In the age of Kim Kardashian and TikTok’s takeover, celebrities and social media stars aren’t called ‘influencers’ for no reason.
They typically start trends in beauty, lifestyle and even physical health.
To analyze the influencer impact, fitness and diet site Total Shape recently gathered data on search terms to find out which celebrity diets were the most popular.
Here are a few of them — and why people are likely to be influenced by them.
1. Bella Hadid
Total Shape examined which celebrity names followed by “diet” were most commonly searched on Google in a month. Bella Hadid, a model who has more than 57 million followers on Instagram, topped the list at 3,400 searches.
According to Hadid’s personal nutritionist, Charles Passler — who’s known for working with celebrities – Hadid focuses on a low-carb and high-protein diet.
“It’s adequate protein, adequate fat, and lots and lots and lots of non-starchy vegetables,” Passler told People. “That is typically the most bulletproof, easiest, soundproof way to make sure that somebody stays on track.”
Hadid has posted photos of her organized fridge before, which featured stacks of Siggi’s Icelandic yogurt, almond and cashew butter, hummus, berries and carrots, along with kombucha and other flavored drinks.
She’s previously told Harper’s Bazaar that her go-to dinner is usually salmon or chicken and veggies — but she also considers herself a carb lover who enjoys pasta and pizza.
“I like having a good protein meal because I get really tired if I eat too much, so I try to fill myself up with things that will make me feel good,” she said.
2. Khloe Kardashian
It’s not surprising that one of the Kardashians was at the top of this list, given their influence over beauty and health in the last decade. Khloé Kardashian followed Hadid with 3,300 searches.
The media dutifully followed Kardashian after she gave birth to her children and focused on weight loss, adhering to a diet that again prioritizes protein over carbs.
Back in 2018, Kardashian spoke about her “low-carb diet” that her nutritionist recommended for her, which was full of protein. Before morning workouts, for example, Kardashian would eat a tablespoon of jam and a tablespoon of almond butter while post-workout meals featured eggs, oatmeal and fresh fruit.
Snacks throughout the day incorporated almonds and fruit, and lunch typically involved a protein like grilled chicken, some form of iron-rich vegetables and a healthy, simple starch like rice or yams. The key here is eating enough of the protein and vegetables to stay full, as your body needs that fuel to work out.
3. Kate Middleton
Princess of Wales Kate Middleton is also not surprisingly at the top of this list, as the royal family is still a major obsession in the U.K. as well as worldwide.
Middleton has been known to be a huge fan of green smoothies that pack in nutrients from raw vegetables like kale, spinach and spirulina.
Middleton also tends to skew toward more vegetarian dishes for lunch, and has pinpointed vegetable kebabs and lentil curries as some of her favorite meals.
However, despite the seemingly strict food she consumes throughout the first part of her day, Middleton favors heavier, more traditionally British dishes for dinner – like roast chicken.
4. Taylor Swift
Apparently Taylor Swift is both an anti-hero and a fan of buckwheat crepes and pumpkin-spice lattes, and a balanced diet overall, where she tries to eat healthy on weekdays and enjoys a wider variety of food on weekends.
The “Midnights” musician has even inspired some health writers to try to eat and workout like her for a week.
Swift has noted in the past that she often focuses on salads, yogurts and healthy sandwiches during the week, all while avoiding sugary drinks.
“I try to keep it lighter, but it’s nothing too regimented or crazy,” she previously told WebMD. “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.”
5. Tom Brady
The greatest quarterback of all time ranks fifth on Total Shape’s list, and is perhaps the only one who has claimed to adhere to a specific diet, the infamous ‘Tom Brady Diet.’
Also known as TB12 Method, the diet has been cited as being one of the reasons why the 45-year-old has maintained a long and impressive career as a football player, though that’s obviously difficult to prove.
Brady claims the diet has helped him avoid injury as well as boosted his athletic performance and recovery.
The TB12 Method focuses on reducing inflammatory foods and prioritizing whole and low-processed foods instead. Foods “banned” on the diet include non-organic grass-fed dairy, refined carbs, trans and saturated fats and any added sugars — as well as salt, alcohol and caffeine.
However, evidence on whether the diet can improve athletic performance and longevity is limited, and the diet isn’t for everyone.
Some cons include restricting non-organic foods, which can be difficult for many people to follow due to higher prices of so-called organic foods. In addition, the diet’s emphasis on significant water consumption would only work well for athletes or highly active people.
6. Beyoncé
In 2018, Beyoncé prepared for her iconic Coachella performance by attempting to lose weight through a highly restrictive diet that cut out carbs, sugar, dairy, meat, fish and alcohol. The diet made a splash in the media, influencing others to try it themselves to lose weight quickly.
Beyoncé has been known to promote extreme weight loss plans before, as in 2006 she mentioned trying the Master Cleanse, a 10-day cleanse in which people can eat nothing but a “juice” made of lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper.
Diets so restrictive are often counterproductive and can even be dangerous for some people, experts say.
7. Lizzo
Highly accomplished singer and musician Lizzo has been known for embracing body positivity and self-love, both in her music and in the media.
Recently, Lizzo has also embraced a plant-based diet and frequently posts TikTok videos of her vegan dishes, including vegan cheesy enchiladas and an entire plant-based holiday meal.
Lizzo also loves to eat vegan steak and eggs for breakfast, green smoothies and vegan BLT salads for lunch. The singer’s meals often look delicious and encourage people to try more vegan food options.
8. Serena Williams
Tennis star Serena Williams also made the list and is another example of someone adopting a mostly plant-based diet.
“I want to have a healthy lifestyle… so a lot of greens and mostly plant-based lately, just super healthy stuff,” Williams told Women’s Health. “You need it to survive. And [that’s] very hard to live by, because I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals.”
Williams has noted she’s often loaded up on carbs like pasta when she’s training to provide energy and that the large amount of pasta she’s eaten throughout the years has made her less fond of it. She often likes to try new recipes found on social media instead.
9. LeBron James
LeBron James receives up to 1,800 searches for his diet on Google, given many people want to emulate successful athletes.
He’s also known for getting on a highly-disciplined regimen when preparing for playoffs. He’s stated in the past that fresh vegetables, protein shakes and often fruit keep him fueled before games, but he’ll tend to save bigger meals for the post-game.
When it comes to the playoffs, James begins restricting sugar to help him recover faster, according to Men’s Health.
“The sugars I kinda cut out, but the carbs I kinda ramp up,” James said. “Because you’re losing so many calories, you’re burning so many calories, burning all your energy throughout those games. So I kinda go heavy on the carbs because it gives you energy. It’s worked for me.”
10. Selena Gomez
With 1,500 searches, people continue to be curious what Selena Gomez eats. Like most celebrities, Gomez is typically told by her nutritionists to focus on fresh fruit and vegetables as well as protein.
During her career, Gomez has faced negativity and fat-shaming, including just recently at the Golden Globe Awards, as she’s experienced some weight fluctuations due to a lupus diagnosis and medication.
Gomez has taken to her TikTok to speak out against the negativity and has noted she doesn’t care about weight, instead focusing on how she feels — a notion that is important for celebrities to hit home, given their influence.
While Gomez is known for enjoying home-made meals and cooking healthy, she also encourages people to eat things they like — even if it’s occasionally fast food.
“I don’t care about my weight because people [complain] about it anyway,” Gomez said in one TikTok video. “‘You’re too small,’ ‘you’re too big,’ ‘that doesn’t fit.’ ‘Meh meh meh meh.’ I am perfect the way I am.”
