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THE TOP 25 MOST POPULAR FOOD HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM IN 2025

The top 25 most popular food hashtags on Instagram for 2025. The most used food hashtags by bloggers, restaurants and chefs on Instagram in 2025.

Brought to you by Mau. Senior Instagram Marketing Specialist at eDigital.

THE TOP 25 MOST POPULAR FOOD HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM FOR 2025

Before you get into the top 25 most popular food hashtags on Instagram, let me tell you a truth you probably do not want to hear.

The Instagram business model is an incredibly sophisticated “money extraction” machine.

Instagram will deliberately let you build a big organic reach, then change the algorithm to lower your reach and make you pay to get you the same level of reach you previously had for free.

Even marketers working in some of the top fastest-growing industries are now having to spend a lot of money (boosting their Instagram posts) to reach their hard-earned followers.

Serious food marketers and food business owners who have taken my marketing strategy training sessions or are subscribed to my exclusive newsletter are already putting into practice real & proven marketing techniques to build audiences they own, increase their sales and not get distracted with vanity hashtagging.

Trust me.

The actual gains of posting popular food hashtags are minimal if you have not properly crafted a top marketing strategy, delivered optimal customer service or met your marketing objectives.

Two reminders:

1. You do not own your followers’ data on Instagram. You cannot transfer your hard-earned followers to another platform. You must build raving fans and followers on platforms you own. I will show you how.
2. Instagram wants you to pay for ads. Full point. The Instagram algorithm will deliberately make it harder to show your content to your followers for free. Stop wasting time and activate proven growth hacking techniques.

Yeah, that’s right, food marketers and business owners (like you) are getting tired and bored of posting on Instagram and not getting results.

You gotta be crazy/mad/loco to only rely on food-related hashtagging to get your marketing campaigns producing sales for your business.

THE TOP 25 FOOD HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM IN 2025 – LIST

Our best virtual assistants have uncovered the top 25 most popular food hashtags for Instagram.

Does Jamie Oliver use some of the top 25 most popular food hashtags for Instagram? Probably he does not need to, but you may do.

Copy-paste the most relevant food hashtags to attract your most profitable customer segments.

Before you decide on your food hashtags for your next Instagram post, let me tell you something you have probably been turning a blind eye to…

Instagram is not helping your business 

• If you are lucky, your organic Instagram posts are reaching an average of 5% of your followers. This is a massive issue affecting thousands of marketers.
• You have been trying hard to build an audience on Instagram that you do not own.
• You cannot transfer your hard-earned Instagram followers to your best CRM software.
• Your customer acquisition costs from Instagram ads are through the roof.

The solution

I can offer you the best digital marketing strategy workshops that will help you:

• Lower customer acquisition costs.
• Minimise dependency on paid media.
• Build a marketing engine with marketing assets and channels you fully own.
• Craft the best digital marketing plan and social media strategy that boosts sales and customer lifetime value.

25. #bbq

38+ million posts on Instagram have been tagged with the popular #bbq hashtag.

#bbq is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok

24. #baking

43+ million posts on Instagram have been tagged with the popular #baking hashtag.

#baking is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok

Food creators are also using some of the top 25 most popular vegan food hashtags for Instagram

23. #tea

44+ million posts on Instagram have been tagged with the popular #tea hashtag.

Food marketers are also using some of the top 25 healthy food hashtags for Instagram

22. #chef

45+ million posts on Instagram have been tagged with the popular #chef hashtag.

#Chef is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok

Trending this week: the most popular takeaway food in Australia

Some popular food influencers and chefs include:

• Nick DiGiovanni is an American celebrity chef. 21+ million subscribers on Youtube and 3+ million followers on Instagram.
• Matty Matheson is a Canadian chef, restaurateur and actor. He portrays the handyman Neil Fak on the FX series The Bear.

21. #icecream

48+ million posts on Instagram have been tagged with the popular  #icecream hashtag.

