You know that feeling when you’ve got a few minutes to waste and you plug into Facebook to check in for a sec and the next thing you know, three hours have passed? You’ve fallen down the social media hole, my friend, and it’s a long way back up. It’s important to stay connected, of course, but is it healthy to be obsessed? I give you the social media antidote to politics and unfriending on Facebook: foodie Instagrams. Nothing political here, just good, old-fashioned #foodporn. It’s calorie-free enjoyment, and relatively easy to detach yourself. Here are a few that have been cheering me up lately:
@chicagolunch (13k followers)
It’s just lunch for Raff and Green, who bill themselves as the Lunch Squad. They obsessively photograph their drool-worthy lunches around Chicago, from NYC Bagel Deli to Parlor Pizza Bar, Roister to Taco Bell. These guys get around.
@chocolate_videos (224k followers)
When they say, “ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE,” they really, really mean it. You can send in your own chocolate videos, and although they range in quality (some look professionally done, others much less so), they will deliver all the chocolatey goodness that you need at any given time to keep going.
@dad_beets (69.8k followers)
Nick Neves’ sunny posts clue you in to his California locale, where he is a happy dad given to puns (“throwing down beets and having a good thyme”) and taking fab food photos. He also won the 2016 SAVEUR Blog Award for Best Food Instagram, which is a good indication that he’s one to follow.
@food52 (1.5 million followers)
I may be a wee bit obsessed but I follow them on every format and own all of their cookbooks. The two founders of Food 52, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, have built a huge food community of recipe testers and avid foodies upon which to draw, and the photography is generally terrific.
@foodbabyny (145k followers)
Another dad Insta, but this one is genius: New Yorker Mike Chau features his baby in every food photo, whether peering over the edge of a huge NY pizza pie or sleeping in the background of a cookie pic. Adorable!
@julieskitchen (162k followers)
Photographer Julie Lee has a keen eye for composition, evident in her famous food collage photos (which are available to purchase in print form, btw). Although all of her photos are visually impeccable, the summer tomato collage is a particular work of beauty.
@mollyyeh (210k followers)
This Glenview native, now straddling the border of Minnesota and North Dakota on her husband’s family beet farm, is my current everything. Her savory culinary mashups reflecting her Chinese and Jewish heritages are a strongpoint, as are her desserts and pastries. She’s also infatuated with funfetti. Totally understandable.
@preppykitchen (160k followers)
Cannot. Stop. Watching. Cake videos. This ‘gram is endlessly fascinating. If you think frosting a cake sounds boring, you need to wake up. John Kanell makes fabulous videos, with sped-up action that shows just how to make the magic happen. I recommend an immediate viewing of the pink confetti cake construction project.
@tasteofstreep (189k followers)
It all started with a Photoshopped picture of Meryl Streep in a pink dress, holding a fluffy white pooch, and sitting atop a pink donut. From that inspiration came this awesome Instagram, pairing Meryl in some fabulous outfit with the food it most symbolizes. Red, white and blue? Meryl holds a giant Rocket Pop under one arm. An off-the-shoulder brown stunner finds her popping out of a Choco-Taco. An absolutely must follow.
@spoonuniversity (315k followers)
If you are — or have — a college student who is into food, Spoon University is already a known quantity. Started by two Northwestern students while still in school, it has blossomed to campuses around the country. They consider themselves “the food resource for our generation,” and they aren’t far off.
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