I, like many other millennials, grew up with an almond mom. A mom who was always on a diet, constantly commented about food or bodies, and influenced my eating growing up. We all make fun of the 1990s almond moms with their Slim Fast, SnackWell’s, and low-fat (gross) cottage cheese.
The almond mom has evolved but has not gone away. While some have broken the cycle of the almond mom, others have pivoted to give it a modern twist. An almond mom in the 90s may have offered you a butter spray on your toast to save calories, while a modern almond mom is avoiding dairy (not for allergy or intolerance reasons) and prefers avocado on her sprouted seed bread.
While living in different decades, with different nomenclature, the underlying vibe is the same.
90s Mom: “Oh, I had a big piece of salmon at lunch, so I don’t think I’ll be hungry for dinner.”
Modern Mom: “Does that have oil in it? I’ve heard that oil causes a ton of inflammation, so no thank you.”
90s Mom: “Is that low fat?”
Modern Mom: “Is that paleo-friendly?”
90s Mom to Kid: “Oh honey, don’t eat those; you’ll get fat.”
Modern Mom to Kid: “Oh honey, don’t eat those; they’re toxic.”
While the almond moms of the 90s focused on reducing fats and calories, the modern almond mom focused on restricting anything deemed unclean. We may all have almond tendencies, but the extremes are harmful, especially to children.
I recently saw a popular Tik Tok star going around a grocery store with a little girl reading ingredients and saying whether or not they were “approved.” I wondered how that little girl would grow up feeling about food. If she would be afraid to eat and scouring ingredient lists.
The daughters of the almond moms of the 90s are working hard to heal our relationships with food, and we need to be mindful of not letting that evolve into a different restrictive mindset.
Let kids be kids. Eat in moderation and keep active. Get a registered dietician (not a social media health guru or influencer mama) involved if you need guidance. With any luck, the next generation will feel hungry and not obligated to have a handful of almonds.