#icecream is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok

Next: the top 20 food hashtags on Instagram

Whey do people share food photos on Instagram?

Can the food photography, the captions and the hashtags you share on Instagram increase your food business sales?

Only a few food businesses have success on Instagram by developing unique dishes that become a trend.

This success does not rely on smart hashtagging or well-written captions. Their success is the result of great product development; in this case, this means launching innovative dishes that people become super curious about.

Examples include:

• The Dalgona Bobamisu, by the Burwood Hotel (Sydney, Australia). The Dalgona Bobamisu is a deconstructed tiramisu with boba pearls and a coffee foam called “dalgona”. The Dalgona trend had gone viral on Instagram during lockdown where people made the foamy coffee at home.

“This dish always appears on social media because They look good and taste really good so customers come back to eat it over and over. I analyse our social media reach and our videos of some of our dishes have a lot of reach in America as well, so it’s quite global”

Shirley Li, Burwood Hotel social media marketing specialist. Source: Daily Telegraph.

But among their top sellers is their Nuclear Fire Noodles – a combination of spicy instant ramen, shoestring fries, crispy seaweed and their nuclear fire hot sauce that has foodies going wild. Customers who come in and see their posters about them and their photos on Instagram get curious and want to try them. “It’s one of our biggest sellers and we have both the extreme version and the regular version” The pub also offers bubble tea-inspired cocktails for those craving something sweet after the firey noodles.

It’s all about unique Instagram food content these days if you want to bring in new customers to your food business and since COVID means consumers can’t travel, people still want to try new things locally and share the experience on Instagram.

“People expect us to only have steaks and burgers and schnitzels, which we do have. But our East meets West menu is a huge point of attraction.” Ms Li said.

And with border closures and a hunger to explore locally on the rise, people are gravitating to unique and lesser-known foods to eat and share.

Among them is Toastie Smith – a sandwich stand that gives the humble toastie a makeover by “loading” them with delicious toppings. Another hit on Instagram is Bubble Nini tea which combines the ever-popular bubble tea with a florist shop to create beverages that look as good as the bouquets they are surrounded by.

People on Instagram are also proving that the most shareable foods don’t have to be expensive with affordable foods like Bengong’s Tea & Bakery vividly melon and strawberry bread or Mr Hot Dog’s delicious fried Korean corn cakes being a hit on Instagram.

Restaurant owners are using > The best Allergen Guide Sheet Template for food and restaurant business owners.

Tip: Great hashtags are one piece of the swimming formula to increase the reach of your photos on Instagram. You may also want to pay attention to other elements that require a curious mind. For example, some restaurants are using fake (faux) artificial plants as decor for their food/dish photography but this may send a message to customers that you may also be using fake or artificial ingredients in the preparation of your dishes. Keep it natural and real. If you include a flower or a plant in your Instagram photography, then bring real natural ones.

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Next: the top 20 food hashtags on Instagram

The top 25 trending food hashtags on Instagram

#brunch
#cookies
#sushi
#hungry
#vegetarian
#kitchen
#pasta is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok
#cheese is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok
#fruit
#burger
#comida
#eating is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok
#seafood is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok
#goodfood
#bread
#snack Related: #snacks is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok
#steak

#eggs
#cheesecake
#foodstyling
#smoothie
#streetfood is also one of the top 25 most popular food hashtags on TikTok
#tacos
#ramen
#foodart
#donuts Related: #donut
#homecooking
#goodeats
#homemadefood
#soup
#noodles

Marketers are also using the top 25 most popular fitness hashtags on Instagram

The best food hashtags for Instagram likes

#picnic
#milk
#foodlove
#torta
#gelato
#foodforthought
#butter
#buffet
#tastyfood
#barbecue
#hotdog
#superfood
#chips
#foodforfoodies
#milkshake
#yogurt
#ubereats
#potatoes
#croissant
#tiramisu

