Diet culture is a widespread issue that can take on many forms. An “Almond mom” is a mother who strictly forbids their children from eating certain foods and ingredients that they feel are unhealthy and disgusting.
The name “Almond mom” began to trend on the social media platform, TikTok, after a clip from the reality TV show, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” caught attention. The clip consisted of celebrity Gigi Hadid telling her mother she felt weak after eating a single almond. In response, her mother told her to “Have a couple of almonds and chew them really well.” This statement inspired the term “Almond mom” because it seemed like Gigi Hadid’s mom,Yolanda Hadid, was encouraging her daughter to eat only a few almonds and simply chew longer to feel satisfied, rather than telling her to eat a meal.
In some cases these parents also limit the amount of food their children can consume, fearing that the child could gain unwanted weight. On TikTok, videos can be found of users joking about their experience growing up with an almond mom and unfortunately the experience is often traumatic. Almond moms are simply teaching diet culture to their children; it is anything but healthy, and it should not be encouraged.
These moms fill their pantries with only all-natural and organic foods and instill fear in their children’s minds regarding any other foods. This type of parenting is a toxic cycle of insecurity and it often stems from an obsession with maintaining a “fit” body. A common saying is that strict parents create sneaky children and similarly, parents who restrict foods create children who struggle to regulate their consumption of those foods when they are finally living on their own. Almond moms project their fears onto their children and it does so much more harm than good in the long-run.
In an interview, an anonymous John W. North student shares their experience growing up with an “Almond mom”, “I think growing up with an almond mom harmed me and helped me. It helped me because I am conscious of what I put into my body, but it harmed me because for a long time I would refrain from eating anything if I thought that it wasn’t something my mom would eat. I would also eat very little because that is what I was taught to do.”
In an article on psychologicalscience.org associate professor Cheri Levinson says, “In Kentucky, we have shown that around 50% of children 10 to 12 years old report being on a weight-loss diet, which is the strongest risk factor for development of an eating disorder.” The obsession with restrictive eating is extremely harmful because if a child is exposed to such teachings, it is possible they could develop a harmful eating disorder. Wanting to provide your family with healthy food options is not an issue but it becomes a problem when children are being taught to fear or be disgusted by certain foods that do not fit into a parent’s very narrow definition of what safe food is.
Being an “Almond mom” does not mean you prioritize your child’s health, it means you promote shame and restriction. Parents need to realize that they can not control every aspect of their child’s life and the more they try to, the more damage is done either to the health of the child or the relationship shared between the parent and child.
