foodistn.

1883 Daily Nevada State Jrnl. 26 Sept. 2/1 He is a fish culturist from the nobs... He will be in the market soon as the champion brain foodist for the Great American Desert.]

1906 Univ. Rev. Apr. 33 We see them at the present day—the faddists and the foodists; the Don Quixotes galloping furiously at every windmill.

1935 Times 5 Feb. 3/3 (advt.) Young interested gentlewoman wanted to assist proprietor in progressive herbal business: no ‘foodists’ or faddists considered.

1987 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 16 Aug. vi. 8/4 My only objection is to the word ‘gastronaut’—much too flatulent to be appetizing. In the tradition of nudist, philanthropist and Buddhist, may I suggest ‘foodist’, one who is enthusiastic about good eating?

1993 Gnosis Winter 38/1 She had been called a ‘supernutritionist’ by The New York Times Magazine, an ‘earth mother to the foodists’ by Life.

2004 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 20 Apr. s12 Shakespeare called marjoram ‘the herb of grace’ but, according to noted foodist Waverley Root, he was probably talking about oregano.