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.

Activating Gingerbrute's middle ability after it has become blocked by a creature without haste won't cause it to become unblocked.