Fuelling Creativity: How Food Can Ignite Innovation and Inspire Ideas
By Wiktoria GalaraEver curious about the Science of Creativity and how we can apply it to our day-to-day creative practices, we’ve been exploring the links between creativity and health. In this article, we’ll be exploring food and creativity and how paying attention to what you eat could be deliberately harnessed as a tool to boost the creative power of teams.
Food is a universal language—we all eat and share this common bond globally. Over the past year, we’ve delved into numerous food-related projects, and it’s no surprise why: the appetite for innovation in food spaces is a global trend. Even industries far removed from food are stepping into its sensorial realm to capture customer attention.
All this buzz about food got us curious. As a creative innovation agency passionate about Creative Health, the connection between food and creativity felt like an irresistible topic to explore. Could it be that your design toolkit is missing one key ingredient? In this article, we’ll explore how food can inspire and enhance creativity through four distinct applications.
Creating the ideal multi-sensorial experience
Food isn’t just about taste—it’s a multi-sensory experience that engages all of our senses. Eating is one of the most immersive sensory activities we encounter, so it’s no surprise that these interactions can profoundly influence creativity (Wang, 2021). We’ll dive into the role of specific foods that can affect creativity later on (food intristic), but it’s important to highlight how multisensory interactions inherent in the eating experience might influence creativity (food extrinsic).
Creativity thrives in relaxed, positive emotional states, and sensory stimuli designed to encourage this mindset can significantly boost our creative output (He, 2021). Many environmental factors can quietly shape our meals and prime our creativity. Studies exploring the multi-sensorial aspect of food and creativity highlighted specific elements that can enhance creative thinking. Dim lighting, for instance, has been linked to increased novelty in idea generation (Wang, 2011), cool colours like blue are associated with enhanced creative performance (Mehta & Zhu, 2009), high ceilings can increase the feelings of freedom (Meyers-Levy and Zhu, 2007) and background noise at moderate levels can also stimulate creative thinking (Ilie & Thompson, 2011). These external sensory cues, combined with the food's inherent qualities like complexity and taste, contribute to a holistic eating experience that can either foster or hinder creative thought. Therefore, the setting and atmosphere surrounding food consumption are crucial elements in understanding the link between food and creativity.
So, how do we make the most of this knowledge? Whether it’s a client meeting or a team dinner, we always pay attention to the environment (yes, we’re the ones asking for workshop room / venue photos to get a sense of the vibe!). For your next team outing or a client workshop, think beyond just the menu—consider the setting too. Is there room to sit, chat, and unwind so everyone returns to the workshop refreshed and ready to dive back into creative problem-solving? Who knows, maybe your next lunch break could lead to a creative breakthrough…
Eating together as a key to social creativity
Humans are social creatures, and sharing meals is one of the oldest and most primal traditions that acts as a social glue. This instinct hasn’t faded with time - it continues to play a vital role in all kinds of relationships, from family and friendships to workplace connections (Dunbar, 2017).
Even the word “companion” reflects this bond, derived from the Latin cum pane, meaning “with bread.” Sharing a meal triggers the brain’s endorphin system, fostering social bonding. These connections have profound effects on our physical and mental health, happiness, and sense of purpose (Spence, 2016). And with benefits like these, group creativity is naturally boosted. In fact, a Cornell University study found that firefighter platoons who eat meals together perform better as a team compared to those who dine alone (Kniffin, 2015).
At INDUSTRY of Us, we take shared meals seriously, whether it’s office lunches or our monthly Design Drinking (and eating!) sessions. These moments are more than just a chance to eat - they’re an opportunity to relax, celebrate, and strengthen our creative team spirit.
Gastrodiplomacy also plays a role in our client collaborations. After a successful workshop, we love gathering around a table, whether it’s at our recent-favourite medieval-themed restaurant in Delft or another memorable spot. These shared experiences can transform dynamics, build trust, resolve challenges, and spark fresh ideas for the next day’s creative work. After all, a shared table often leads to shared ideas—and even better teamwork.
