Nowadays, it seems like everyone and their mother has a foodstagram. However, unlike mom jeans, Birkenstocks, and whatever else your “cool mom” might be into, foodstagrams are here to stay. So, you better make the best of it.
After running my Foodstagram, @honeybrunches, for nearly a year, I felt that I was obviously qualified to dispense some valuable life lessons foodstagraming has taught me.
1. Healthier looks better
Newsflash: all of my favorite foods are brown. Nothing excites me more than the color of crispy fried chicken or a perfectly baked apple pie. However, brown foods don’t always photograph well. They lack brightness and contrast, unlike fruits and vegetables, which are way more Insta-worthy.
Studies show that photographing kale, açaí, and other #superfoods, can lead to an increased appetite for other healthy items, leading to better dietary habits. So, healthy looks better on you, too.
2. Food is more fun with friends
Everybody loves a good group shot. They showcase all the best eats and spice up your foodstagram’s aesthetic. The secret to a good one? Friends.
As Taylor Swift knows, squads improve everything, especially eating. Rounding up four (or more) of your closest homies for brunch will not only lead to the most bangin’ foodstagram of all time, but also stronger friendships. After all, what happens over pancakes and lattes, stays over pancakes and lattes.
3. Literally anything can be brunch
Did you eat between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm? Was there an egg on it? If you answered yes to both of these questions, congratulations! You just had yourself some brunch.
Brunch is hard. The lines are long, the food is pricey, and the hangry-ness is real. But, deep down, brunch is my favorite meal (and probably yours too). That’s why it’s important to get creative. Sometimes an al-fresco pancake situation just isn’t worth it. So it’s okay to grab some eggs and all the carbs and get cookin.’
4. It’s okay to make a scene
In order to snap this photo, I demanded a table outside, “fancy” napkins, and flowers. And you know what? I was 100% okay with that.
People say we foodstagrammers are insufferable, but we know better. By being “that person” in a restaurant who stands up to get the perfect overhead shot, I learned to love embarrassing myself and you can too. Own your crazy. Ask for that center table with confidence. You deserve it.
5. Get out from behind the camera
Finally, your followers follow you for you. Yes, they love looking at XXX food porn, but they also like hearing your #relatable captions. So it’s perfectly okay to let yourself shine.
This, just like all the lessons mentioned, can be applied to more than just foodstagramming. Running @honeybrunches taught me so many things, like that there’s no official name for a cheese expert. But mostly, it taught me this: I can make a difference through food, and so can you.