You stand up to lean over your meal in a restaurant in order to get the perfect angle of your food, and look up only to realize everyone is staring at you with judgment plastered all over their faces–oh, we know the feeling all too well.
Starting now, you have a completely legitimate reason to post your #foodporn photos all over social media, because there is new research that suggests that Instagramming your food can essentially make it taste better!
The Journal of Consumer Marketing published an article stating that taking photos of your food “increases attitudes and taste evaluations of the experience” while eating your meal. Take that judgmental restaurant goer!
New York Magazine conducted three studies in relation to the research. In the first study, 120 participants were asked to take a picture (or not) of an “indulgent” meal (in the case, red velvet cake or fruit salad). Researcher’s actually found that participants who took pics of the cake felt as though it was “tastier and more pleasurable” than those who didn’t take pictures of the cake!
Unsurprisingly, no one found that the fruit salad tasted better after taking the photo, but hey, who’s counting!
Basically, the act of taking pictures of your food not only delays eating, but it allows you to savor your food.
According to Elite Daily, during the third study researchers found that when participants were showed pictures of healthy dishes, the participants were “more interested in eating healthy food themselves”.
Constantly viewing photos of healthy foods will encourage people to eat healthier, so you’re ultimately helping your Insta followers achieve their summer beach bodies.
Eat well, and eat pretty foods so your Instagram feed can be as delicious and beautiful as your diet!