TikTok’s Most Popular Food Trends Are Impacting Grocery Stores in a Big Way
TikTok trends aren't going anywhere, and neither is our obsession with watching TikTokers prepare mouthwatering home recipes, share meal prep ideas and dish on yummy concoctions.
FoodTok has truly taken over the world — or, at the very least, our grocery stores, which are already feeling the impacts of TikTok's cultural influence.
It's not shocking that a deep scroll through #TikTokFood will inspire us to be more daring in our own kitchens, but what is surprising is just how much TikTok is inspiring us to make some pretty bizarre purchases at the grocery store!
It's a classic case of "TikTok made me buy it."
According to Instacart, the hottest TikTok-inspired grocery items purchased in 2021 include:
- gemelli pasta
- cereal bars
- prepared sandwiches and wraps
- frozen French toast
- energy drinks
Meanwhile, grocery items that shrank in popularity in 2021, according to Instacart, include:
- wax-covered cheese
- yeast
- hand sanitizer
- all-purpose flour
- disinfecting wipes
If you thought TikTok was just an app for teens who like to dance; adults who love to lip sync; or people who want to share life hacks, you're mistaken.
On TikTok, foodies reign supreme — the hashtag #TikTokFood boasts a whooping 43+billion views.
As TikTok changes our collective eating habits, food suppliers are also noticing a big uptick in shoppers adopting the vegan lifestyle.
Some TikTokers are even rolling this plant-based theme into 2022 by calling January "Veganuary."
But it's not just the U.S. that's on board with the trend.
A year in review report supplied by Sainsbury's, one of the U.K.'s largest grocery retailers, found customers purchased 160 percent more sandwiches and 177 percent more sushi. Brits also jumped on the "Veganuary" train, purchasing 16 percent more tofu than the previous year.
As for the most noticeable veggie to fly off the shelves last year? Carrots. Who knew!
Has TikTok inspired you to whip up some new delicious homemade concoctions? Let us know on Twitter by tweeting us @PopCrush!