Online fad gives food for thought

Social media is full of people showing off the food they’ve either ordered or cooked, usually accompanied by the consumer looking self-satisfied. 

While the person posting the image could be accused of narcissism, equally the accuser could be guilty of self-righteous judgmentalism. But isn’t that what makes social media so much fun? 

If nothing else, writing this article has taught me to doubt my initial biases.  

New Curtin University research, published in the prestigious American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that taking pictures of food isn’t just about creating “look at me” content for social media feeds, it could be the key to improving your diet. 

The study saw researchers measure the weight of meals, which were then provided to participants over a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Participants compared different technology-assisted methods to recall what they had eaten over the past 24 hours.  

One method asked participants to take photos of their meals using the Food Record app on their phone. These photos were then analysed by a research dietitian. 

The study found the accuracy of the nutritional intake was far higher for the group who had taken photos of what they ate, compared to participants who were simply asked to remember what they had eaten. 

The study’s first author, Clare Whitton, said it could significantly help with understanding what people are eating. 

“Accurate, reliable data about what the population is eating is key to supporting people to optimise their health,” Ms Whitton said. 

“People can struggle to remember what they have eaten, but this study shows dietary assessment can be accurate – particularly when you take the burden away from the person when you ask them to take a photo of what they ate.” 

While the study involved having the food photos analysed by experts, the team is collaborating with Purdue University in the US to use artificial intelligence to do this job automatically.  

Food Record app co-creator Professor Deborah Kerr, who led the Curtin study, said the technology advances could better capture what populations are eating and offer more accurate dietary advice for people looking to eat healthier. 

A healthy diet does not need to be complicated. Eat foods from the five food groups every day: 

• Vegetables and legumes (beans) 

• Fruit 

• Grains and cereals 

• Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes (beans), tofu, nuts, seeds 

• Milk, cheese, yoghurt, or alternatives. 

The amount of each food you need will vary during your life. Your diet will depend on factors such as:

• How active you are 

• Whether or not you are growing 

• Whether or not you are pregnant or breastfeeding. 

Vegetables and legumes are rich in nutrients such as:

• Vitamins 

• Minerals 

• Dietary fibre.