The Most Popular Super Bowl Snack, According To Instacart

Super Bowl LVI is upon us and it's one of the biggest sporting events of the year that is sure to garner attention from football fans, the media, and, of course, food and beverage companies. Big brands often shell out tons of money for fun, creative commercials in an attempt to outdo the competition. Frito-Lay and Pepsi already set the bar high by releasing an early Super Bowl ad starring some of your favorite NFL players, and the Greek yogurt brand, Oikos, did the same.

But it's not just the entertaining commercials fans look forward to each year, it's also the food itself. UFCW notes that Superbowl Sunday is the "second-highest day of food consumption" in America, right behind Thanksgiving. With so many tasty options to choose from like finger foods, specialty dips, and apps, Super Bowl Sunday is a nice payday for major food companies and local businesses. After all, Americans consume over 12 million pizzas on this day alone. 

But with so many traditional Super Bowl snacks, we have to wonder, is one more popular than another? The short answer is yes.

According to Instacart, an online grocery delivery service, the most popular snack to grab on game day is a bag of chips. It makes sense when you think of how many different chips are available, from tortilla to potato to pita, there's a chip to satisfy everyone. 

As the survey of 2,000 adults notes, 99% of all Americans who watch the Super Bowl will be digging into a bag of crunchy, salty goodness, with potato and tortilla chips being equally appreciated. The real winner, however, is the Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips, which Instacart reports that they alone sold 66,498 pounds of the chip during the week of last year's big game. And what would Tostitos Scoops be without some dips? 66% of those surveyed state they will be getting salsa, queso, or guacamole.

And while this survey result might not be surprising, there was one Super Bowl snack that many folks found almost offensive. Once thought to be a popular dish is now more controversial, as 65% of participants voted that boneless chicken wings are more like "glorified chicken nuggets." 

In case you are hosting the big game and want to ensure a smooth evening, here are three tips Instacart offers: Make sure you have enough food, offer a variety of snacks and beverages, and 35% of people prefer to eat traditional meat-based dishes as opposed to vegan versions, like chili or wings.