Love Instagram? Here’s How Foodie Photos Can Help You With Healthy Eating

Because we should all #EatWell

The path toward healthy eating is lined with many tasty little temptations. From decadent chocolate cake to a yummy takeout meal, there’s no end of things you may long for. Just ask anyone who has tried dieting recently and they will tell you the same old thing. From the minute you begin, it’s ever-so-tricky to stick to your dietary plan. No matter how hard you try, there will be days when all you really want is a massive greasy, cheesy pizza.

Now, you’ve probably spied people in restaurants taking quick snaps of their meals before they start eating. It’s an odd but common habit many of us have. Of course, it’s no great secret that Instagram is full of foodie pictures — these delicious looking images make up a huge amount of what you see on the social media site. But, what if taking these pictures could help you lose weight? Well, maybe they can.

According to a new study from Washington University, there may be more to the food picture you take than you thought. It’s not just about getting likes and comments online; the act of sharing these images has another key benefit. That’s right! The research found that snapping and uploading a quick picture of your food may make eating better, healthier food easier than ever before.

For a long time, dietitians have suggested that people keep a log of what they eat on a daily basis. It’s a tried and tested technique. When you really think about it, though, posting images of your day to day food online is no different. It’s a tangible way of remembering what you’ve had for your main meals. Whenever you need to, you can simply look back over diet for the last week, month, or even year. It’s easy and just takes the touch of a button.

“The benefit of photos is that it’s more fun to do than taking out a booklet or typing hundreds of words of description in an app,” explained the paper’s lead author, engineering doctoral student Christina Chung. “Plus, it’s more socially appropriate for people who are trying to track their diets to snap a photo of their plate when they’re out with friends — everyone’s doing it and it doesn’t look weird.”

It’s not just about remembering what you eat either; there’s the social support element too. One of the main reasons that people fail when it comes to weight loss and the like is because they feel totally and utterly alone in their struggle. They have no one to talk to about how hard staying on track really is. Needless to say, that’s why so many people attend slimming groups on a week by week basis.

Luckily, the online world is no different. Many people now find the support and help that they need from other social media users. For example, when you upload a picture of some freshly grilled salmon and a leafy green salad, you might get people commending you on your healthy eating. It’s that positive reinforcement and acknowledgment that drives people forward toward their goals. Simple.

So, the next time you’re about to chow down, why not stop, take a quick picture, and upload it to Instagram? You never know, it might just help you make the best possible food choices and lead a healthy lifestyle.