9 Examples of How Media and Marketing Shape Gender Diets

Gender marketing strategies and gender diets strongly influence consumer behavior. In today’s media-saturated world, food is a signal of status and your gender identity. From “steak for men” to “salads for women,” marketing messages and media portrayals continue to influence what we eat based on outdated gender norms. 

In this article, we’ll dig into how gendered diets are shaped by the media and how they influence our eating habits. We’ll explore the social construct of gender diets and the role of media in influencing our eating behaviour. 

Understanding Gendered Diets

1. Definition of Gender Diets

Before diving into the definition of gender diets, there is one important fact that you must understand. That is, gendered diets aren’t biological, but they are more about the perception of how food choices are associated with women and men.

Against this background, you should know that gender diet is a broad term. It refers to the differences in dietary preferences, nutritional requirements, and eating behaviours between men and women. 

Despite the differences in food consumption patterns we observe, men and women can adopt unique eating behaviors. These behaviors can challenge the traditional food consumption associated with different genders. 

2. Social Construction of Gender Diets

The construction of gender diets is entirely social. It didn’t come from science or nature but was purely shaped over time by traditions, media, and marketing. Men’s association with meat and women’s interest in eating veggies. This stuff gets reinforced so subtly that we rarely stop to question it.

These patterns can be observed in the pre-industrial revolution era. Where men used to hunt and women were supposed to be gatherers. The narrative of the caveman somehow stuck around and evolved into today’s food and gender rules. 

Over time, these patterns became so ingrained in our societies that, without being told, we assume that certain foods are for certain genders. Moreover, the advertising campaigns have strengthened these stereotypes by showing men grilling meat and women serving jello salads. 

3. The Cultural and Psychological Roots of Gender Diets

In many societies, our culture teaches us that men are supposed to be strong and dominant, so they eat big meals. On the other hand, women are supposed to be slim and delicate, so they take small and light meals. 

These cultural expectations reflect our identity and influence our eating habits, making it harder to make neutral and healthy choices. This is why foods like meat, burgers, protein shakes, and beer are associated with masculinity. Whereas yogurt, fruit, salads, and sparkling water are seen as a symbol of femininity. 

This binary portrayal of food is interwoven in ads, movies, and even on social media, like TikTok and YouTube videos. Food choices represent gender expression and can actually stop people from eating what they want or need.

Also read Six Advantages of Gender Neutral Marketing? and How to Adopt It?

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What is Gender Marketing and How to Adopt a Gender Marketing Strategy?

Media’s Role in Reinforcing Gendered Eating

1. Gendered Food Representation in the Media 

There are several examples from TV shows, movies, and food journalism that portray men biting big and juicy burgers while women picking at salads. This depiction is not random but carefully scripted, which reinforces gendered food norms. 

These moments build a whole narrative around what people should eat based on their gender. Moreover, articles also often glorify “manly” meals as hearty, meaty, and indulgent, while “feminine” eating gets framed around restraint, balance, and dieting. 

The role of the media doesn’t stop here. Cooking shows follow the same pattern. Chefs like Gordon Ramsay are shown commanding the kitchen with their tough and aggressive attitude. On the contrary, women like Nigella Lawson present a gentle and nurturing atmosphere by presenting meals with grace and sensuality.

Much similar pattern can be observed on Instagram and TikTok. Guys posting high-protein meal preps and women sharing low-cal smoothie bowls. Influencers often lean into stereotypes because it sells. 

2. Media Shaping Body Image and Dietary Expectations

The role of the media doesn’t stop at portraying gender food expectations, but it tells us why we should eat that way. And most of the time, it’s about how we should look. 

Women get bombarded with messages about thinness, detoxing, and summer bodies. While for men, it’s all about bulk, strength, and clean bulking. The consequences shape our food choices, what we should eat and not eat.

The impact of visual storytelling on food choices is basically manipulating the minds of the masses. The impact of visual storytelling is so strong that it bypasses logic. It taps right into emotion, identity, and desire. And once those associations form, they’re really hard to unlearn.

