3D printing technology achieves rapid molding of specific structural objects by adding materials layer by layer， allowing personalization of the composition of raw materials and the spatial structure of finished products according to demand， which has broad development potential in the food industry. Most food ingredients are not printable， which restricts the sources and types of food ingredients used for 3D printing and limits the application scales of 3D printing technology in the food industry. Plant-based nanocellulose is widely sourced and has excellent mechanical and rheological properties that enhance the printability of materials， making it an ideal ingredient for 3D printing. Defining the functional characteristics of plant-based nanocellulose， the properties of prepared 3D printing inks， and the application status in food 3D printing is particularly important to take adequate advantage of emerging processing technologies and food ingredients. This paper introduced the structural characteristics of plant-based nanocellulose and its functional properties compatible with 3D printing， including high mechanical strength， convenient surface modification， suitability for printing rheological properties， and favorable biosafety， analyzed the properties and uses of both types of two types of plant-based nanocellulose printing inks， hydrogels and emulsions， summarized its application status in food additives， food packaging， food freshness indicators， functional substance carrier， provided an outlook for the future of preparing emerging functional foods and smart food packaging， and made a prospect in order to provide a referential for future development.