Enter a subreddit where users anonymously share their less-than-picture-perfect meals. It’s a shining oasis where you're rewarded for your mediocrity. Pringles dipped in yogurt; a plate of “popcorn chicken” that is actually just popcorn and chicken; a school lunch that looks like it’s made out of clay. The worse-looking it is, the more upvotes it gets. The more your meal betrays an unstable mental state, the better. Not only is it fun to see the creative creations of those with different brains than you, it feels like de-programming. It’s the content antidote to all the optimized influencers. I start to breathe a little easier when I’m looking at it, and I’m not alone. Here, everything feels like it’s going to be okay.
Authenticity can be hard to find online, where everything you see is optimized for an algorithm. We sift through mountains of polished content where “healthy” people live camera-ready lives. Against our wills, we learn about meal prep and dinner-party dips and why we should supposedly avoid Red Dye 40. It’s exhausting.
I would guess most of us are used to the feeling of not “living up” to the influencers in our phones. We know that their lives are fake or unattainable and that we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to them. But somehow it feels more personal when it’s about food. It’s something we have to do every day, and consumes our thoughts. The food we eat is tied to our identities, our cultures, our preferences, and our bodies, making it an extremely personal experience. To feel judged in that arena can feel like an ad hominem attack. I’m sorry I don’t have the perfect Tupperware for the perfect meal prep for the perfect low-glycemic, paleo, high-protein, unprocessed meals (whatever that actually means)—most of us don’t.
via @torilanaee
That feeling of judgment all fades away on this food subreddit. You can be your unbridled, messy self among the posts of meals like pizza that has been microwaved for 15 minutes (spoiler alert, it looks more like a black lace doily than food). It's no coincidence that this content exists on Reddit and not a platform like Instagram or TikTok, where the most optimized food influencer content resides. Reddit puts a higher premium on anonymity than other platforms. It doesn’t revolve around a personal profile or a stream of personal profiles, but rather a collection of nice interests. Your identity on Reddit is as part of a group, not as an individual personality. There is safety in anonymity and it’s a huge part of why users feel safe to share their potentially embarrassing kitchen failures. More than that, though, there is a sense of community. We all came there for the same reason, and our successes and failures are communal. When you post your dinner of three boiled potatoes and a container of hummus, it’s no longer just your problem. It’s our problem, and we’re happy to be there for it.
Sure, there’s an element of schadenfreude in looking at some of this content, where we breathe a sigh of relief knowing life could always be worse. But to me, it’s more about relatability than it is about pity. Becoming an adult means contending with how difficult it is to feed oneself. You work all day just to come home to some wilted lettuce and expired milk. You’re exhausted and your wallet can’t stand another DoorDash order. In the pits of adulting despair, the only logical solution is to eat three hard-boiled eggs, the rest of that mozzarella that is about to go bad, and a handful of old granola. Maybe you even choke down that old lettuce for health points. If you haven’t had a dinner like this, then are you even an independent adult?
It’s a breath of fresh air that not only makes you feel better about your food habits but reminds you that it’s okay to be human. It’s the perfect way off of the hamster wheel of chasing perfection that food influencers constantly peddle. And, at the very least, it will serve as inspiration for your next struggle meal.