From flipping tables to tossing prosthetic legs, the ladies on The Real Housewives shows have made a serious cultural impact. One of the show's most viral phrases ever is “almond mom." In a 2013 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, supermodel Gigi Hadid (then a teenager) called her mom Yolanda to say she was feeling weak. Her mom’s solution: to “have a couple of almonds and chew them really well.”
Hadid’s parenting style was criticized when the clip first aired, and it became a running joke online. However, when Hadid poked fun at the moment in a TikTok last September, the joke struck a chord with the platform’s young audience.
As it turns out, the phenomenon of mothers imposing restrictive eating habits on their children spans far beyond The Real Housewives universe. Daughters of almond moms posted videos to share their own experiences—and there are a lot of them. TikToks about almond moms have collectively racked up nearly 900 million views. And while Hadid’s televised blunder inspired the term, there are several behaviors that make someone an almond mom.
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Hadid's restrictive eating habits appeared to stem from the ultra-thin beauty standards that run rampant in the modeling industry (she spent the entire season priming Gigi for her own career on the runway). Other almond moms, like Gwyneth Paltrow, survive off of bone broth and salads in the pursuit of wellness.
Many argue that almond moms foster an unhealthy relationship with food. And while it's important to have empathy for those struggling with disordered eating, almond moms often impose those same harmful patterns on their children. Take a look at these common trends to see if you’re guilty of being an almond mom:
You Live In An Ingredients Household
Want something to eat? You'll need to start cooking. TikTok also coined the term "ingredients house" to refer to kitchens that stock basic ingredients but not snacks. While living in an ingredients house doesn't necessarily mean you're an almond mom, there's a lot of overlap in that Venn diagram.
If You Do Indulge In A Snack, You Typically Reach For The Following
100-calorie snack packs, fruits and vegetables, air-popped popcorn, protein bars, rice cakes, and nuts (naturally).
You Always Have A “Healthier” Swap For Popular Snacks
You're at risk of being an almond mom if your tortilla chips are made with chickpea flour, the only candy you eat is from Smart Sweets, and you only buy cookies made with a low-calorie alternative sugar.
Instead Of Eating, You Drink Water When You’re Hungry
If you stave off hunger with a glass of water and encourage your children to do the same, you're probably an almond mom.
Your Kids Hide Food
To avoid the judgment and shame of reaching into the pantry, many children of almond moms take their snack habits to the privacy of their own room or even outside the house.
Your Kids Secretly Eat These Foods When You're Not Looking
Shredded cheese, chocolate chips, baking chocolate, sprinkles, and powdered sugar are some common secret snacks of kids of almond moms.
You Catch Yourself Saying The Following Phrases
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" and “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips” and “You’re not hungry, you’re bored.”
You Regularly Go On Runs And Take Yoga Classes
This behavior is not exclusive to almond moms, obviously. Maintaining an active lifestyle is widely recommended, but almond moms take this especially seriously.
You’re Quick To Hop On Fad Diets
Almond moms are veterans of the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, Whole30, Paleo—the list goes on.
You Have Meticulously Scheduled Mealtimes
Bonus points if you do intermittent fasting.
You Follow A Low-Carb, No-Carb, Or Gluten-Free Diet
You're also likely to be among the first to hop on the zoodle and cauliflower rice bandwagon.
You Have A Cabinet Of Dietary Supplements That Were Not Recommended By Your Doctor
Many almond moms have a significant stash of various protein powders, dietary supplements, and detox medicine on hand.
You’re Committed To Reaching 10,000 Steps Or Completing All The Rings On Your Apple Watch
Again, an active lifestyle isn't exclusive to almond moms. But if you need to reach a milestone in order to justify eating dinner, you're likely an almond mom.
You Have To Do The Annual Turkey Trot To "Earn" Your Thanksgiving Dinner
And if you force your kids to join you, that's a dead almond mom giveaway.
You're Hyper-fixated On Portion Sizes And Calorie Counting
Almond moms know exactly how many baby carrots constitutes a serving size—and they'll stick to it.
Gabby Romero is Delish’s editorial assistant, where she writes stories about the latest TikTok trends, develops recipes, and answers any and all of your cooking-related questions. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.
