What is "dinosaur time," and why is TikTok all over this food trend?
This Bizarre ‘Dinosaur Eating’ Trend Has the Internet Completely Divided
Published on May 02, 2025
TikTok food trends seem to go viral overnight. Remember when girl dinner exploded in popularity, or “egg flights” became a thing? Recently, though, an interesting trend has arisen that’s more function than form. It’s designed to ensure that everyone gets their daily recommended allotment of leafy greens. It’s called “dinosaur time,” and it’s been tearing up the internet like a T. rex tearing through the underbrush.
What is “dinosaur time?”
@talatonline54k I’ve been going strong on dinosaur time for about a week now as a supplement to my normal lunches and I feel pretty good. So maybe try it out #greens #healthy #healthyliving #healthyrecipes #healthylifestyle #fyp #dinosaur #dinosaurtime #Fitness #fitnesstips #nutrition #nutritiontips #macros ♬ original sound – Talat54K
The trend first arose with TikTok user @sahmthingsup (identified by NPR as Amy Garrett), who posted a video on February 27 demonstrating her method for getting the right nutrients into her daily diet. Calling it “the best life hack for me,” she takes a large fistful of raw spinach straight from the package, then quickly stuffs the whole bundle in her mouth, taking time to chew it all before stuffing even more spinach into her mouth and chewing, chewing, chewing.
“I’ve been going strong on dinosaur time for about a week now as a supplement to my normal lunches and I feel pretty good,” the caption reads in part. The video had nearly half a million likes and thousands of comments praising the method.
People are attracted to the notion of “dinosaur time” for a number of reasons. For one thing, not everyone has time to cook healthy, vegetable-forward meals, and simply downing fistfuls of raw leafy greens alleviates the need to do so. Some people who dislike the taste of vegetables but still want the health benefits consider “dino time” a way of getting it over with quickly.
One commenter also pointed out that the method creates no dishes that must be washed. And then, of course, some people just find it fun to act like a dinosaur. Understandable.
Is “dinosaur eating” healthy?
There’s nothing inherently wrong about this approach to eating one’s greens, but NPR does note that those prone to kidney stones and people who take blood thinners might want to steer clear of the practice, since a sudden influx of the vegetables’ oxalic acid could cause complications to underlying health issues.
It also shouldn’t be undertaken as some sort of weight loss hack, and it’s certainly not the be-all and end-all of nutritional wellness. Other than that, nutritionists seem to be more or less fine with the practice, though they also point out that it’s just one of many potential approaches to a healthy diet.
“As long as people are consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables, they should be getting enough nutrients,” registered dietitian Alyssa Smolen told CBS News. Recommendations include blending greens into a green smoothie, cooking them into scrambled eggs, tossing them into a sandwich or wrap or even pairing them with sliced deli turkey for an easy snack. Eating greens doesn’t have to be a chore overcome by acting like an ancient predator.
Related:
