How are food influencers' recipes promoting food literacy? Investigating nutritional content, food literacy and communication techniques in Instagram recipes
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 12 January 2024
Issue publication date: 15 March 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Explore what popular food influencers among Flemish emerging adults portray in their Instagram recipe posts in terms of (1) references to food literacy, (2) nutritional value, (3) rational and emotional appeals and (4) the relation between the nutritional value and rational/emotional appeals.
Design/methodology/approach
A content and nutritional analysis of Instagram recipe posts from seven food influencers (N = 166).
Findings
Findings reveal that food influencers rarely embed references to food literacy in their recipe posts, especially regarding meal planning, food selection, meal consumption and evaluating food-related information. Only in 28.9% of the posts information was given on how to prepare a recipe. Second, 220 recipes were included in the 166 recipe posts, of which the majority (65%) were main course meals that met at least six of the 11 nutrient criteria for a healthy main meal (67.2%). Finally, food influencers promote their recipe posts as positive narratives, focusing on the tastiness (66%) and convenience (40.9%) of meals.
Originality/value
This is the first study to evaluate what food influencers post nutritionally in their Instagram recipes, as well as how they promote these recipes. Health promotors should note the influential role of food influencers and seek ways to collaborate to provide information on how food literacy cues can be embedded in influencers' communications and provide insights into how influencers' recipes can be optimised.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Viktor Proesmans for his advice on the statistical analyses and Paulien Decorte for proofreading the manuscript.
Funding: This research was funded by The Research Foundation Flanders (F.W.O.) [grant number G047518N] and Flanders Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) [grant number HBC.2018.0397]. The study design, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, the writing of the article, and the decision to submit the paper for publication do not reflect the views of the abovementioned funding agencies.
Citation
Teunissen, L., Van Royen, K., Goemans, I., Verhaegen, J., Pabian, S., De Backer, C., Vandebosch, H. and Matthys, C. (2024), "How are food influencers' recipes promoting food literacy? Investigating nutritional content, food literacy and communication techniques in Instagram recipes", British Food Journal, Vol. 126 No. 4, pp. 1473-1491. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-05-2023-0399
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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