Examples of Marketing and Gendered Diets

As discussed before, gender in food marketing isn’t just hinted at—it’s broadcast loud and clear. Below, you will learn nine real-world examples where companies have deliberately gendered their products using everything from color to copy, influencers to packaging. Each of these tells its own story about how society expects men and women to eat.

1. Dr Pepper Ten – Diet Soda

In 2011, Dr. Pepper launched a new drink called Dr Pepper TEN. It was a low-calorie soft drink, specifically targeting American men, suggesting they take care of their appearance. 

The interesting part in the marketing of this product was how the advertisers chose the tagline, specifying “It’s not for women.” Moreover, advertisers carefully chose the color of the can as grey, reinforcing the association of colors with specific genders. The product never took on as planned by the producers. 

2. Special K

Special K cereal by Kellogg’s has also used the same marketing tactics. Its sleek red packaging, slim models on billboards, and phrases like “drop a jean size” all scream feminine ideals. 

The product doesn’t only sell cereal, but they sell a lifestyle by pitching women who focus on weight loss. Producers have carefully chosen the colors red and white to appeal to women, strong enough to look “active.” I have never seen this brand marketing to men.

3. Hungry-Man – XXL Meals  

With bold blue packaging to heavy fonts, the brand Hungry-Man offered frozen and microwaveable food items, targeting specifically to men. They targeted men by offering heavy-meat meals and mashed potatoes in a variety of flavors. 

The marketers of Hungry-Man specifically marketed their “XXL”, implying that it is designed for men. Because, according to their advertising campaign, their food “..is not a salad”, but meat, and “Real men eat meat”.

4. LUNA Bars   

Luna bars, a sub-brand of Clif bars, was specifically designed to target women customers. Marketers used soft colors for the wrappers and soft and elegant font styles to gain female attention. 

Like other gender specific products, Luna bars gave the message of balance and strength. Along with offering nutrition in gender-coded branding. 

5. Muscle Milk

Muscle Milk is another brand that has used a gender marketing strategy to gain popularity among its male customers. The product sells milk powder designed to support exercise and muscle growth. 

Their marketing strategy revolves around muscle growth, performance, and strength. They have used male athletes to promote their product and have rarely featured a women. 

6. Dannon Light & Fit

Dannon is a yogurt brand that was launched to focus on women’s need for fat-free and low-calorie yogurt. The marketers carefully chose color schemes of a pink shade and slim font styles. 

The message was, however, clear. It gave a gluten-free vibe by being small, careful, and enjoying yourself. 

7. Snickers – “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”

Snickers used to be one of my favorite chocolate bars as a child. The gender-neutral candy bar made it hyper-masculine with their marketing campaign. 

Showcasing men from football players to rugged workers and using phrases like “fuel your strength”. This candy bar rarely showcased women in their promo images and reinforced the idea that emotional sensitivity or weakness = femininity = not okay. 

8. Quaker Oats “Strong Start”

Quacker Oats is a popular choice for breakfast in America. It is known for its old-fashioned but quick and instant varieties of oats. The company rebranded its oatmeal product by adopting a marketing strategy that revolved around the words “Power Fuel” and “Strong Start” campaign.

It focused on highlighting busy dads and hard workers who start their day right. Their packaging remained almost the same, but the messaging became more masculine, tapping into fatherhood and strength narratives.

9. SlimFast

SlimFast is one of the classic examples of gendered dieting. It’s been targeting women for decades with promises of easy weight loss. The company uses only female models on TV and billboards, smiling and holding meal-replacement shakes in pink and lavender bottles.

The brand’s whole message is about “weight loss made easy”, which is deeply tied to female beauty standards.

These brands don’t just sell food—they sell gender norms. They shape how we think about hunger, body image, and even our worth based on what’s in our shopping cart. 

Concluding Remarks

Gendered diets aren’t just marketing strategies, but they’re a reflection of deeper societal norms. From pink yogurt cups to protein-heavy ads targeting men, media and marketing have long influenced how we relate to food based on our gender identity. 

However, awareness is power. It is important to recognize these patterns and challenge the false gender and marketing norms to foster a healthier, more inclusive eating approach for everyone.

Next time you see a food ad, don’t fall for it and ask yourself: Do you need to follow it? Let’s rewrite the recipe for gender and food together.