How Social Media Influences What We Eat

What’s on your plate may have a lot to do with what’s in your feed, new research suggests. According to a new survey of 5-thousand adults from across the country, 77% say they consistently made decisions about what to eat based on what’s trending online.

The poll finds that for a lot of Americans, food content isn’t just entertainment, it’s actually inspiration.

  • Almost everyone (93%) regularly sees food content on their social media feeds and food-related posts make up 39% of their feeds.
  • More than half (58%) of respondents say they have saved enough viral recipes to fill a cookbook of their own.
  • Social media sites that used to be known for memes and dance challenges are now the go-to source for foodies, with people discovering cooking hacks (56%), exploring new dishes (44%) and preparing their first viral recipe thanks to content they saw there.
  • Nearly nine in 10 (88%) say there’s at least one viral food they’re already familiar with, including loaded fries (72%), hand-made pasta (32%), Caesar salad with fries (30%) and espresso martinis (17%).
  • It turns out today’s food culture isn’t just about what looks good on screen, it’s also about connection, as 60% of Americans regularly share food with friends in person.
  • Almost half (47%) also pass along recipes or food content digitally.
  • When it comes to favorite shareable foods, pizza tops the list (73%), followed closely by fries (71%), then wings (61%), chips and dips (61%).
  • But as much as people love to share, there are still some rules to be followed, especially no double-dipping (68%) or taking the last fry without asking (43%).

Source: Talker