Can food make you happy? If you are ordering these items from your favorite restaurant, then the answer to that question is “yes.” Lieferando, a German food delivery service, conducted an experiment and discovered that some meals really do bring us joy.
The Lieferando team studied 2,158 people for a year. They examined how they reacted to 11 different cuisines ordered for delivery. Each participant’s mood was recorded before eating the meal and five minutes after eating their food. The total score was 400.
The average score for participants before consuming their takeout was 142. This number was used as the baseline for the study. Here we see how the different dishes stacked up.
Chinese
From dumplings to Kung Pao chicken, there is a wide variety of Chinese food to choose from. These dishes were seen to heighten happiness by 58% when ordered as takeout.
Thai
After eating Thai food, the happiness score was 233, indicating an increase of 64%. Those numbers are not surprising with all the sumptuous meals that this cuisine has to offer.
Burgers
What would a food list be without burgers? Burgers were seen to increase happiness by 70%.
Sushi
For a dish that many see as an acquired taste, those who like sushi seem to love it. The happiness of participants who ordered this Japanese meal increased by 73%.
Indian
At the very top of the list is Indian food. Vegetarian fare or hot spicy masala, Indian takeout, increased happiness by a whopping 83%.
Next time you feel in need of a little pick-me-up, reach for that takeout menu.
