With Britain’s beautiful spring weather making it feel like summer, a trip to the ice cream van feels almost like second nature.
But as you eat the sweet treat, you may be revealing a lot about your personality to the people around you, according to an expert.
Behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings thinks the way you eat ice cream says a lot about your temperament – whether you’re a tentative nibbler or a greedy guzzler.
People who go teeth in, biting their ice cream, are more ‘fearless’, ‘confident’ and ‘impulsive’, with brain freeze not a concern, she reveals.
Those who prefer to lick theirs are considered ‘methodical’ and ‘relaxed’, showing patience to enjoy every moment – and may well be ‘romantic’.
And folk who nibble tend to be more ‘cautious’, ‘gentle’ and ‘thoughtful’ – although a possibly a little controlling at times.
According to the expert, ice cream is one of the key comfort foods that can help regulate our emotions.
‘The ice cream lover’s psyche revolves around pleasure seeking and nostalgia,’ she said.
Do you bite, lick or nibble your ice cream? How you consume your favourite frozen treat could reveal a lot about your personality, according to a behavioural expert (file photo)
According to Hemmings – who is also a relationship counsellor and broadcaster – how fast you eat your ice cream also reveals something about your psyche.
‘The ice cream speed-eater is likely to be high-energy, impulsive, enthusiastic and impatient – they want that dopamine hit as fast as possible,’ she said.
‘They may be restless and a bit edgy at times, using fast eating to soothe themselves.’
Meanwhile, those who take ages to eat their ice cream, the ‘slow-savourer’, tend to be ‘highly intentional and patient’.
‘They focus on the full sensory experience of eating ice cream – the texture, the flavour, the smell, the cold comfort,’ she said.
Hemmings has partnered with Nuii, known for its exotic flavour pairings like salted caramel and Australian macadamia and coconut and India mango.
Of course, Nuii’s ice creams are coated in a layer of chocolate, which requires everyone to be a ‘biter’ to get to the dairy filling below.
But the research focuses on how we eat soft serve ice cream and scoop ice cream – both favourites of the great British summertime.
A great British icon: A 2021 survey found Britain’s number one summer treat to be vanilla soft serve ice cream, followed by scoop ice cream
Last week, actor Jason Momoa, a Nuii brand ambassador, revealed in a TikTok video that he bites his ice cream, sparking a response from the public.
‘We all know that ice cream is a favourite treat for many of us, but discovering the way the nation eats theirs has caused quite a debate,’ said Henry Craven, brand manager for Nuii.
‘The reaction inspired us to delve deeper into what your ice cream-eating style might say about your personality.’
Nuii conducted a survey of 2,000 adults who eat ice cream in an attempt to gauge the nation’s consumption habits.
It found 63 per cent of respondents prefer to lick their frozen treats, while 39 per cent dive straight in and bite them.
According to the results, 31 per cent describe ice cream biters as ‘impulsive’, 29 per cent as ‘confident’ and 26 per cent as ‘fearless’.
People who lick theirs were most commonly referred to as ‘relaxed’ by 31 per cent and nibblers thought to be ‘cautious’ by 28 per cent.
Meanwhile, 62 per cent admitted they enjoy eating ice cream no matter the temperature outside.
A side of brain freeze could be on the menu for around a third, as 31 per cent admitted to often eating their frozen treat quickly.
Astonishingly, around 10 per cent will eat around 80 ice creams or more over the summer months – reflecting our love for the sweet treats.
Hot weather outside might make it feel more permissible to consume ice cream, even though it contains sugar and saturated fat.
Some dietitians say a decent dairy ice cream with good quality ingredients is a good source of calcium, which keeps bones and muscles strong.
The combination of protein and moderate levels of fat also slows the release of sugar into the blood, which prevents sharp spikes in blood glucose linked to diabetes.
A 2007 study found drinking whole fat milk and eating ice cream appears to be better for women trying to become pregnant than a diet consisting of low-fat dairy products such as skimmed milk and yoghurt.
However, ice cream can contain an additive commonly found in ultra-processed foods during pregnancy may raise the risk of health problems in children, other research claims.
