Half the UK population confess their diets are influenced by trending TikTok meals

TikTok continues to be a source of inspiration for many and has become the new search engine for millennials and Gen Z users alike. From candid reviews to gift recommendations, decor trends, comedy skits and hot takes on celebrity blind items, no corners of life are left uncovered.

Cookbooks are a distant memory for most foodies who have been using the video platform for some time now, especially since lockdown catapulted viral recipes into the spotlight.

But now, a new study has revealed that almost half (49 per cent) of the British population alter their meals according to what's trending online.

The cucumber salad trend doubled sales of cucumbers on Just Eat. All the while salad tomatoes soared by a staggering 103 per cent vs last year off the back of the viral tomato toast.

From the Clean Girl Matcha to Britcore Sausage Rolls or a Boba for a Little Treat, the food delivery service provided the lowdown on the social trends that have the nation hungry.

Britcore

2024 saw the long-awaited Oasis reunion, and Britcore quickly took over our social feeds. So much so that it made us nostalgic for British institutions like Greggs, as sausage rolls are a bestselling lunch item.

‘Clean Girl’

First came ‘cottagecore’, then ‘indie sleaze’, and now: ‘Clean Girl’. With this latest era taking TikTok by storm, it’s no surprise that almost two-thirds of Brits (62 per cent) admit that they’re trying to eat ‘cleaner’.

The key components to the clean girl diet have taken off: orders of matcha on Just Eat have surged by 20 per cent and salmon poke bowls by 56 per cent, while brands such as Tossed have seen a 236 per cent growth in orders.

Plant-based fast food

The ‘Vegan’ TikTok tag boasts over 281M videos - so it’s unsurprising that more than half (64 per cent) of orders on Just Eat are now vegetarian or vegan.

While less than one in 10 of us (5 per cent) are fully-fledged herbivores, a quarter (25 per cent) of women have admitted to trying a ‘flexitarian’ lifestyle, ordering meat-free options where they can. Greggs’ vegan sausage roll, McDonald’s McPlant Burger, and KFC’s vegan burger are amongst the most popular vegetarian or vegan orders on Just Eat.

‘Little treat’ culture

Brits love a ‘little treat’, as we indulge in small sweet items such as coffees, pastries and cakes. Bubble tea brand Chatime has seen a 371 per cent growth in orders on Just Eat since 2023, with both strawberry and black sugar flavours increasing in popularity.

Approximately 55 per cent of consumers think that coffee or a pastry is the perfect option for a mid-morning treat, while a third (36 per cent) of us admit that having a sweet treat brightens up our day.

Speaking about the results, Claire Pointon, UK & Ireland managing director at Just Eat, said: "The launch of our Food Trends Reports perfectly sums up what people have been craving and ordering from us this year.

"From poke bowls to sausage rolls, our customers can be confident that Just Eat can deliver whatever craving the latest trends are serving up."

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