you’d still keep the non-pork-eaters and the non-beef-eaters, it’s still eatable without utensils, and in most of the world, KFC is even more ubiquitous than it is in the States. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/18 "2019-01-28T17:14:45Z")
Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/19 "2019-01-28T17:21:21Z")
Simply attracting? Coca cola. It’s the only food-ish item I’ve seen everywhere I’ve ever been. Remote Kenyan village, with one tiny shop? Coke sign outside. Stall by a bus stop in Indonesia? Coke fridge (maybe not working, but still). You’d lose the health food people, but they’re maybe the least likely to trust a free food truck anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2019, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550/20 "2019-01-28T17:33:17Z")
French fries. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-food-would-you-put-in-your-people-feeder-to-attract-the-most-and-varied-kind-of-people/828550.md?page=2)