March 8, 2012 | 2 minute read

Does Twitter affect your eating habits?

According to a recent Hartman Group report, if you’re connected online, it probably does.

Clicks and Cravings: The Impact of Social Technology on Food Culture reports that social media is changing our food behavior and that we’re using it before and even during meals to look for recipes and talk about food.

I’ve made some social media connections over the past couple of years that have helped motivate me to be more physically active and try new foods. Here are 3 ways I found these connections helpful to eat smart and move more for cancer prevention and better health.

1. Explore new cuisines and learn new cooking techniques with one click. You can follow people on twitter who focus on specific cuisines or give advice about food preparation. Pinterest is a great place to find and share recipes too. Check out AICR’s videos here.
2. Go online before going out. You can find menus and sometimes, nutrition information online. From user review sites you can hear about others’ experiences and on blogs there’s often the added benefit of food photos from the restaurant. You can use this info to help make your decision about what you will enjoy and also what fits into your healthy eating plan when dining out.
3. Find a website or blog that offers healthy food and recipe information that fits your interest and that has nutritional analyses of the recipes.  There are many Registered Dietitians who offer practical food, cooking and health ideas on Twitter and their blogs. (And of course, for evidence-based information for lowering cancer risk, follow AICR on Twitter and Facebook).

How do you use social media for food or health information and sharing?