From the cinnamon challenge to the chili challenge, food challenges have often rocked the internet over the years. They’re meant to be a little uncomfortable by nature, and the rock-paper-scissors food challenge is no exception.
The rules are simple: you grab a friend or partner and play a round of rock-paper-scissors next to a selection of food. If you win the round, you start eating. If you lose, you sprint to a certain point and back while the winner eats as much of the meal as they can. When the sprinter returns, the process starts again. The overall winner is the person who manages to eat the most, which we’re sure is very easy to measure.
As with most social media trends, it’s difficult to say exactly when or how this one started, although it appears to have originated on TikTok — the famous hotbed of some of the worst food trends of all time. One of the earliest examples on TikTok that we could track down was uploaded on March 26, 2024, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where the challenge originated. Based on the hashtag, rock-paper-scissors is a common format for couples challenges in general, with one of the most popular variations being a date night challenge where the winner of each round gets to choose the drink, appetizer, main course, and dessert. Sweet, right? The rock-paper-scissors food challenge is less sweet.
Read more: 22 fast-food breakfast menus ranked from worst to best
Nobody really wins at rock-paper-scissors
Aside from the general inconvenience of smearing food all over your body or having to wolf it down without really tasting it—all for the sake of the crown—there are some downsides to sprinting up and down the driveway with food in your mouth. Eating and running are not compatible activities. If you run too soon after eating, you could experience stomach cramps, side stitches, or an upset tummy that could require a quick trip to the bathroom. In general, you should wait about two to four hours after a large meal before going for a run, which is considerably longer than the time between two rounds of rock-paper-scissors. So if you’re taking on this challenge with a date, be careful: You probably won’t make an impression by puking on your new pants. Or on her new pants.
Even less cute is the fact that running with your mouth full is a choking hazard, especially for younger children. Many viral food challenges come with some degree of risk, with the salt-and-ice and 21-by-21 challenges being some of the most dangerous food challenges around. If you still plan on ruining your dinner (and your bathroom) with this challenge—which we definitely don’t recommend—keep your safety in mind. Make sure someone is with you, try to avoid very solid or dry foods, and don’t involve the kids. Or, better yet, put your FOMO aside and do something else entirely.
Read the original article on Mashed
