In my mother’s day, recipes were either passed on from family and friends, or found in recipe books. Today, social media is an oasis of foodspiration. With hashtags like #InstaFood, #NomNom, #ForkYeah and #eeeeeats—Instagram is one of the main platforms for foodies to share or be inspired by food pictures and recipes online.
Instagram can either be a blessing or a curse for fitness enthusiasts like me. From artsy sugar-filled lattes to creamy and cheesy pastas, temptation abounds on the gram. But there’s also a lot of healthy inspiration on there—it all depends who you follow. Whether you’re trying to eat right to look snatched in your honeymoon bikini, need to lose post-wedding or baby pounds, or simply want healthy food inspiration, here are 5 foodie Instagram accounts worth checking out (in no particular order):
1.) @WholeFoods
Follow for: Natural Food Recipes.
On the off chance that you don’t know about Whole Foods Market Inc., here’s a brief primer: Whole Foods is the US’ first certified organic grocer. It is more pop-culturally known as the grocery store for the bourgeoisie. One of the joys of Instagram however, is its democratization of food. By scrolling my Instagram feed, I can window shop all kinds of healthy food without ever leaving my bed. The @WholeFoods account in particular, is filled with all kinds of colorful and appealing meal ideas and recipes using organic products. Recent @WholeFood posts include: Curry with sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms and Quinoa, Vegan Beignets with Chocolate Espresso Sauce and Gluten Free Eggs Benedict. One can easily recreate these recipes using fewer and/or cheaper ingredients. I particularly enjoy the fact that Whole Food’s is less focused on pushing its products, and more focused on celebrating the joy and love of whole foods through its Instagram account.
2.) @Shisodelicious
Follow for: Food Art.
Sarah, a mononymous London-based food blogger and graphic designer, runs @Shisodelicious. Via Instagram, Sarah fuses her love for plant based food and design. Every single post on this page is a piece of art: fruits with edible flowers, rainbow salads, soups with colorful herb garnishes, etc. Sarah’s studies and travels in East Asia also reflect in her food design: she’ll put just about anything in a bento box. The @Shisodelicious recipes aren’t necessarily accessible, but they are definitely beautiful. Art after all, should give one something to aspire to.
3.) @WhatForBreakfast
Follow for: Breakfast Ideas.
Breakfast for me is invariably Oatmeal. Marta Greber of @WhatForBreakfast inspires me to do more and do better with breakfast. This Berlin-based Warsaw native runs a full food and travel blog called ‘What Should I Eat For Breakfast Today.’ Her Instagram page is a micro version of her site. @WhatForBreakfast features a variety of breakfasts under diverse categories like: weekend breakfasts, light, heavier but delicious, vegan, meatless, sweet, savory, hot, cold, fruity, veggies, with eggs, drinks. Due to her various travels, Marta’s breakfast locations are diverse too: she’s pictured breakfasts everywhere from New Zealand to Kenya. Posts like her recent crepe cake also show Marta’s artistic inclination. Suitcase Mag described @WhatForBreakfast as a celebration of “the endless possibilities of breakfast time, merging artful photography and styling with creative morning recipes.” Touché.
4.) @SaladForPresident
Follow For: Salad Motivation.
Salads are good for us. We all know we should eat them. But sometimes, salads can seem boring and bare. Enter: @SaladForPresident. Julia Sherman runs Salad for President—an evolving publishing project that draws a meaningful connection between food, art and everyday obsessions. On Instagram, @SaladForPresident focuses on a daily practice of making and eating salads with creative people. For example: salad recipes made in collaboration with an artist, musician, writer or creative professional, living their lives artfully. What I like most about @SaladForPresident is its focus on no fuss but appealing salads. Think: Frisee with blood orange, olive oil, braised chickpeas and poached eggs; or Mixed greens with Satsuma oranges, smoked almonds and bergamot vinaigrette. Sherman’s Salad For President: A Cookbook Inspired By Artists will be published in May 2017.
5.) @BakingMadGymAddict
Follow for: Meal Prepping Inspiration.
This Foodstagrammer’s bio reads: “Meal prepping Scottish Asian lassie in Sydney who likes to lift weights”—that about sums up @TheBakingMadGymAddict aka Lozza. I stumbled on Lozza’s page while searching for meal prep ideas and I was not disappointed. Lozza meal preps weekly like a true #GirlBOSS, and her Instagram has a good round up. What I love most about Lozza’s meal prep recipes is that they are always relatively cheap. Through her partnerships and sponsors, she also often provides discount codes for various food retailers. The @BakingMadGymAddict recipes are also always easy to make, and come with calorie and other nutrition information. Through her meal prep posts, Lozza inspires her followers to eat cleaner, train meaner and live leaner. YouTube is where her meal prep action is at, but Instagram is a good place to keep up with Lozza.
And duh, you should follow @aisleperfectliving for #PrettyPerfectFit tips like this.
@BlessingOmakwu is a Lawyer and Writer and splits her time between New York and Abuja. You can read her series Memoirs of a Naijamerican Bride on her blog: www.blessingomakwu.com. You can also follow her fitness journey on Snapchat: blessing_omakwu.
