You probably recognize Shay Mitchell from Freeform’s “Pretty Little Liars,” but I bet you didn’t know that Shay is a massive foodie. Shay’s popular YouTube series “Shaycation” takes the actress around the world, and the mouthwatering food pics on Shay’s Insta account make me want to hop on a plane ASAP. From wine in Greece to coconuts in Hawaii, Shay is living her best life. Emphasis on actually living it. Because as Shay pointed out in a recent interview, food instagramming is often not what it seems.
When People asked the actress about food instagramming, Shay revealed that she always eats the food that she posts, and she has no time for people that don’t.
“I love a great food shot and I follow a lot of food blogs,” the actress said. “But if I ever find out that you don’t really eat that food, and you just used it for a photo, that’s when I get a little angry.”
As Shay points out, if you don’t eat the food, then you’re wasting it. I feel you, Shay. There’s nothing worse than watching a beautiful plate of tacos go straight in the garbage.
The actress also took the time to clapback at haters that accused her of not eating the food that she posts. “I eat all my pizza and all my friends can attest to that,” Shay told People. “I am the biggest foodie, but I work my ass off at the gym. I burn it off.” And honestly, kudos to her—talk about finding balance.
Food instagramming has become as common at the dinner table as salt and pepper shakers. Most of the time, it’s a lot of fun — I personally love sharing mouthwatering dishes with my friends and followers. My flatmates, on the other hand, think it’s hilarious to find me standing on our kitchen counter to get the perfect overhead shot of my mushroom stroganoff. It’s a win for all of us, I guess.
Unfortunately, food instagramming can also lead to a lot of food waste. People Instagram food that they don’t eat all the time. As a Spoon contributor pointed out, photogenic food is not always good food. Rainbow noodles might look aesthetic, but they aren’t going to taste very good without sauce. Or what about that freakshake craze? Sure, OTT milkshakes with cotton candy, apple pie, and a salted caramel drizzle on top are going to look amazing on Insta, but they’re just not practical. Are you really going to eat that entire thing in one sitting? Probably not.
That being said, food instagramming is a great way to brag about your #foodporn as long as you’re using it correctly. So as Shay pointed out, the next time that you pull out your phone at a restaurant to snap a picture of the colorful rainbow roll that you ordered, don’t feel guilty — just make sure that you actually want to eat it, too.