#Mmm! A guide to the most popular food hashtags

Read about some of the most popular food hashtags, how to use them across different social media platforms and which best practices to follow when tagging.

You’re not just a foodie – you’re a content creator. You know how to capture the details on a fried chicken sandwich's golden, battered surface. You write descriptions fit for the best gourmet cooking magazines. The only thing left to master? Food hashtags.

These days, it’s common for brands to partner with influencers or pay to boost posts to get the word out to a broader audience. But hashtags help users find content organically without anyone lifting a finger or spending a dime, and that’s social media marketing gold.

Ready to get #organicengagement on your latest #organicchicken post? Let’s explore the best hashtags for food and how to use them effectively.

How many hashtags can I use?

When users browse for new content – in this case, words or phrases describing their favorite kind of food – social media search engines populate a list of posts with hashtags containing those words or phrases. If you’ve tagged a post #bestcheesecakeever, a user searching those terms will get the results they’re looking for – and your beautiful cheesecake may gain you a new follower.

But when a single line of descriptive text is followed by 30 hashtags, people assume the poster is desperate to rack up as many views as possible. You don’t want legit food content to look like spam, so before we delve into the most popular food hashtags, let’s explore the limits you should keep in mind for the most popular social apps.

Facebook

The secret to using hashtags on Facebook is to stick to the sweet spot of one to three tags. Why? Engagement drops off when you exceed that number, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.

Instagram

Instagram’s @creators account told us exactly how to use hashtags on Instagram with a post about best practices: The recommended number here is three to five. Instagram even says adding 10 or more hashtags won’t do anything to boost distribution. Pick relevant #foodstagram hashtags that provide good context for your post.

Twitter

Twitter’s all about short and sweet content, and hashtags are no exception. Limit yourself to two hashtags – it’s enough to boost visibility while keeping your post within Twitter’s 280-character limit.

TikTok

TikTok doesn’t limit the number of hashtags you can use, but be strategic. Most advice on how to use hashtags on TikTok recommends focusing on quality over quantity with no more than three to five trending tags.

Spice up your posts with these hashtags

Now you know how many hashtags you’ll need. You’re ready for some examples of the best food hashtags on Instagram, FB, TikTok, Twitter, and beyond. Trends are constantly changing, so generic favorites like #foodpics or #instafood are sometimes safer than whatever’s popular today. But if you’re looking for inspiration, here’s a peek at what’s hot right now:

Healthy food hashtags:

#healthyfood
#healthylifestyle
#healthy
#fitness
#vegan
#homecooking
#healthyeating
#homemade
#nutrition
#fit
#healthyrecipes
#veganfood
#plantbased
#vegetarian
#organic
#eatclean
#glutenfree
#lifestyle
#healthylife
#cleaneating
#wellness
#protein
#eathealthy
#homemadefood
#foodoftheday

Brunch hashtags:

#brunch
#breakfast
#coffee
#brunchtime
#cafe
#eggs
#pancakes
#sundaybrunch
#brunching
#sundayfunday
#breakfastideas
#bacon
#mimosas
#avocado
#coffeeshop
#waffles

Food truck hashtags:

#foodtruck
#streetfood
#foodtrucklife
#burritos
#foodiesofinstagram
#tacos
#hotdogs
#pizza
#beer
#foodlover
#supportlocal
#italianfood
#foodtrailer
#foodtruckfestival
#fastfood
#smallbusiness
#eatlocal
#supportsmallbusiness
#foodtruckpark
#foodtrucklovers
#foodblogger

Baking hashtags:

#baking
#cake
#dessert
#chocolate
#bakery
#cakes
#cookies
#cakedecorating
#cupcakes
#cakesofinstagram
#baker
#sweet
#pastry
#birthdaycake
#bake
#bread
#cakestagram
#bakersofinstagram

Restaurant hashtags:

#restaurant
#drinks
#cooking
#gourmet
#cuisine
#foodphotography
#restaurantlife
#restaurantweek
#cheflife
#restaurantdecor
#restaurantinterior
#restaurantstyle
#foodart
#restaurantowner
#foodstyling
#restaurantfood
#restaurantfurniture

Hashtag best practices

The perfect hashtag isn’t much help if you don’t know how to use it. Follow these best practices for the greatest impact:

Be ready for new followers: Polish up your social media accounts before you try attracting new followers. Fill out your bios, add a Linktree that branches out to your other content and use high-quality images and videos.
Format tags correctly: This rule is #makeorbreak for hashtags: Always use the number symbol (also known as the pound sign) followed immediately by alphanumeric characters. Punctuation, spaces or special characters will break the hashtag, so stick to letters and numbers.
Avoid hard-to-read tags: Since you can’t use spaces or punctuation, stringing a bunch of words together can get confusing. Viewers will have trouble separating one word from another and grasping the hashtag's meaning. #heresanexampleofalessthanidealhashtag
Make your account public: If your account is private, your hashtagged content will only be visible to friends and followers. Go public if you want to take advantage of hashtags’ organic marketing potential.
Space hashtags out: Instead of piling up a series of hashtags at the end of a post, place them #strategically throughout your #text (like we’ve done here), or use your keyboard’s return function to add space between your caption and tags. Pro tip: Not all social media platforms permit line breaks. You can get around this by formatting a draft in a note app, then copying and pasting it when you’re ready to post.
Keep it positive: Yes, “bashtags” are a thing – but using them is guaranteed to turn some potential followers off. Avoid negative terms or hashtags that could be taken the wrong way.
Track your analytics: If you want to know how strong your hashtag game is, track engagement. Several third-party social media analytics apps can provide data on hashtags to help you see what’s working (and what’s not).
Make your own hashtag: If you have a restaurant or food brand, make a hashtag around it. Drop this unique tag on your posts, and invite your loyal followers to do the same.