Besides all the trendy dance moves and funny moments caught on camera, food combinations also made their way up the ladder for trendy social media content. Regardless of whether these combinations were delicious or revolting, they were still recreated and tasted by millions of TikTok users. If you haven’t guessed it yet, this article will be reviewing some food combinations I personally liked, as well as some I disliked.
The first food combination I tried was Haily Peter’s carrots and mustard snack combination. Known as @happyhealthyhailey on TikTok, she gained TikTok fame overnight by showing the snack combination she ate in her car during lunch breaks — carrots and mustard. Using either original mustard or dijon, she dips her carrots into them and enjoys them with cold baked sweet potatoes as a meal.
Although I like carrots and mustard separately, I wasn’t sure how I would feel eating them together — I always associated mustard with hamburgers or hotdogs. To my surprise though, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I definitely don’t eat them on a regular basis, but if I’m craving something crunchy and savory I would definitely eat carrots and mustard if I have the ingredients.
The next food combination I was enticed to try was the famous bell pepper and cream cheese combination — don’t forget your Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning. Although this combination started to trend halfway through quarantine 2020, I tasted it a few months later out of curiosity. Janelle Rohner, also known as the “bell pepper lady” on TikTok and by her handle, @janellerohner, swears by this combination and has persuaded millions of others to try this trend. While some might have found the combination boring and overhyped, I think the bell pepper-cream cheese combo makes for a simple yet delicious snack.
Although it is pretty self explanatory, this combination is easily customizable. With cream cheese as the base — spread on the inside of a halved bell pepper with its pith and seeds removed — you can also add different toppings, such as deli meat and hard-boiled eggs. Also, if you are not the biggest fan of everything bagel seasoning, you can opt that out for your favorite hot sauce to give it an extra kick and flavor — my favorite is Sriracha, which you can find in almost every grocery store.
The next food trend I couldn’t help but try is nature’s cereal. When I first found out about it this past March, I already had all the ingredients to make this simple concoction of mixed berries, ice and coconut water. I was hesitant to try it since I am not the biggest fan of coconut, but that day I was looking for a fresh, light snack. Wayne Mears, known on TikTok as @natures_food, started this trend, and it really propelled when Lizzo recreated this trend herself and raved about it, too.
Because I knew that Lizzo liked it, I thought I would also enjoy it, but that was certainly not the case. Although I love mixed berries, my disgust for coconut overpowered the sweet and tart berry taste. Additionally, I found it to be very bland overall. Conclusion? I would rather just blend it all up into a smoothie, which can be made sweeter with the addition of honey or a sweetener of your choice.
Another trend I tried is jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and Takis. Although the creator of this trend is unknown, this food has continuously been on my For You Page. The creation needs only three ingredients — jalapenos, cream cheese and Takis — and all you have to do is unstuff the jalapenos’ seeds and stuff it with cream cheese and Takis.
Obviously it is not the healthiest trend, but the flavor combination is somewhat addicting. The jalapenos and Takis give your bite a nice crunch, and at the same time there is a smoothness from the cream cheese that ties the whole snack together. While the jalapenos can get spicy at times from any leftover seeds, the Takis give this snack a tart and tangy spice that I personally really like.
Although there are probably hundreds of food trends I have seen on my FYP, the above are some combinations I enjoyed and disliked. If I had to rank these options, I would put the bell pepper and cream cheese combination in first place because of its versatility. I would give nature’s cereal last place due to my disdain for coconut, which leaves the stuffed jalapenos in second place and the carrots and mustard in third. If you haven’t already tried these combinations, hurry up and try some of TikTok’s craziest trends.