American University
WASHINGTON – Food is not meant for eating anymore – well, not without a pic first.
Food Instagrams are all the rage, ranging from health food Instagrams, to vegan Instagrams, to the most extravagant desserts you’ve ever seen. Since the rise of social media, food has taken the stage as one of its main draws. People create Instagram accounts with the sole purpose of posting food they make or food they eat at restaurants.
Instagram is a social media app that allows people to share their photos. and videos with friends, family, and in some cases, millions of strangers.
Although Instagram started as a way for people to share photos with friends, now it has turned into a major platform for sharing all types of information, including what to eat. And food Instagrams have recently become extremely popular.
Elena Holceker, 19, a sophomore at American University, runs Chitown Foodies & Beyond – @chitown_foodies –, a food Instagram account she created with her twin and best friend five years ago as “something to do for fun.” This was before the food Instagram world took off. Her account now has 18,900 followers.
Food Instagrammers don’t just post amazing food; they promote a lifestyle. Whether it be promoting to eat clean and exercise or indulge and let yourself live in the moment, these Instagrams are changing the way people view food.
Holcecker shares with her followers delicious and decadent meals from restaurants. She said she loves food Instagrams because it helps people, including herself, find out the best places to go and eat. “When I go to New York City, I always look at the most popular New York food Instagrams to find out where to eat,” she said.
There are tons of food Instagrams in New York City, displaying images of delicious food from trendy restaurants. A popular one is NewYork Foodguide #nycfood – @newyork.foodguide. It displays various different types of delicious food from all over the city.
Evelyn Castro, 21, a senior at New York University, runs NewYork Foodguide –@newyork.foodguide – and has 21,500 followers. “My Instagram is helpful because many people find it annoying and overwhelming to figure out where to eat in New York City,” Castro said.
The Instagram New York Foodguide #nycfood is a part of a larger brand. “There are accounts in a bunch of major cities and the headquarters delegate who runs which accounts. Someone else ran this Instagram before me; I took over this May,” Castro said. Castro does not get paid for running the Instagram but said, “Restaurants will give me complimentary meals if I come and eat at their restaurant.”
Inés Arroyo, a student at New York University, relies on food Instagrams to show her what new place she and her friends should try for lunch or dinner.
However, not everyone is a fan of this new fad. “Everyone taking pictures of the food they eat at every nice restaurant they go to is excessive,” Maverick Shaw, a student at Fordham University, said.
However, he does like being shown how to make something rather than just seeing the end result. He follows the food Instagram account called Tasty –@buzzfeedtasty –, which shows people how to make the food they are posting. “It shows me how to be creative in the kitchen,” Shaw said.
A type of food Instagram that most commonly posts home cooked meals are health food Instagrams. Holceker said she “noticed a spike in heath food Instagrams due to the fitness era that is emerging.”
Health food Instagrams don’t just post photos of great food, but they promote living a happy and healthy lifestyle. Most are health and wellness Instagrams that also post positive quotes and workout tips.
Allie Hiller, 30, is a health and wellness Instagrammer with around 35,500 followers. Her Instagram name is Allie Hiller – @healthyalibi. She started her Instagram a few years ago in 2015 after her friends kept asking her what she does to get her abs to look so good.
At first, she would just post what she ate and her workouts each day for fun on her regular Instagram. “I realized I could make a business out of it,” said Hiller. She got a certificate as a health coach and began using her Instagram to promote herself.
All of the food on her Instagram is healthy food she makes. However, what separates her health and wellness Instagram from just health food Instagrams is that she also focuses on mental health and self-care. “My goal is to motivate people to put their best foot forward each day,” Hiller said.
Lydia Bowman, a sophomore at Villanova University, had a health food account briefly and enjoys following health and wellness accounts. “I thought harder about what I ate each day because I would post it,” Bowman said. “I love seeing how to make easy healthy meals. It keeps me on track when I am reminded each day in my feed to be healthy.”
Lilly Dorroh, 19, University of Virginia sophomore, agreed. Dorroh became a vegan this summer and created a vegan food account called Lilly – @zuccqueeni. “Having a vegan food account kept me accountable for what I ate and made me more dedicated to being vegan,” she said.
However, some people with health Instagrams have always eaten healthy and simply enjoy inspiring others to do the same, such as Phoebe Bernet. Bernet,19, is a sophomore at the The University of Texas at Austin and runs a heath food Instagram called Fibi’s Phood – @holyishmeal. “To me eating heathy is second nature,” Bernet said.
Bernet said, “A lot of the time when I make my healthy dishes, I don’t take a picture of it, so it’s not that it keeps me accountable. My main goal is to show people that eating healthy is just as tasty and easy to make as unhealthy foods.”
Although, according to Castro, health food Instagrams are not for everyone. “I think most people that follow my account just like to look at aesthetically good food,” Castro said.