Food material is the key factor of food 3D printing. This review summarized the characteristics of food materials (protein, starch, hydrogel and fat) commonly used in food 3D printing at present, analyzed the influence of different material combinations on the forming performance. Moreover, suggestions on how to improve the printing effect of difficult printing materials were also provided, and the technical bottleneck of food materials development faced in food 3D printing nowadays were noticed. Finally, the direction of food 3D printing technology in the future was prospected.