When you think about getting a decent veggie intake for the day, you likely picture yourself cutting up cucumbers and tomatoes, filling a bowl with lettuce, decorating it with dressing, and sitting down at a table — possibly 30-plus minutes later — to eat. While this can be nice when you have the time, have you ever considered shoveling a handful of greens directly into your mouth?
It’s what TikTok user @sahmthingsup calls “dinosaur time.” In a Feb. 28 video, which subsequently went viral, she revealed that she eats more greens at every meal simply by grabbing arugula right out of the container and shoveling it in. It requires a lot of chewing — similar to a dinosaur snacking on a tree branch — but it only takes a few minutes and then you’re done.
In her comments, one person said, “You mean I don’t have to make elaborate salads and rage wash and chop and prep all the things each week? You may have just changed my life.” Another wrote, “Adulthood is just finding increasingly strange ways of tricking yourself into doing what you’re supposed to.” Another said, “OK, Littlefoot.”
With the Jurassic Park theme song playing triumphantly in the background, thousands of people stitched the video to show off their own dinosaur time, like @calluna_cuprea who added a squirt of caesar dressing with her bites. “I’m a brontosaurus,” she said.” And @nightlight.girl, who said she has a few minutes of dinosaur time every morning before making breakfast.
In another video, creator @tropicalriddim said she was really inspired by dinosaur time. “I’ve eaten more greens this week since the year started.” Here’s what to know.
FAQS About Dinosaur Time
If you frequent #FoodTok, then it should be no surprise why this trend is catching on. Dinosaur time is the lazy girl way to eat lettuce, as well as a version of girl dinner, which is all about eating the way you want to eat. It may seem weird at first glance but it’s an excellent use of free will, as well as a clever way to take care of yourself.
According to dietary guidelines, it’s recommended to have two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day, with a serving equal to about one cup. Of course, “dinosaur time” doesn’t replace eating nutritionally dense meals throughout the day, but it’s a fun way to ensure you get some greens worked into your day without having to meal plan too seriously.
In a March 11 follow-up video, @sahmthingsup answered a few FAQS. When someone asked, “Why not just eat a salad?” she explained that they often take too long to make and even longer to consume. Salads would also mean she has to eat greens for her entire meal, which she isn’t always in the mood to do. Dinosaur time gets the bitter, chewy greens out of the way so she can enjoy what she actually wants to eat.
Another asked, “Raw dogging greens? How are you not gagging?” According to the creator, her bites are so big that her brain focuses on the act of chewing versus the flavor. If you aren’t a fan of arugula or spinach, dinosaur time could be a good time to eat more nutrient-dense food without having to sit through a whole salad — sort of like swigging back medicine. It’s all about getting it done quickly.
Other tips? She only eats the pre-washed greens that come in a package. If yours aren’t washed, you should thoroughly rinse them first. The creator also emphasized that dinosaur time is not a meal replacement. After a giant handful of greenery, she went on to eat leftover Korean BBQ, kimchi, and rice.
If you don’t want to figure out how to mix greens into a pasta dish, it might be worth a try. If you’re tired of throwing away rotting spinach from the back of your fridge, this could be for you.
Since it can be tough to chew through this much greenery in one go, some people recommend keeping a dressing on hand for flavor or a drink to help wash it down. The idea is to have fun with your dinosaur time and do what works best for you.
One person even joked about playing a dinosaur documentary in the background so you can hang out with fellow herbivores while you chew, like triceratops and brachiosaurus, who were all about those greens.
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