Like most people with a smartphone and a desire to channel their inner Ansel Adams, we’re all about Instagram lately. But we didn’t get hooked because the filters make us look good in every photo (although that’s part of it). After a few months of constant Instagramming, we noticed that the healthy-living gurus we follow were inspiring us—even motivating us—to make better food choices. It turns out, there’s some science to that: A 2010 MIT study found that people are more likely to adopt healthy habits when the idea is reinforced by a large network of people. In other words, bingeing on healthy food visuals on Instagram is an effective way to get yourself to eat better. So go ahead and dig in!
Here are ten Instagram accounts to follow for healthy food inspiration—maybe it’ll work for you, too! Are we missing any? Leave your suggestions in the comments—we’ll definitely check them out. See you on Instagram (follow us here)!
1@againstallgrain
Danielle Walker is a grain-free (therefore, gluten-free) chef based in San Francisco. She’s a great source for Paleo recipes that aren’t scary and bland.
2@balletbeautiful
We rely on our friend Mary Helen Bowers (creator of Ballet Beautiful) for her incredible fitness tips, so learning how she fuels up for a day of classes is an awesome added bonus.
3@weelicious
Catherine McCord not only makes eating pretty look delicious, she’s a great source for easy, kid-friendly recipes and lunch ideas.
4@thehealthyapple
NYC-based chef Amie Valpone is also a food photographer. She makes clean-eating look effortless, gorgeous and fun.
5@gourmette
Food blogger Laura Loesch-Quintin’s is like the Seinfeld of Instagram foodies—she captures ingredients you’d never think twice about (like lettuce and granola) and makes them fodder for discussion (or in her case, dinner).
6@wholefoodsmarket
If wandering the aisles at Whole Foods takes up most of your Saturday, their Instagram will serve as your quick fix every other day of the week. The caption on this photo is: “A Friday cool down in the form of a chocolate chip cherry #icecream float!” #Yum
7@wellandgoodnyc
Our friends at Well+Good are big fans of the healthy and zen parts of New York City, which makes us huge fans of theirs.
8@jolenehart
Health and beauty coach Jolene Hart Instagrams useful nutrition facts that promote health and beauty from the inside out. (Not surprisingly, she’s on our team of contributors.)
9@keriglassman
She had us at low-calorie cocktails, but nutrition expert and author Keri Glassman is overflowing with useful and realistic weight-loss advice.
10@nutritionschool
This feed belongs to The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which touts itself as the largest nutrition school in the world. That may be, but the infosnacks they post on Instagram are helpful even if you’re not studying to be a health coach.
