July 15, 2026, 11:24 am | Read time: 4 minutes
First, it was boiled eggs with oil that were celebrated on social networks as “Natural Wegovy.” Now, the next food trend is making the rounds: On Instagram, a so-called “Ozempic Salad” is captivating thousands of users. The name is meant to suggest that the recipe is as filling as the well-known weight loss injection. In reality, the salad consists of ordinary ingredients like cabbage, cucumber, avocado, and apple. As a nutritionist, I took a closer look at this trend.
Why Are Recipes Suddenly Named After Weight Loss Injections?
Whether “Natural Wegovy,” “Natural Mounjaro,” or now “Ozempic Salad“—on social media, foods are increasingly being associated with well-known weight loss medications. The idea behind this is often that certain ingredients can keep you full longer, thus making weight loss easier.
The term “Ozempic Salad” is primarily an attention-grabbing name. The recipe itself has nothing to do with the prescription medication.
What’s in the Viral Salad?
The ingredient list is surprisingly simple: About 150 grams of cabbage form the base. Added to this are a cucumber, fresh cilantro, and some sesame seeds. For the dressing, two avocados are blended with two green apples–including the peel–and a bit of lemon juice until creamy.
This combination makes the salad particularly filling. It combines plenty of fiber, lots of water, and healthy fats–three factors that can positively influence the feeling of fullness.1
Cabbage Is the Real Star of the Recipe
While social media often focuses on the creamy avocado, from a nutritional standpoint, cabbage is particularly interesting. With only about 36 kilocalories per 100 grams, it provides a lot of volume with relatively little energy. It also contains about 3.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams, as well as vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.2
Fiber binds water, promotes digestion, and can help food stay in the stomach longer. This often prolongs the feeling of fullness. Additionally, raw cabbage provides various secondary plant compounds and antioxidants, which are associated with anti-inflammatory properties.
The Other Ingredients Also Have Nutritional Benefits
The cucumber is mostly water and increases the meal’s volume without adding many calories. The green apples are intentionally used with their peel, where a large portion of the fiber, including pectin, is found, which can also contribute to good satiety. At the same time, apples provide various vitamins and minerals.3
The avocado adds a creamy texture to the dressing and provides mostly monounsaturated fatty acids. Although it is significantly more calorie-dense at about 138 kilocalories per 100 grams than the other vegetables, its fats, along with the fiber, can contribute to longer-lasting satiety.4 The recipe is rounded off with sesame seeds, which provide unsaturated fatty acids and minerals like calcium.
Can a Smoothie Replace Breakfast?
Red Cabbage is Very Healthy and Low in Calories
Does the Salad Live Up to Its Name?
That the salad can be filling is quite plausible. However, its effect cannot be compared to that of a medication. Ozempic contains the active ingredient semaglutide, which specifically influences hormonal pathways that regulate appetite, among other things. A food cannot replicate this pharmacological effect.
The name “Ozempic Salad” is therefore mainly a product of social media. It draws attention and clicks but says little about the actual effect of the recipe.
My Assessment as a Nutritionist
I see the trend much more positively than many other viral weight loss hacks. The salad consists of fresh, nutrient-rich foods and provides plenty of fiber, healthy fatty acids, and many vitamins and minerals. Especially because the salad has a lot of volume and is relatively low in energy, it can contribute to good satiety.
However, I find the name problematic. Terms like “Ozempic Salad” quickly give the impression that a single recipe can have a similar effect as a prescription medication. This is not scientifically tenable. Those who want to lose weight permanently benefit not from a single trendy dish but from an overall balanced diet, sufficient exercise, and long-term healthy habits.
My conclusion: The “Ozempic Salad” is no substitute for Ozempic–but it is indeed a successful recipe for incorporating more vegetables, fiber, and healthy fats into the diet.