Food photos ruin diets

Warren Armstrong Image
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Food photos ruin diets
Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube are inspiring all kinds of edible concoctions.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- From the Unicorn Frappuccino to the ramen burger, this woman is willing to try all the funky foods that pop up on her social media timeline even the grilled cheese donut.

"It was once in a time and it was amazing!" said foodie Gemarla Babilonia- Gaskin.

She's not the only one devouring these delicious treats.

Registered Dietitian Libby Parker says Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube are inspiring all kinds of edible concoctions, with a different foodie fad to feast on almost every day.

"Boozy milkshakes of all the different toppings. Some of them have, you know, slices of cake on top of them and things like that. Giant stacked burgers with all different types of toppings. Any of the rainbow foods--the rainbow trend is still really big," said Parker.

While some of the recent food trends clearly do not claim to be healthy others appear to be.

But certified nutritionists say you should be careful before buying into any claims and check the source. Anyone on social media can claim to be an expert on healthy foods.

"Any time that we're going to extremes that can be really unhealthy. So we're looking at accounts that are cutting out entire food groups. That's not showing really balanced, healthy eating that's going to give us all of our nutrients," said Parker.

Parker encourages following influencers and hashtags that give meal prop tips so you can plan ahead.

And accounts that share options pairing good-for-you foods you've never even thought about.

Overall, common sense is key.

"You can look at other people for ideas for recipe inspiration. There's no harm in that. But in terms of creating really balanced healthy meals and lifestyles, you want to make sure that there's a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins," said Parker.