Written By: Emma Dunlavy; SLU Dietetic Intern
Dear Readers,
As somebody who has been interested in and studied nutrition since my freshman year of high school (nearly 10 year now), I have naturally developed a lot of interest in social media trends surrounding healthy eating. It has always astounded me how what one person recommends on their social media platform can be taken and pursued by the masses, and tips to improve health are one of the most saturated areas in terms of content. I can’t even begin to count how many healthy eating trends I have seen come and go throughout the years, many with little to no actual scientific evidence to support the claims being made. The first trend that I can vividly remember taking interest in was the epidemic of juice cleanses among popular lifestyle YouTubers back in 2015. I remember being so disappointed that the brand of juice cleanses that all my favorite Californian YouTubers were doing was nowhere to be found in my home state of Indiana. I thought to myself–how am I ever going to rid my body of toxins if I am unable to purchase the $100 worth of juice I need for a 3 day cleanse? Needless to say I never completed my coveted juice cleanse, and after my many years of nutrition schooling, I now realize I never needed it in the first place. The next huge trend that I was made hyper-aware of via social media was veganism. Again, all of my favorite influencers were becoming vegan and I was convinced that in order to be healthy, that’s what I needed to do too. My only barrier was that my parents would not buy the expensive vegan alternatives that I felt I needed in order to succeed in the diet. Veganism is a diet that works for many individuals, and can be nutritionally sound if done properly and with the help of supplements. However, it certainly is not the only way to eat a healthy diet.
That being said, I, like a large portion of the population, am Tik Tok obsessed. Furthermore, being that I clearly have an interest in health and nutrition, my curated home page on the app is constantly flooded with tips for healthy eating or living a healthy lifestyle. After seeing many Tik Toks of people making “healthy” alternatives to traditionally “unhealthy” foods, I decided to put a few of them to the test. I tried out three different healthy alternative recipes and evaluated them both on taste and nutritional value compared to their “unhealthy” counterparts. Let’s talk about what I found.
Healthy Coke
This trend is supposed to be a healthy alternative to a regular Coke using only La Croix (any flavor) and balsamic vinegar. Nutritionally, this is a better alternative in terms of reducing sugar and calorie intake in particular–see the nutrient comparison below for specific details. However, the taste is not comparable in the slightest. Furthermore, I was unable to determine what purpose the vinegar actually served in order to make it more similar to Coke. If you are looking for a lower-calorie beverage alternative, this would suffice, but I would not go into it expecting a perfect match.
*All values based on a 12 oz serving
Cloud Bread Pizza
Cloud bread pizza is a trend that I saw for a lower-carb alternative to pizza. Cloud bread is made from whipped egg whites, corn starch, sugar, and seasonings and forms a meringue-type textured crust. While the process of actually making the pizza was simple, I found the crust to be relatively flimsy (as you might expect). The pizza that I made was cheese only, but if you were to do a more heavily-loaded pizza with a lot of toppings, I am not sure that it would hold up. In terms of taste, the cloud bread option is a decent substitute, but it is not as satiating as a traditional pizza crust. Nutritionally, the cloud bread pizza has lower values across the board in terms of calories, carbohydrates, sugars, protein, fat, and sodium compared to a regular Digiorno cheese pizza. This would be an appropriate replacement if you had a craving for pizza but wanted to go for a healthier option.
*All values based on a one slice serving
*Recipe source: https://www.tiktok.com/@hellthyjunkfood/video/6964014772199148806?q=cloud%20bread&t=1698260186668
Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough
This cottage cheese high-protein cookie dough is a trend that I have been seeing all over Tik Tok, especially amongst fitness influencers who work to maximize their protein intake. The recipe calls for cottage cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla protein powder as its main sources of protein and is sweetened using maple syrup and chocolate chips. In order to improve the texture, the cottage cheese is blended with the maple syrup and vanilla extract before mixing with the other ingredients. The concept is quite shocking, but surprisingly the taste is satisfactory upon trying it. The texture is similar to what you would expect for something with protein powder in it but has the same thickness as regular cookie dough. There is a slight sourness to it due to the cottage cheese, but the sweetness is up to par. Nutritionally, you get a little more bang for your buck with the high protein alternative. The prepackaged Cookie Dough Cafe edible cookie dough’s nutritional value is based on a 1 oz serving, while the cottage cheese cookie dough’s value is based on a 3 oz serving as per the recipe. When considering both in terms of a 1 oz portion, the cottage cheese cookie dough is significantly lower in calories, fat, added sugar, and sodium. Furthermore, the high protein alternative contains 14 g of protein per 3 oz serving, which is hard to find in many dessert options. Overall, I think that if you are interested in increasing your protein intake, this is a great option to satisfy your sweet tooth while working towards your goal.
*Values for the Cookie Dough Cafe is based on a 1 oz serving. Values for the cottage cheese cookie dough are based on a 3 oz serving.
*Recipe source: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/cottage-cheese-cookie-dough/#wprm-recipe-container-127429
At the end of the day, it is important to remember that ALL foods fit into a healthy diet. What is truly important when trying to follow a healthy lifestyle is to eat in moderation and follow a diverse, balanced diet (with lots of fruits and vegetables of course). Have fun with your food and don’t over complicate your diet in the name of being healthy!
Don’t forget to check out this link to my Tik Tok to see my live reaction to these recipes!
Tags: Dietetic Intern, healthy alternatives, food, tik tok trends, nutrition
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