At some point in my life, I could have been considered a social media influencer. Some brands call me that, but I truly never felt I reached enough people to claim that title (nor do I try to). Either way, social media and the influencers on various platforms can definitely have an influence on the way we eat.
Studies have shown that we are more likely to eat certain foods that we see in our social media feeds. I thought about this, and yes, I think it's true. Except for garbanzo beans. If you post anything about those, I won't be rushing out to eat them. It's similar for eggplant and okra when it comes to my own personal tastes. However, there have been foods that have shown up in my feed that I probably wouldn't have tried had I not seen a friend or influencer post them on social media. Chia pudding and overnight oats come to mind for me here.
In 2017, a survey found that nearly 70% of millennials were taking pictures of some of their meals and posting them to social media before consuming their food. If we see our friends or other influencers post healthy meals full of vegetables, we're more likely to consume the same. If we see them posting junk food or indulgent meals, we're more likely to feel like this gives us permission to indulge as well. If you're trying to eat healthy, it makes sense to follow others who also eat healthy while avoiding looking at social media images of junk food. Consider this the next time you're scrolling through your social media feed. Does looking at food make you crave that certain food? Does seeing a healthy meal make you more likely to opt for healthy foods? Let me know in the comments below.