It was once customary to flip through the pages of a cookbook to discover new recipes and food trends.

Today, the decision-making process is different thanks to the plethora of food content videos online, meaning thousands of people are simply scrolling through their social media feeds to find inspiration for their next meal.

It’s a phenomenon that the British population is benefiting from, with a new survey revealing that almost 50% of a sample of 2,000 Brits are turning to social media for inspiration for their next meal.

Report from Just Eat, the UK’s largest on-demand delivery service, reveals TikTok has also influenced this year’s takeaway orders, with 49% admitting they decide their meals based on content that they saw online.

The results also held true when it came to ordering groceries for delivery, with 55% of respondents saying they buy ingredients or products because they saw an influencer doing the same.

Trends that have inspired people include TikTok’s famous cucumber salad recipe, which helped double cucumber sales on Just Eat.

Logan Moffitt, 23, put the mild-tasting vegetable in the spotlight earlier this year by sharing a series of recipes with his 5.4 million followers on TikTok.

The content creator, originally from Ottawa, Canada, begins most videos by saying, “Sometimes you need to eat a whole cucumber, let me show you the best way to do it.”

Social media is a source of culinary inspiration for Brits, with trending recipes like cucumber salad growing in popularity (photo: food content creator Lara Oztekin)

The study found that Brits have taken inspiration from social media to adopt healthy eating lifestyles, with fitness influencer Emma (pictured) sharing her healthy diet with her followers.

TikTok user Rachel Pickett (pictured) has racked up hundreds of likes, explaining her love for a sweet evening treat

In his fan-favorite routine, Logan slices cucumber into a quart-sized container, before adding spices and sauces and shaking it to create a cucumber salad.

Thousands of people used TikTok to recreate the recipe, including a London-based food content creator. Lara Ozteskinwho dubbed the recipe “more delicious and spicy”.

Meanwhile, sales of Co-op salad tomatoes have soared 103 per cent compared to last year, with Just Eat attributing the boom to the popular tomato toast trend.

The recipe, which caused a storm on TikTok, involves freezing a whole large tomato and grating it onto toast.

At the same time, a rise in healthy eating was evident, with Just Eat finding that 62% of Brits were inspired to eat healthier after watching online videos of healthy recipes.

The brand attributed the 20% increase in matcha orders and 56% increase in salmon poke bowl sales to the rise of “clean girl” food trends on TikTok.

For example, British fitness influencer Emma, ​​who goes by @emmafituk_ on TikTok, told her 131,000 followers how she prepares healthy meals for the week.

She said: “Don’t try extreme diets or meal plans that aren’t sustainable” and to “stock your fridge with fresh ingredients to cook nutritious meals.”

Although Brits are adopting a healthy diet, the study also found that people still enjoy sweet treats.

Dubbed the treat culture, Brits delight in a small treat once a day, including coffee, pastries and cakes.

In the study, a third agreed that a sweet treat brightens their day, while 55% think a coffee or pastry is the ideal option for a mid-morning treat.

“Little treat” is a term that most Gen Z users are familiar with, with the phrase becoming the focal point of many TikTok videos.

For example, TikTok user Rachel Pickett caused a storm with her clip that read, “The 9 p.m. treat hates to see me coming.”

Ahead of the new year, food trends expert Dr Morgaine Gaye explained the products Brits can expect to see and eat in 2025.

Gaye initially predicted that nostalgia would explode with a renaissance of traditional puddings and biscuits, including Jam Roly Poly and Jaffa Cakes.

The expert added that there will be a renaissance of heritage recipes with local ingredients, such as gooseberries, cashews and black pudding.

Next, Gaye predicted that a Girls’ Dinner Part 2 would take place, which first gained prominence last year.

The trend has seen women sharing their artfully prepared snacks that they love to eat as meals when their boyfriends aren’t around.

The trend, which thousands of women around the world have participated in, shows the bizarre assortment of snacks prepared in just minutes to create a meze-like “girl’s dinner.”

Next year, the expert expects to see a new iteration of the trend, this time with an added level of sophistication and aesthetic presentation, including artisan snacks and gourmet cheeses.

Immune products are also expected to gain popularity, according to Gaye, particularly in yogurts, smoothies and drinks.

Although the year will see some food products evolve, others will face a decline, particularly large meals, according to Gaye.

The expert explained that a grazing trend will be popular on social media, with smaller, more frequent quality meals taking priority over larger, fewer portions.

Gaye added that she expects a decline in alcohol consumption and an increase in alcohol-free herbal products, secco-free products and alcohol-free alternatives.

Dr Morgaine Gaye said: “2025 will be the time to protect ourselves mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

“The main themes for the coming year will revolve around wellbeing, as we look at self-care and new ways to bring back nostalgic items from the past.

“We can expect to eat smaller meals more often as we focus on making everyday life more luxurious.” As always, we will draw inspiration from digital and share our own culinary finds and aspirations via social platforms.