Boy kibble': why are young men turning to dog food for meal inspiration?

"Traditionally, yes, kibble is dried food for pets in pellet form, made of grains, vegetables and meat. Highly nutritional, keeps for ages. Boy', though? It has also been referred to as human kibble as women have been eating it too, but looking at social media it seems to be mainly a guy thing. Got it it's the latest social media food trend, right? Right."

"Food content creator Patrick Kong's recipe includes rice, chopped vegetables, minced meat and eggs, which he cooks together in one big pan, divides into containers to be refrigerated or frozen, then takes out to eat twice a day Twice a day! Where's the joy in that? You can add different seasonings to relieve the monotony. But to be honest, this isn't really about joy. Or aesthetics. What is it about? Trying to reduce body fat while keeping muscle mass."

"I guess it might be better than other high-protein diets often regarded as masculine, such as the carnivore diet, which includes only animal products. Dr Emily Contois, the author of Diners, Dudes and Diets: How Gender and Power Collide in Food Media and Culture, told the New York Times that the word boy' [in boy kibble] softens what could be perceived as toxically masculine consumptive behaviours."

Kibble for humans is presented as a minimalist, reheatable high-protein meal consisting of rice, chopped vegetables, minced meat and eggs cooked together and portioned into containers. The approach emphasizes convenience, repetition and caloric control, with seasoning used to reduce monotony. The trend appears largely popular among men on social media and is framed as a means to lose fat while maintaining muscle mass. Comparisons arise with other masculine diets like the carnivore diet. The label "boy" functions to soften potentially toxic masculine consumption patterns as the phenomenon intersects with broader cultural and political conversations about diet and fitness.

Read at www.theguardian.com