Food Glow-Ups: When the Media Turns “Cheap” Into “Cool”
Every so often, a food gets a glow-up.
If you’ve been on the internet recently, you’ve likely seen—or even taken part in—the “2016 trend.” And while this trend evokes nostalgia, it also highlights a phenomenon that keeps happening: the inevitable glow-up. And every so often, food gets a glow-up too.
I’m not talking about the kind of food trends that come and go. I mean the kind where the world suddenly decides that this food is the pinnacle of health. It’s like the media looks at something that’s been sitting front and center in the produce section for decades and goes, “Wait…this is amazing?”
And then it’s everywhere. The most recent example being? Cabbage.
Yes, cabbage. As a dietitian, I’ve been singing its praises for years—its versatility, affordability, and nutrient density are hard to beat. But even I was surprised by the glow-up. The humble, crunchy, fridge-staple vegetable that has long been the punchline of sad salads and budget meals—basically the uncool step-sibling of kale—suddenly gets praised like a celebrity ingredient. People are writing about it like it’s taken its cooler step-sibling’s spot as the new “it” superfood.
But why does this happen?
There’s a pattern here:
A food is affordable, accessible, and underappreciated.
A trend or influencer or media outlet discovers it.
The food gets glamorized.
Suddenly it’s “elevated” and “trendy.”
Everyone starts buying it and posting it.
And the food goes from a “boring” and “cheap” staple to “glamorous” and “the pinnacle of health.”
What’s most fascinating to me through this whole process is that the food (cabbage, in this case) wasn’t different before the glow-up. The food didn’t change, the perception did.
Which is honestly a little bizarre. It’s like the nutrition and food (and apparently fashion—hello, Vogue) worlds collectively decided, “Oh, cabbage? That’s a thing now.”
The problem with glamorizing food
Here’s the issue: When the media elevates a food, it tends to become framed as the one “best” thing. It becomes:
the only way to be healthy
the best way to eat
the only nutrient-dense option
And that’s where things get lost in translation. Because health is not a single ingredient. It’s not one food. It’s not a trend. It’s a pattern over time. The problem with “food glow-ups” is not that they happen—it’s that they often make us feel like we need to chase the latest thing to be healthy. Like we’ve been missing out on some miraculous benefit from cabbage.
But the truth is that nutrient-dense foods (like cabbage) have always been available. They’re just not always glamorous.
A food glow-up is just…validation
If cabbage is having a moment, I’m here for it. It deserves the praise. Not only is it nutritious but it’s accessible and affordable to many people. It’s a good vegetable. It’s also…not new. However, I’ll support cabbage in it’s glow-up, but the thing I really want to see is this:
I want beans to have a glow-up.
Beans are:
affordable
nutrient dense
high in fiber and protein
versatile
easy to store
endlessly adaptable
But beans have never been “sexy.” They’ve never been trendy. They’ve never been the “it” food. And they never will be until the media decides to give them a moment in the spotlight—and that’s frustrating to me.
Why beans deserve the glow-up
Beans are one of the most efficient foods you can eat. They’re:
economical (especially canned or dried)
filling
balanced (fiber-rich carbs and protein)
supportive of gut health
excellent for energy and blood sugar stability
And yet, when people talk about “healthy eating,” beans are rarely the star of the show. Instead, we talk about:
exotic superfoods
pricey supplements
“new” (not actually new) ingredients (like cabbage)
trendy products
Meanwhile beans have been an affordable, nutritious, dare I say superfood, for decades.
The truth about nutrient density
Here’s the reality: Nutrient-dense foods are not always glamorous. They’re not always trendy. They’re not always Instagram-worthy. They’re not always written about in Vogue. But they are effective, and they’re usually: affordable, accessible, and simple.
Cabbage is having a moment, and I’m thrilled—let’s continue elevating our less-than-glamorous, affordable food options. But let’s not forget the other foods that have been nutritious options in the background for years: beans, lentils, oats, eggs, frozen vegetables, canned fish, yogurt…
My challenge to you
This week, try choosing one “glow-up” food that you’ve been ignoring. It doesn’t have to be cabbage! It can be beans. It can be oats. It can be frozen fruit. It can be whatever is sitting in your pantry getting overlooked. Make it the star of one meal, and notice how the meal feels.
Because the truth is, health doesn’t require a new trend or an expose in Vogue. It just requires a little more attention to the foods that have always been good.
