Do people actually make those viral food trends?

From feta pasta to pasta chips, every week there seems to be more viral food trends filling the feed. While people watch, re-watch and even droll over those videos, is the food about the click or are people actually making those recipes and trying those hacks?

Recently, Instacart created its 2021 Year in Groceries. While online grocery shopping has become part of many people’s routines, the convenience of pushing a button to get food delivered to the door cannot be denied.

Although there might be that need to satisfy a craving, scrolling through all those TikTok videos seemed to influence people’s purchases. Whether it was a desire to be part of the group or being curious about the food hack, people couldn’t wait to get a taste.

According to the Instacart survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, “44% of Americans tried making a social media food trend in 2021.” Although the exact reasoning is unclear, it seems that the shopping cart was full of the ingredients to make their own version of that viral video.

Through the Instacart research, the TikTok food trends that had a correlation to shoppers’ carts were Baked Feta Pasta, Salmon Rice Bowl, and Nature’s Cereal. Many people will probably remember that feta pasta popularity. From the ease of cooking to the cheesy goodness, that pasta dish was on everyone’s table.

While the shopping data is interesting, the bigger commentary is the influence of TikTok trends. Beyond the captivating videos and comments, people want to be part of that group moment. When there is an option to click and have food arrive at the door, it is an easy decision to make.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how this information is leveraged. The idea of integrated shopping isn’t necessarily new. Now it just might become more apparent in all those viral food trends.

Did you find yourself ordering food because of a TikTok trend or video? What do you think that the next trend will be?