Forget fad diets — intuitive eating trend inspired by Taylor Swift focuses on trusting hunger cues

Gone are the days of fad diets and restriction. Social media users are leaving those trends behind for a new approach — intuitive eating.

Intuitive eating “focuses on trusting your hunger cues. You decide what to eat and how much based on that,” says Jinan Banna, registered dietitian and professor of nutrition at the University of Hawaii.

“It really rejects diet culture. It avoids judgments around food, and it puts the focus on trusting your body.”

This more mindful way of thinking about food is resonating with people online, particularly on TikTok. Under the hashtag #intuitiveeating, there are more than 200,000 posts from users discussing how their relationships with food changed for the better when they stopped tracking macronutrients and started eating when they were hungry.

Though the trend has grown in popularity recently, it’s something that Taylor Swift seems to have been practising 15 years ago.

“During the week, I try to eat healthily, so that means salads, yogurt and sandwiches. No sugary drinks. I try to keep it lighter,” Swift told WebMD in 2010.

“But it’s nothing too regimented or crazy. I don’t like to create too many rules where I don’t need them. We know what’s good for us, thanks to common sense.”

Swift allowed herself to eat her “comfort foods” such as ice cream, cookies and burgers on weekends, and to get her favourite drinks from Starbucks like spiced pumpkin lattes.

“I’m never cutting out what I love,” she said.

Banna confirms that Swift’s approach to eating in 2010 aligns with intuitive eating — and it’s a practice she recommends.

“We should not have an extremely rigid approach to eating. It is a fact that all foods can fit in moderation,” she says.

“Having a very rigid mindset is not helpful and can potentially create some problems when it comes to body image and when it comes to relationships with food.”

Studies show that intuitive eating is associated with better psychological health, a lower risk of disordered eating behaviours, a lower frequency of overeating and a better chance of stabilising weight.

When a person shifts to intuitive eating, it may feel difficult to give themselves permission to eat freely, Banna says. Sometimes this can cause people to eat beyond being full once they regain access to foods they had stopped allowing themselves to eat.

It’s important to distinguish between actual hunger and emotional hunger, or eating out of boredom. There are clear differences depending on the symptoms.

“If you are physically hungry, you might feel tired, irritable, or find that your stomach is rumbling. You will likely be satisfied by any type of food,” Banna says.

“But if you are experiencing emotional hunger, your stomach may be quiet. You might be craving something specific, and it might be in response to seeing an advertisement for food or feeling stressed. You might feel guilty about eating in that case.”