Popular food hashtags for Instagram reels

#superfoods
#fasting
#omnomnom
#soulfood
#homechef
#frenchtoast
#bubbletea
#supper
#roast
#feast
#kebab
#dumplings
#empanadas
#bagel
#deliciousness
#hotsauce

Just in: The top 25 most-followed British influencers on Instagram

The top food hashtags for likes

#burrito
#orangejuice
#fishandchips
#foodreview
#seaweed
#udon
#dinnerparty
#tempura
#baguette
#tortilla
#frappe

⭐️ Most views today the top gluten-free hashtags for Instagram

The best food hashtags for followers

#couscous
#eggsbenedict
#nycfoodie
#instachef
#madefromscratch
#scrambledeggs
#kefir
#fajitas
#sorbet
#shawarma

Food creators are also using the top healthy food hashtags for Instagram

Most shared article this month: the top vegetarian food hashtags for Instagram

#gyoza
#nasigoreng
#arepas
#enchiladas
#quesadilla
#homemadepizza
#chickensoup
#laksa
#marmalade

⚡️ Trending: Food influencers have also been using some of the most popular vegan hashtags on Instagram to acquire new fans and build their food businesses.

“As Instagram is showing content to just a few of your followers, forget about hashtags and invest in proven marketing strategies and activities that drive real sales in channels you fully control”

Mau – senior digital marketing specialist at eDigital. 

The most popular branded food hashtags

It is no surprise the top most popular branded food hashtags are for fast-food brands selling junk food.

• #starbucks 39+ million hashtags
• #mcdonalds 8+ million hashtags
• #wholefoods 7+ million hashtags
• #subway 6+ million hashtags
• #ubereats 4+ million hashtags
• #kfc 4+ million hashtags
• #traderjoes 2+ million hashtags
• #nespresso 2+ million hashtags
• #pizzahut 2+ million hashtags
• #burgerking 2+ million hashtags
• #dunkindonuts 2+ million hashtags
• #chipotle 1+ million hashtags
• #tacobell 1+ million hashtags
• #dominos 1+ million hashtags
• #nandos 1+ million hashtags
• #timhortons 1+ million hashtags
• #hellofresh 1+ million hashtags
• #aldi 1+ million hashtags
• #baskinrobbins 0.8+ million hashtags
• #grubhub 0.7+ million hashtags
• #wendys 0.6+ million hashtags
• #jackintehbox 0.5+ million hashtags
• #papajohns 0.5+ million hashtags

⭐️ Most read today: the top 25 most popular vegan food hashtags on Instagram

• #justeat 0.5m
• #deliveroo 0.5k
• #blueapron 0.5m
• #7eleven 0.5m
• #dutchbros 0.4+ million hashtags
• #publix 0.4m
• #postmates 0.3m
• #kroger 0.3m
• #iga 0.3m (related: #igasupermarket 3k)
• #wegmans 0.2m
• #woolworths 0.2m
• #coles 0.2m
• #wegmans 0.2m
• #maccas 0.1m
• #skipthedishes 0.1m
• #gloriajeans 0.1m

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Junk food is helping the fitness industry

Some people may argue countries where most of the adult population is not physically fit, neglect the care of their bodies and follow harmful eating habits (junk food); are sending the message to their new generations (children) that it is normal to be unfit, out of shape or physically weak.

Popular hashtags such as #bodypositivity #bodyacceptace #loveyourbody are trending and maybe justify the addiction to eating junk food while people subscribe to popular fitness apps or virtual home gym programs to quickly burn fat.

You may find – in reality – most people can’t keep up with their fitness demands, routines or goals and – sadly – give up; making them less prone to keep consistent daily exercise and healthy food habits.

Some supermarkets and grocery stores are not helping either.

For example, you may visit Woolworths, Coles or other supermarket chains in Australia – to find out the food offered may not be that healthy; especially the packaged and/or processed food – taking most of the shelf space these days – containing high amounts of preservatives, unhealthy fats (trans fats), sugar, salt (sodium), additives such as artificial flavours and/or colours.

