How a dietitian rates fad diets trending on social media

There are plenty of wild and whacky diet plans trending on social media, but are they any good for you? A dietitian rates three fad diets going viral.

The boiled egg diet is trending on social media. Pic: Supplied.

Many people are increasingly turning to social media to share health and nutritional advice, but experts warn trending diets often aren’t always backed by evidence.

Everyday Nutrition Dietitian Joanna Baker says there’s no “magic diet” and that health and wellbeing should be a long game.

“When diets are prescriptive, we end up with this binge-restrict cycle because people can’t stick to them long term,” Joanna says.

“Health is just so much more than a number on the scales.”

Joanna rated three diet approaches popular on social media.

The Cottage Cheese and Mustard Diet

The Cottage Cheese and Mustard Diet was popularised by influencer Tiffany McGee, with #veggieswithmustard amassing almost 600 million views on TikTok.

Consisting of a plate of cottage cheese, mustard, raw vegetables and a sausage, it promises fast weight loss.

Joanna’s take:

“Cottage cheese is a great source of calcium and a great source of protein,” Joanna says.

“If you’re only eating this sort of specific list of veggies, mustard, cottage cheese and sausage, there’s a whole lot of other nutrients out there in the world that you’re missing out on.

“The Cottage Cheese and Mustard Diet is essentially just another fad diet that’s supposed to have these magical properties to it, (but) can risk damaging people’s relationships with food.”

Rating: 2-3/10

The Carnivore Diet

With more than one billion views on TikTok, the #carnivorediet consists of eating strictly meat and animal products and has been promoted by celebrities including Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson.

Joanna’s take:

“This is probably my least favourite because there are no fruits and veggies or whole grains in it,” Joanna says.

Joanna says that because humans’ gut microbiome thrives on plant foods and fibre (which aren’t included in the Carnivore Diet), then it risks healthy gut bacteria dying off.

“The carnivore diet is the opposite to everything that I recommend in terms of looking after your gut microbiome,” she says.

Rating: 0/10

The Boiled Egg Diet

True to its name, The Boiled Egg Diet involves eating several boiled eggs throughout the day, as well as some fruits, lean protein and non-starchy vegetables.

The #eggdiet has garnered over 100 million views on TikTok.

Joanna’s take:

“There’s heaps of healthy foods that are allowed on The Boiled Egg Diet,” Joanna says.

“Not only do eggs offer a variety of nutrients, but lean cuts of meat, non-starchy vegetables and berries all have nutritional value.”

However, Joanna warns a major downside is the diet could significantly reduce fibre levels.

Rating: 3/10

The upshot

Joanna says sticking to a healthy, balanced diet will always outweigh any fad approach to eating.

Originally published as How a dietitian rates fad diets trending on social media