Gwyneth Paltrow is back making headlines. But this time, instead of a questionably scented candle or overpriced piece of home decor, it’s a surprising superfood that’s flooding social media.
The actress and founder of lifestyle brand Goop recently appeared on Today to promote her “delivery first” restaurant concept Goop Kitchen. In a cooking segment with Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly, Paltrow shared she likes using arugula as a replacement for dairy in recipes—specifically as a textural substitute for cheese in the meatballs she was making.
“It sounds weird,” Paltrow said, “but it kind of adds a nice texture to it, and it’s delicious.”
Like many other Paltrow moments, the unorthodox substitution quickly went viral as a hack that nobody needed.
“In no universe is arugula a substitute for cheese,” a user said on Reddit. “That’s bonkers.”
A week later, rather than getting lost in the ether, Paltrow’s replacement has found its footing as a meme, with arugula becoming a symbol for a generation anxious about being expendable.
“We were all so worried about being replaced with AI we didn’t even see arugula coming,” a user said on Threads.
Another user added, “for the record I would much rather be replaced by arugula than ai.”
For others, the meme has presented a new way to present old jokes.
“Have we considered replacing this administration with arugula,” a user said on Threads. Another user had a similar thought saying, “Has anyone tried replacing men with arugula?”
As with many memes that go mainstream, brands have now begun vying for cultural clout with arugula posts of their own.
Some brands, like grocery store Aldi, simply responded to the discourse by taking a stand. “Arugula does NOT taste like cheese,” the store’s Threads account posted.
But most opted to try to be in on the joke, regardless of whether it made sense or not—like in the world of travel.
“At this time we are not accepting arugula as a substitute for your REAL ID (sorry),” the TSA Threads account posted.
Not to be left out, United Airlines also chimed in, saying, “Arugula is not a substitute for a boarding pass.”