Bacon, two types of cheese and a slick of the Colonel’s secret sauce, squashed between two fried chicken fillets. KFC’s Double Down isn’t so much a sandwich as a deconstructed heart attack. And it's appealing to our grossest desires for spectacular, unapologetic indulgence.

Americans say they cook around five evening meals a week, but only three of those meals are prepared using fresh ingredients. The very definition of home cooking is changing – people enjoy food more than ever, but they're increasingly starved of time. So how exactly are people cooking at home?

Burger fads and 1,000-calorie ready meals hardly fit in with a society that’s increasingly obsessed with healthy eating. But while these polarising trends paint a schizophrenic food landscape, they show how indulgent foods express our freedoms. After all, no one likes to be told what to eat.

The American appetite for fast food is waning. Instead, people are hungry for experiences. In response, fast food chain Taco Bell has launched an upmarket Mexican-American restaurant brand, aimed at a Millennial demographic demanding fresh, gourmet food in a casual setting.

Foraged gummy candies, ketchup facemasks, and Reese’s chocolate and peanut butter sandwiches – in a humorous backlash against the growing obsession to 'eat clean', Instagrammer Deliciously Stella shows that 'snackwave' is here to stay.

BuzzFeed’s cooking channel Tasty is feeding the internet's appetite for comfort food with its immensely popular recipe videos. It’s attracted nearly 62 million likes on Facebook and gained 14 billion video views in just under a year, but what’s the secret to its success?

More calories were consumed in snacks during the 2015 Super Bowl than at Thanksgiving dinner in 2014. Snacking in the US is at an all-time high, with 91% doing it daily. So why is the 'little and often' habit replacing traditional meals? And what does the average American really want from a snack?

Can our eating habits represent our identity? We sat down with Eating right in America author Charlotte Biltekoff to discuss how what we eat aligns with our aspirations and ethical codes, and our shifting perceptions of health.