Based on a peer-reviewed study I published, a survey of 403 Israelis conducted after the October 7 events reveals a rapid and significant shift in the way people chose food during the crisis. While pre-war decisions emphasized taste, health, and freshness, post-war choices reflected emotional coping: convenience, simplicity, accessibility, and price became far more important, while healthy or innovative foods lost relevance. Food effectively became a tool for emotional regulation rather than a purely rational consumer choice.
The findings also show meaningful differences between consumer groups: women demonstrated a sharper increase in valuing emotional comfort and ease, men showed a more pronounced decline in prioritizing taste and health, and vegetarians/vegans exhibited more stable food priorities compared to meat-eaters, suggesting greater resilience in their dietary habits.
These patterns highlight how national trauma reshapes everyday behavior and offer important insights for food producers, retailers, and policymakers seeking to understand the emotional dimension of consumption during times of crisis.
Iris Gavish (PhD, University of Haifa) is a faculty member at Ono Academic College, specializing in Statistics, Probability, and Mathematics. Her primary research interests include sustainability, behavioral economics, and consumer behavior.
Written in collaboration with Ono Academic College