We live in a time where trends rule society. It has escalated to the point that something being identified as a trend is a trend in itself.
Trends engulf our day to day lifestyles so imminently and I can’t help but wonder if we’ll find a way to make means of survival trendy.
Oh wait a minute, we already did.
Over the past decade, food trends have been consistently cycled through the social media scene.
From vegan/plant based, to keto and most recently carnivore, it’s becoming difficult to keep up with what the ideal diet for optimal health is.
What food trend should we realistically be taking part in, if any?
Let’s take a deep dive into the growing popularity of each food trend and what the details behind the trends above entail.
Beginning with the vegan/plant based diet, this trend became popularized in the 2010s and its popularity continued to grow especially during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January of 2020, The Economist wrote an article on the growing trend, titled “Intertest In Veganism Is Surging.”
The article discussed the building “enthusiasm for veganism,” including data to support the changing eating habits of people around the world.
Many celebrities such as Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian discussed their transitions to veganism, as well as being seen on many Tiktok “What I Eat In A Day” videos.
A vegan/plant based diet consists of avoiding any food that is sourced from an animal. So fruits, vegetables and grains make up the main majority of the diet.
Another food diet that resurfaced as trendy during the pandemic was keto. The keto diet was created in 1921 with the initial purpose to help treat individuals with epilepsy.
According to Bolst Global, a health and wellness business, the keto diet “contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs.” Focusing on a high-fat diet that is low in carbohydrates.
The keto lifestyle was most famously seen being followed by Kourtney Kardashian and Janelle Rohner, a TikTok star who became known for her keto-based content.
A typical keto diet consists of eating foods such as seafood, nuts, cheese, avocados and low-carb vegetables.
The last food trend we’ll be discussing is the most recent to consume the social media screens: the carnivore diet.
As seen in an article by Everyday Health, “the carnivore diet allows zero carbs.”
Kelly Schmidt, a holistic dietitian, explained how it “includes ‘only foods that either walked, swam, or flew.’”
Currently, the most well known carnivore advocate is Paul Saladino, a “double board certified MD.”
Though his diet involves fruits and honey, unlike a traditional carnivore diet, he highly commends eating organ meats as a large portion of your overall diet.
A carnivore diet also consists of butter, fish, eggs and bone broth.
After thoroughly analyzing each of these trends, they certainly sound unappetizing after an extended period of time.
This inspired me to reach out to Mary P. Kane, a certified personal trainer and sports nutrition consultant.
When speaking with Kane about the trends, she shared a wise piece of information about which trend is the best and most sustainable.
“Focus on eating nutrient dense foods to support muscle and brain health,” she said, which includes “a balanced diet of high quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates.”
Mary P. Kane- Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutrition Consultant
Eating everything in moderation is the best lifestyle to keep the human body sustained, allowing it to intake a valuable source of nutrients.
If focusing on following a specific food trend begins to consume your physical and mental mindset, perhaps it may not be as helpful, as all the social media junkies, claim after all.
Unless they’re being specifically prescribed by your doctor, for health purposes or a personal agenda the trends can be left behind to fizzle out as they typically do.
If what you eat is making you happy and keeping you metabolically healthy, then it’s safe to say you can focus on more worthy trends, maintaining your happiness.