If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie (an Artifact Creature — Food Golem) to activate Maraleaf Rider's ability (an ability with "Sacrifice a Food" in its cost).

Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it's never a creature type.

You can't sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate Maraleaf Rider's ability.

Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards.

If a permanent you control is both a Squirrel and a Food, count it only once when determining how many counters to put on Honored Dreyleader with its second ability.

Similarly, if a permanent you control that is both a Squirrel and a Food enters, Honored Dreyleader's last ability will trigger only once.