Brits 'Obsessed' With Sharing Food on Social Media

Have you ever been served up a super pretty meal at a restaurant or created your own delicious recipe and thought that you need to share it with the world? Social media lets us show people every aspect of our lives, with many people using it to show off their food.

Around one in five Brits have posted a picture on at least one social media platform or have sent a photo of their food to a friend. This equates to around nine million adults sharing images of avocado on toast, spag bol or the latest thing to be spiralised, according to the Waitrose Food and Drink Report 2016.

The report suggests that food is the “hottest social currency” today, with some accounts racking up thousands of followers for their arty images of their latest meal. More and more people are using their food to show the world who they are, with around 44 per cent of people in Britain admitting that they’ll put extra effort if they think a picture of their meal might be put on social media.

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Rob Collins, managing director of Waitrose, said: “As a nation, we’re expressing ourselves through food as never before. From healthy eating to the explosion of food photography on social media, to our desire to entertain others through cooking – food is today’s hottest social currency; through it, we tell others about ourselves.”

This is probably why you can find thousands of photos of different foods just be searching a few key phrases.

As well as the social media finding, Waitrose’s report also found that people are taking on a new “intuitive” style of healthy eating, which healthier choices being described as “just a part of who we are”. A total of 71 per cent of those who responded to the survey admitted that this is an approach they had taken on, which could mean more people are developing better diets and making better choices without really thinking about it.

Just under this, 61 per cent, said that they select fresher and naturally lighter foods than they did five years ago, with mini versions of treats being popular rather than full-sized options, which will also be helping waistbands across the UK.

Shoppers are also thinking more about where food is sourced from, with 80 per cent stating that they now consider where ingredients come from. Around 30 per cent also said they consider the environment and society a lot more now when it comes to buying food too.

It could be that people are more willing to share pictures of healthy foods on social media, causing changes in their entire diet.

How often do you share a snap of your meals online?