to me it sounds like something a small child would say.
"mommie i is hungie , can i have some foodies ?"
hurry up and eat before your dinnie gets cold
are cooks cookies ?
chiefs ... chiefies ?
nonsense
Hey, its no weirder than being a "birder". LOL! I love language and all its idiosyncratic quirks.
I just plain old love food. I love to see it, smell it, talk about it, prepare it, and most especially TASTE it!
To me, a true foodie is one who can find enjoyment in a variety of things. Whether that be Velveeta or white truffle oil; goat stew or matooke it doesn't matter. Just experiencing and finding enjoyment in our food makes you a foodie in my book.