It was once customary to flip through the pages of a cookbook to discover new recipes and food trends.
Today, the decision-making process looks different thanks to the plethora of food content videos online, meaning thousands of people are simply browsing their social media feeds to find inspiration for their next meal.
It’s a phenomenon that the UK population is taking advantage of: a new survey reveals that almost 50 per cent of a sample of 2,000 Britons turn to social media for inspiration for their next meal.
The report from Just Eat, the UK’s largest on-demand delivery service, found that TikTok also influenced takeaway orders this year, with 49 per cent admitting they decide meals based on the content they have seen online.
The findings also held true when it came to ordering food for delivery, as 55 percent agreed that they purchase ingredients or products because they saw an influencer do the same.
Trends that inspired the population included the famous cucumber salad recipe on TikTok, which doubled sales of cucumbers on Just Eat.
Logan Moffitt, 23, put the mild-tasting vegetable in the spotlight earlier this year by sharing a series of recipes with his 5.4 million followers on TikTok.
The content creator, from Ottawa, Canada, begins most videos by saying, “Sometimes you need to eat a whole cucumber, let me show you the best way to do it.”
Social media is the source of food inspiration for Brits, with trendy recipes such as cucumber salad gaining popularity (pictured: food content creator Lara Oztekin).
The study found Brits were inspired to adopt healthy eating lifestyles on social media, with people like fitness influencer Emma (pictured) sharing their healthy diet with their followers.
TikTok user Rachel Pickett (pictured) racked up hundreds of likes explaining her love for a late-night treat.
In his fan-favorite routine, Logan slices cucumber in a quart-sized container, before adding spices and sauces and shaking it to create a cucumber salad.
Thousands of people took to TikTok to recreate the recipe, including the London-based food content creator. Lara Ozteskinwho called the recipe “sweet and spicy.”
Meanwhile, sales of Co-op salad tomatoes soared 103 per cent compared to last year, with Just Eat attributing the rise to the popular tomato toast trend.
The recipe, which caused a sensation on TikTok, involves freezing a large whole tomato and mashing it on toast.
At the same time, a rise in clean eating was evident: Just Eat found that 62 per cent of Brits found inspiration to eat cleaner after consuming online videos of healthy recipes.
The brand attributed its 20 percent increase in matcha orders and 56 percent increase in salmon poke bowl sales to the rise of “clean girl” food trends on TikTok.
For example, British fitness influencer Emma, who goes by @emmafituk_ on TikTok, shared how she prepared healthy meals for the week with her 131k followers.
She said: “Don’t try extreme diets or eating plans that aren’t sustainable” and “stock your fridge with fresh ingredients to cook nutritious meals.”
Even as Britons embrace clean diets, the study also found that the population still enjoys small sweet treats.
Nicknamed the culture of small delicacies, the British love to enjoy a small delicacy once a day, including coffee, pastries and cakes.
In the study, a third agreed that having a sweet treat brightens their day, while 55 percent think that coffee or a pastry is the ideal option for a mid-morning treat.
‘Little gift’ is a term that most Gen Z users will be familiar with, and the phrase has become the focal point of many TikTok videos.
For example, TikTok user Rachel Pickett caused a storm with her clip, which read: “9pm candy hates to see me coming.”
Looking ahead to the new year, food trends expert Dr Morgaine Gaye explained the products Brits can expect to see and eat in 2025.
Gaye first predicted that nostalgia would flourish with a resurgence of traditional puddings and cookies, including Jam Roly Poly and Jaffa Cakes.
The expert added that heritage recipes will be recovered with local ingredients, such as currants, walnuts and blood sausage.
Next up, Gaye predicted a girl’s dinner party, part two, which first rose to fame last year, will emerge.
The trend had women sharing their artfully arranged snacks that they enjoyed eating as meals when their boyfriends weren’t around.
The trend, which thousands of women around the world have taken part in, shows the bizarre variety of snacks prepared in a matter of minutes to create a meze-like “girls’ dinner.”
Next year, the expert hopes to see a new take on the trend, this time with an added level of sophistication and aesthetically pleasing presentation, including artisanal snacks and gourmet cheeses.
According to Gaye, immune products will also gain popularity, including yogurts, smoothies and beverages.
While we will see a trend in certain foods throughout the year, others will face a decline, including large meals, according to Gaye.
The expert explained that the trend of grazing will become popular on social networks, in which smaller and more frequent quality meals will have priority over larger and smaller portions.
Gaye added that he hopes to see a decrease in alcohol consumption and an increase in non-alcoholic, non-dried botanicals and non-alcoholic alternatives.
Dr Morganaine Gaye said: ‘2025 will be a time to protect ourselves mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
‘The main themes for next year will revolve around wellbeing, as we lean towards self-care and new ways to recapture nostalgic items from the past.
“We can expect to eat smaller meals more frequently, focusing on making everyday life more luxurious.” As always, we will be inspired by digital and share our own food finds and aspirations across social platforms.”