Fuelling your flow one bite at a time
Ever found yourself deep in the flow state, so absorbed in the task at hand that you forget the world around you? While that’s the sweet spot for creativity, it’s easy to lose track of basic needs, like staying hydrated or properly fueling your body - especially in high-impact, fast-paced environments like workshops or ideation sessions.
When creativity is at a peak, nutrition becomes even more crucial. We often think of food as just fuel, but it’s much more—especially when the demands on our brains are high. The human brain, though it represents just 2% of our body weight, uses a massive 20% of our daily energy. So, continually feeding it right is essential for keeping those creative sparks flying (Padamsey, 2023)
Everyone’s nutritional needs are unique, but there are some universal guidelines that help keep creativity flowing:
First and foremost - hydration is a key to staying sharp and focussed. It’s also the easiest way to boost your mood.
Sugar (glucose) can give a quick energy boost, but it also comes with trade-offs. It may leave you feeling sluggish and craving more once the initial rush fades, so proceed cautiously!
Healthy fats: they’re essential for brain function and long-term energy, think fatty fish, avocados and olive oil.
Polyphenols: antioxidant-rich foods that support cognitive function and protect against brain fog such as berries, dark chocolate and nuts.
Optimal nutrition isn’t just about avoiding energy crashes; it’s about creating a sustainable foundation for peak creative performance. With the right fuel, you can avoid those mid-afternoon slumps and maintain a steady flow of creative energy and perhaps even be able to enter a flow state much faster!
In our research and trend watching, we’ve observed a growing global awareness of the importance of proper nutrition, the rise of superfoods, and even the increasing popularity of biohacking. Stores around the world are aligning with offering much more healthy options than ever before, reflecting a deeper understanding of how what we consume impacts not just our physical health but also our cognitive and creative abilities. By aligning our diets with our creative demands, we can better harness the potential of food to fuel our focus, sustain our energy, and elevate our innovative thinking.
Super (creative) foods and how to make the most of them
Outside of just appropriate nourishment as a long-term commitment, there are a few short-term boosts that can be used to fuel our creative endeavours.
Tyrosine-rich foods like seaweed, bananas, and almonds are known to support brain function and creative thinking in the short term, making them ideal snacks for moments of high mental demand (Colzato, 2015). While familiar foods can provide comfort and foster a relaxed mindset (Isen et al., 2004) boosting creativity, unexpected flavours or unique dishes can introduce fresh perspectives and spark new ideas—a mental reset through the senses.
The greatest gift food offers may be the experience it provides. Often consumed on autopilot, food gains new meaning when approached mindfully. Professionals in wine and coffee tasting use systematic methods to engage sensory modalities like smell, taste, and texture.
Additionally, incorporating metaphors into these evaluations further enriches the experience and may foster creative thinking. Research confirms that creating metaphorical associations during sensory tasks, such as coffee tasting, significantly improves convergent thinking, highlighting the potential of mindful, sensory-rich activities to boost creative processes (Wang, 2021)
When applied strategically, food becomes more than just sustenance; it’s a creative tool in itself. For example, curating workshop snacks that align with a project’s theme or offering exciting options like ginger shots or flavour-packed bites can keep energy and inspiration flowing. Additionally, talking about food, tasting and describing can be a powerful creativity-boosting activity that can break creative blocks. In your next work shop what if you break away the convention by introducing food as a creative stimulus? After all, we believe there’s always room for a another snack in the name of science.
Conclusion
In the end, food isn’t just fuel—it’s a creative catalyst waiting to be harnessed. Whether it’s a mindful bite, a shared meal, or a sensory adventure, the way we engage with food can shape how we think, feel, and create.
So next time you’re brainstorming, ideating, or stuck in a creative rut, ask yourself: what’s on the menu? Because the right snack might just be the secret ingredient to your next big idea.
Want to know more about Creative Health?
If like us, you are ever-curious about the links between creativity and health, be sure to check out our previous articles on the topic where we translate the science into day-to-day creative practice.
Zen and the Art of Creativity — Exploring how bringing mindfulness to your innovation practice could be deliberately harnessed as a tool to boost the creative power of teams.
Exercise and Creativity — Exploring the link between physical activity and creativity by asking the question, can exercising make us more creative?
References
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