Celebrities influence us in so many ways, especially when it comes to diet! In fact, #celebritydiet has over 45 million views on TikTok – a clear appetite for this type of content.
I spoke to plant-powered drinks brand Plenish who scraped TikTok to discover the most popular celebrity ‘healthy’ food and drink trends of 2021-22 by looking at the most searched hashtag related to the trends.
Plenish also spoke exclusively to Bhuvaneshwari Gupta, a Public Health Nutritionist who specialises in plant-based diets and nutrition for young children and adolescents to reveal the true health impacts of these trends.
Ranking and Diet
Gigi Hadid Spicy Vodka Pasta
- Gigi Hadid Spicy Vodka Pasta – 336.6M views
- Amanda Jones Healthy Coke – 87.9M views
- Gwyneth Paltrow Celery Juice – 62.7M views
Jennifer Aniston Salad
- The Jennifer Aniston Salad – 26.5M views
- Khloe Kardashian Collagen Powder – 10.1M views
- Hailey Bieber Smoothie – 8.1M views
- Lizzo’s Natures Cereal – 3.9M views
Kim Kardashian’s Chia Pudding
- Kim Kardashian – Chia Pudding – 1.1M views
- Emily Mariko – Salmon Bowl – 25.6k views
- Dwayne Johnson – Coconut Banana Pancakes – 4.5k views
- Wellness expert and founder of plant-powered drinks brand Plenish, Kara Rosen, gives us her thoughts on the best celebrity health trends and diets:
She says: “It’s important to know the full health impacts of dieting trends before you start. As we’ve found, a lot of these celebrity health trends could be made even healthier and don’t necessarily come with warnings against who should and shouldn’t consume them.
Generally, you can’t go wrong with plant-based meals but make sure you always check the ingredients used and consume only in moderation.”
Bhuvaneshwari Gupta, Public Health Nutritionist has weighed in on whether we should be following these celebrity health trends and how to follow them the right way…
- Gigi Hadid Spicy Vodka Pasta – #gigihadidpasta
“This pasta dish is rich in refined carbohydrates and low in fibre as there are no vegetables added. The added cream can be very high in saturated fat. It can be made healthier by swapping the regular pasta for wholewheat pasta or lentil pasta.
Different nut butters like cashew butter or low-fat cream can be used in place of regular cream. Some vegetables can be added and more protein options like tofu or lentils can be added to make the dish more wholesome.”
- Amanda Jones Healthy Coke – #healthycoke
“Vinegar is acidic in nature and any form of it can potentially erode dental enamel if there is prolonged exposure. The drink otherwise has no sugar and is definitely a better alternative to coke if consumed in moderate quantities.
There is plenty of research to suggest that artificially sweetened diet beverages like diet coke may not lower the risk of diabetes. And as another good alternative plain fresh water is the best beverage for any time of thirst.”
- Gwyneth Paltrow Celery Juice – #celeryjuice
“Studies have shown that celery has powerful antioxidant and healing characteristics due to many compounds like caffeic acid and apigenin.
Celery juice or any freshly made cold-pressed green juices or green smoothies can be a good addition to a balanced diet as long as there are no hidden ingredients like added sugar or artificial flavours.
However, this juice should not be replaced for a regular meal especially for young children or for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
There are also certain misconceptions about celery like it removes toxins, or should only be had on an empty stomach that is not based on any scientific evidence. It should also be noted that some people may be allergic to celery and they should be careful before trying this out.”
- The Jennifer Aniston Salad – #jenniferanistonsalad
“This salad looks to be healthy and wholesome and is also a good source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein. But the risk of following any health trend over a long period of time is the resulting lack of variety in the diet. A balanced diet should contain a wide variety of foods in the right proportions.
The Eatwell Guide recommends eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Just eating this salad for all meals every single day may not be a wise thing to do, as some food groups, like fruits, for example, can be completely missed out.”
- Khloe Kardashian Collagen Powder – #doseandco
“Collagen supplementation is generally safe but may cause digestive distress like bloating or heartburn in some people. Also, according to a Harvard report, there is limited data available on the possible side effects of long-term high protein intake from supplements.
Also, most collagen powders in the market are derived from bovine connective tissue or fish which obviously makes the supplement unsuitable for vegetarians or vegans.
We usually have collagen in our bodies but as we age we produce less of it. However, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Vitamin C and Zinc are essential building blocks for collagen production and can be obtained easily by consuming plenty of citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu and oatmeal.”
- Hailey Bieber Smoothie – #haileybiebersmoothie
“Smoothies are a great way to get a filling snack in a hurry, and this one has a good blend of fruits, protein, and good fats (avocado).
When making a smoothie, always consider how much fruit you are adding, as when blended it breaks down into simple sugars which can spike your insulin levels and potentially leave you feeling hungry.
It should be noted that not all commercial almond milks are good sources of Vit E or Zinc, in comparison to eating real almonds which are high in protein, fibre, Vitamin E, Calcium and Zinc.
Moreover, not all protein supplements are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women and also people with certain underlying health conditions like kidney disorders.”
- Lizzo Natures Cereal – #lizzocereal
“Evidence shows that eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables has significant health benefits for everyone. Lizzo’s natural cereal can help towards that.
However, breakfast especially for children and people with high nutrition needs like pregnant and breastfeeding women needs to also provide proteins, calcium and more calories that may not be achieved by this dish.
Research has shown that breakfast is a crucial meal for school-going children’s cognitive performance. Therefore, a low-sugar fortified wholemeal cereal with cow or fortified plant-based milk like soya milk added with fruits and nuts or nut butters could be a better alternative.”
- Kim Kardashian Chia Pudding – #kimkardashianchiapudding
“Chia seeds are healthy as they are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, protein, calcium, phosphorus and zinc and can be part of a healthy diet.
However, there is some caution to exercise especially for very young children or people who have dysphagia, which causes difficulty in swallowing or other digestive issues.
It is, therefore, safer to consume chia seeds in moderate quantities and also preferably in soaked or moist form and not dry.
This is because chia seeds in their dry state can quickly swell after absorbing water from the surroundings and this can cause rare but potentially dangerous choking-related issues.”
- Emily Mariko Salmon Bowl – #emilymarikosalmonbowl
“This dish should be generally safe as long as the leftover salmon and leftover rice are not too old. Fish and other meat products are easily contaminated and it is advised to consume them as fresh as possible unless they are frozen as per instructions.
Also, most of the other ingredients in the recipe like soya sauce, Sriracha, Kimchi, Kewpie mayonnaise and dried seaweed or nori tend to be high in salt.
So people with high blood pressure, kidney diseases or anyone watching their salt intake should modify the recipe with low-salt alternatives like low-salt soy sauce.
There are also growing environmental concerns about eating salmon as salmon farms severely damage the marine ecosystem through pollution and parasites. More sustainable alternatives for this dish could be Tofu or Tempeh bowl with low salt soya sauce, added vegetables and brown rice.”
- Dwayne Johnson Coconut Banana Pancakes – #djsinfamouscoconutbananapancakes
“This dish can be very high in calories and fat. The main ingredient is plain flour which is low in fibre. Alternatives could be wholemeal spelt/wheat or millet flour to replace white flour. And the saturated fat content can be reduced by using oil in the place of butter or coconut oil.”