Forget posting the perfect selfie or snapping another Tuscaloosa sunset – food is Instagram’s most delicious dominator. From local accounts like Spoon University Alabama to social media megastars like Food in the Air (coming in at 366k followers), food accounts are a popular addition to any feed. The “foodstagrammer” community is growing, and it’s easy for any novice with food and a phone to join. Four UA ladies have staked their claim and mastered the art of the food pic.
Brooke Brown; senior majoring in food and nutrition
@brookiesbites
Follower count: 625
Food of choice: yogurt bowls
Balance is the word for Brown’s bright and cheery health account. She shares her love for healthy eating with posts of wraps, fruits and salads, but also all the splurges in between. An aspiring dietician, she uses her Instagram to remind followers that balanced eating doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing for everyone. Her favorite food memories involve Sunday lunches at her grandmother’s house.
“It was a fun way to share what I ate and throw in some nutrition tips. A way to be accountable but show you don’t have to be healthy all the time. It’s OK to crave kale one day and cake the next day.”
Maret Montanari; sophomore majoring in public relations
@sishoodofthetravelingfork
Follower count: 1.2k
Favorite food memory: “My grandmother is the best pie-maker in the world. She makes everything homemade, even the crust, and this past summer she showed me how to make pies and shared her secret recipe.”
Two years ago Maret Montanari posted a photo of nachos at a baseball game. Now, her friends know not to dig into their food until she snaps a pic. Her feed feeds the eyes, including everything from Taco Mama margaritas and decadent strawberry cupcakes to stadium hotdogs and colorful maki bowls. Her creative food staging and captioning even caught the attention of the account Foodie Tribe, whom she announced a collaboration with yesterday.
“I always use punny captions. I want to make people laugh and enjoy food as much as I do.”
Virginia Dodenhoff; sophomore majoring in public relations
@diaryofahungrygirl
Follower count: 1.7k
Favorite food city: New Orleans, Louisiana.
This New Orleans native has an Instagram bio that reads “I’m a southern belle hungrier than hell.” Her posts are varied to include all kinds of delicious eats: Disney World waffles, sorority house dinners, pizzas of the ages, and even Cheetos and Takis. Her food account started as a parody, but has grown into something so much more. She shares her love of food from the Bayou to Bryant-Denny and everywhere in between.
“I want people to be happy when they’re scrolling through my Instagram.”
Tayler Crumpton; junior majoring in food and nutrition
@eatwithtay
Follower count: 24.4k
Career goal: registered dietician
This foodie uses both natural lighting and food’s natural aesthetic to create her pristine posts. She cooks almost everything that she posts, and inspires followers with new ways to eat healthy. Combining tips with delicious photographs, she makes healthy eating look easy.
“I try to show people that eating healthy isn’t hard, it just requires a little time and sometimes creativity. I also like to think I inspire others to be creative with their food and to see it as something more than what they eat. To me food is a form of art.”
