Report Says Canadians Are Obsessed with Looking at Food on Their Phones

Our relationship with food is changing—there's no doubt about that. And, as with our increasingly text-heavy relationships with other human beings, it's all going in the direction of mobile.

A new report published by Google last week titled "Farm to Smartphone: Food Trends in Canada" details just how our obsession with technology—smartphones, in particular—is shaping that evolution. From food blogs to how-to videos to Instagrammed #foodporn, Canadians are now looking to technology for food info and inspiration more than ever before.

Gone are the days of Grandma's hand-scribbled recipe book being our only resource for food knowledge. According to the research, three out of four Canadians agree that technology has greatly expanded the variety of resources they now look to for recipes, with a whole third of us now turning specifically to our mobile devices for food and drink inspiration.

And what exactly are we looking at when we swipe open that smartphone? Videos! According to the report, half our population is seeking out meal ideas, recipes, and how-tos via videos on YouTube. We apparently just love seeing our food in action—whether in the form of baking tutorials or gluttonous burger-eating—and furthermore, our culture has become obsessed with sharing a part of that action with our friends. Twenty-eight percent of us—which, if you've been out to brunch lately and looked around the room, actually sounds low—admit to snapping pics of our food on an occasional to regular basis. (The author of this article is guilty of it herself.)

But we aren't looking to technology just to figure out what to eat; we are also using it to decide where to eat and who to eat with, even if that means just staying in for some pho and chill. Comparing data from January 2015 to January 2016, Google found that in just one year, mobile searches seeking takeout and delivery info increased by a pretty amazing 64 percent.

Google's findings point to an overall increase in concern for what we consume, with over half of Canadians claiming they are now more mindful than they were a year ago of what they are cooking at home and of their food's nutritional value. It also points to an increase in overall interest in food, with what was once a mere necessity becoming an ever-more-active social culture all its own.

What this all means is that not only are we using technology to make broader, more interconnected, and more informed food choices, but also that the movement is measurably growing.

Basically, you can expect to see more and more food-related content, videos, apps etc. geared toward your phone in the future. And yes, there will only be more people taking photos of their food—but at least they're actually trying out new recipes, too.

And all of this just when you thought that embarrassing word "foodie" was on its way out.