How you can help

Restaurant managers and food business owners who are not offering junk food or soft drinks in their venues are contributing to making their clients and local communities healthier.  Offering scientific-based information about the food you sell to your customers not only shows respect but will also delight customers who take pride in looking after themselves.

These actions will increase repeat visitation and customer loyalty. They will also decrease customer churn rate (Number of customers who visited you once and never come back).

When posting on social media, add hashtags that promote your commitment to healthy food such as:

#nonprocessed
#zerosugar
#nofat
#nosalt
#nopreservatives
#madelocally
#freshproduce
#nomsg
#noartificialflavours
#noartificialcolours

Food creators love travelling and are also using the top 25 most popular travel hashtags on Instagram

Tip: Add hashtags to your Instagram Stories to have chances of being displayed on the Instagram Explore page using the hashtag sticker (you can only add one hashtag) or use the text tool (you can add up to 10 hashtags), you can even hide them by placing a sticker on top of them or use the colour tool to make the hashtags invisible but still findable.

Next: the top 20 food hashtags on Instagram

Food trends will amplify new popular food hashtags

#Alternativeprotein

By 2035, Europe and North America are expected to have reached the point of “peak meat,” and consumption of animal proteins will begin to decline, pushed by concerns about the environmental costs of growing all the animals eaten, how those animals are treated and the consequences for human health of eating so much conventional protein.

Alternative proteins are no longer a niche market and have become a mainstream phenomenon. Restaurants, cafes and fast-food chains (especially in developed countries) are already offering plant-based meats and milk options. By 2035, 22% of all the meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy consumed around the globe is likely produced with an alternative protein.

For example, Twitter’s ‘Alternative Food” report suggested the #peaprotein hashtag on Twitter had a 42% YoY increase.

 

Expert tip > Combine your hashtags with the most popular food emojis as described in the list below.

Need a hand with your Instagram Marketing Strategy? Book a training session or hire one of our best Instagram Virtual Assistants today!

No surprise food and travel are so connected! You go to a new city or town and you want to try the local produce. Do not miss adding some of the top 25 most popular travel hashtags on Instagram

Conclusion

Popular food hashtags on Instagram are an important way to expand your Instagram audience and get more reach.

When you use a food hashtag, your post will appear on the page for that hashtag. If you use a hashtag on your Instagram Story, it could be included in the relevant hashtag Story, which also appears on the hashtag page.

Next: the top 20 food hashtags on Instagram

eDigital can help you conceptualise, plan, develop, run and optimise successful Instagram ad campaigns that generate leads and sales for your food brand.

Other marketing services we offer include:

• Strategic planning for social media and other digital marketing channels.
• Online advertising: Google Ads Search, Display, Re-marketing and social media ads.
• Training: social media marketing training and digital marketing training.
• SEO strategy, SEO content development and execution.
• Celebrity and influencer marketing campaign strategy.
• Branding. Logo creation, brand development and design of marketing materials.
• Consumer contests/competitions/giveaways.
• Email marketing. Dip sequence design and deployment.
• Conversion rate optimisation. Path to purchase analysis and optimisation.

Next: the top 20 food hashtags on Instagram

Contact us today and start boosting your leads and sales.

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Final note: Want to reduce customer acquisition costs and dependency on paid media? Our exclusive digital marketing strategy workshops will unmercifully review your marketing, help you build a marketing engine with channels and assets you own, stir your team’s thinking, bring new ideas for new conversion paths and boost customer lifetime value.

THE MOST POPULAR FOOD HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM IN 2025

was brought to you by Mau

Considered one of the best marketing consultants in Sydney, Mau offers some of the best digital marketing strategy workshops and best social media training. Mau also loves football, design, music and art. Marketers are using Mau‘s popular Digital Marketing Plan and Social Media Plan templates

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Mau is travelling the 🌎 world. Follow Mau’s stories on YouTube