By Briana Hayes
Staff Writer
One of the world’s most popular social media networks is Instagram. Instagram allows pictures to be shared, and provides the opportunity to add filters and edits.
While some accounts are full of selfies, scenery, and artsy sunsets, Instagram has also opened a window for nutritionists and other people dedicated to eating healthily to share their recipes, meals, and ideas with every one of their followers.
There are millions of accounts dedicated to food and thousands of accounts dedicated to eating healthily. However, if you want to utilize social media to help you eat more healthily, there are five accounts with unique and interesting focuses that you should give a try.
Salad Pride (@saladpride) is an Instagram account owned by David Bez. For three years he has prepared and eaten a salad at his desk every day.
In today’s society, some corporate employees are stuck at desks all day and when it is time for lunch, they eat fast food while catching up on work.
This account proves that salads don’t have to be boring and full of lettuce. David separates his salads by week in his more recent posts; one week will be kale week and kale will be the star of his salads. Another week will be sweet potato week where the orange, starchy vegetable will appear in every salad he makes.
The ingredients for each salad are listed below the picture. Some ingredients such as raw salmon, pasta, flowers, hemp seeds, and smoked cheeses will surprise you and add a surprising twist to the word “salad.”
Nutrition stripped (@nutritionstripped) is run by McKel Hill, a registered dietitian. Her focus is plant-based and gluten-free food. The food highlighted on this account ranges from Coconut Ginger cookies to Buffalo Cauliflower Bites.
One commonly featured item is a Smoothie Bowl. The Smoothie Bowls are green and full of vegetables and raw foods. They are usually topped with crunchy food such as homemade granola or bright berries. “The Stripped Green Smoothie Bowl is super thick, creamy, and a perfect base to have your favorite toppings on,” said the dietitian in one of her posts.
The focus on raw and plant-based food and juicing is a very popular trend. Vegans, vegetarians and even meat-eaters will appreciate this account for its bright colors, the prevalence of delicious foods, and the easy methods to prepare food. It shows that even when food is “stripped” to its most basic qualities, the nutritious values still stand out.
Sara Wasabi is a holistic nutritionist who is certified in Ayurveda. According to Sara’s website, Ayurveda is the world’s oldest health system and means “life knowledge.”
The concept is based off of the five basic elements: Space, Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. Her Instagram account (@eatfeelfresh) focuses on this concept and the different foods that are beneficial for each person who is comprised of different amounts of each element.
This account includes a lot more ancient beliefs applied to current life. The culture of the belief really stands out because Sara travels to further her research. Therefore you get to see firsthand her food from India. EatFeelFresh includes a lot of helpful hints.
One of the most interesting tips is healthy food to pack while traveling. Instead of paying high airline prices, options such as pomegranate seeds are featured. You should probably just bring napkins so your fingers won’t be stained bright red.
Perhaps the most standout quality about the Instagram account The Holistic Ingredient is the amount of yummy desserts it features. Amy Crawford runs this account with her nutrition hints on how to make healthy be delicious.
A dessert that looks amazing is her crunchy peanut butter ice cream with gingerbread cookies. Since she focuses on holistic ingredients, as implied by her account name, the ice cream is really bananas.
Her Instagram account (@theholisticingredient) features chocolate smoothies, egg and avocado breakfast sandwiches, and food that easily speaks for itself. The photos highlight the food and the naturalness of it all.
Last but not least, an Instagram account that is a must-follow is IQUITSUGAR, which is based off of iquitsugar.com. Americans, especially college students take in excess sugar. This sugar comes from drinks, candy, high-carbohydrate diets, and refined food.
This Instagram account includes photos of food that are low in sugar or made without sugar. There is a focus on vegetables, fruits, and baked goods prepared without sugar. An example is the zucchini brownies.
Social media is a huge part of our lives and with accounts such as these we can utilize social media to help our health as well.