Why ‘girl dinner’ really blew up on TikTok: It’s a cheap and easy way to eat — especially in the summer

“I’ve always called these ‘snack plates’ — but when I heard the term ‘girl dinner’ on TikTok recently, I resonated with it so much,” Laverty said. 

And she’s not alone. With the “girl dinner” trend accumulating more than 560 million views and counting on TikTok — and Google searches for ‘what is girl dinner’ more than doubling over the past week in the U. S. — everyone wants a piece of the action. Even the Restaurant Brands International-owned
QSR,
-0.45%
Popeyes fast-food chain has created its own “girl dinner” menu: several sides, including mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, Cajun fries and biscuits, meant to be ordered a la carte to create your own plate.

And, with food prices rising 5.7% in the 12 months ending in June, and July 2023 being declared the hottest month on record, the cheap, no-heat required “girl dinner” might be the ideal dining solution when you’re broke, or if you’re just exhausted and it’s too hot to cook.

So what exactly is girl dinner? Put simply, it’s throwing together a snack plate that can serve as a meal by spending as little time, effort and money as possible — almost like a smorgasbord for a single person. The key is minimizing time and effort while optimizing the ingredients you already have. 

While some people have put up posts suggesting their ‘girl dinner’ is just a single pickle or a diet soda, the true trend is more substantial than that, women tell MarketWatch. In fact, being able to go through your fridge and pantry quickly and pull together a low-maintenance yet filling meal with all the important food groups is what girl dinner is all about, they say.

“I have what I have, and I’m gonna eat through it and save some money and really enjoy what I did,” said Olivia Maher, 28, who is credited with coining the term “girl dinner.” 

Maher’s original “girl dinner” post has accumulated 1.4 million views and counting on TikTok. 

Maher told MarketWatch that she credits her viral way of eating with growing up in what she called an “ingredient household,” where all leftovers and food items were always put to use before their expiration date.

“For me, the ‘girl dinner’ is stuff that I essentially hunt and gather in my own kitchen. It’s what I already have,” Maher said. “If it’s the summer and it’s hot, I don’t want to cook.” 

Laverty has also relied heavily on “girl dinners” to meet her strict, post-graduate budget while living in pricey New York City. Laverty said she buys eggs, cheeses, meats and olives weekly to piece together her mini meals.

“Compared to doing a grocery run for all the makings of a lasagna or protein-carb-and-salad combination, this was way more affordable for me,” she said. 

Laverty’s “girl dinner” combination of cherries, nectarines, burrata topped with hot honey, prosciutto, olives and tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper blew up on TikTok, accumulating 1.8 million views. 

Some people are raising concerns over the nutritional value of “girl dinners,” however, and asking if the trend is contributing to diet culture and the rise of eating disorders. Those posts where women suggested they were eating a single pickle, a can of corn niblets, sipping a diet soda or even less haven’t helped. 

“I don’t love that it’s called ‘girl dinner,’ because in our diet culture, a lot of times that implies restriction,” said nutritionist and eating disorder specialist Leslie Schilling.

But girl dinners aren’t all bad. In fact, Schilling told MarketWatch that nutritionists have actually been helping their clients come up with similar, “snacky” dinners for a long time by encouraging the use of ingredients they have in the house. 

Schilling said this meal option is actually great for those who often feel overwhelmed in the kitchen, or for those who think that dining out is the only option to feed themselves, but they don’t have the money to do so. 

“We can really come up with [meals] using the things that they already have in the house to make either a girl dinner or a snacky dinner,” Schilling said.  

Keep in mind that the three most basic food groups essential to any diet are proteins, carbohydrates and dietary fats. Among other benefits, protein intake influences the formation of muscle mass and our metabolism; carbohydrates provide us with the glucose that our brains use for energy; and dietary fats give us the energy our bodies need. 

So to get started on your own affordable and healthy version of “girl dinner,” here is Schilling’s advice:

First, search around your kitchen for a protein, such as: a cheese; a deli meat like ham, pepperoni or salami; or vegan alternatives such as tofu or seitan.

Schilling then recommends adding a “crunchy carb,” whether it be pretzels, pita chips, or just a piece of bread.

Grab a dip — hummus, guacamole, or even olive oil for your bread — for a healthy fat, and then your favorite fruit that you have on hand to add something sweet.

The key, according to Schilling, is making this “snacky” dinner a full meal — not just a snack.

“Make it enough and then ask yourself, is this something that maybe I would have for a snack? And if so, it’s time to add more,” Schilling said. 

There is no “correct” amount of an ingredient, just as long as your “girl dinner” is a filling meal for you.

Maher found that one of the beautiful results of her initial “girl dinner” video was the inflow of comments from people like Laverty who have already been participating in this way of eating for years. Some online commenters have also noted that this is a similar eating style to tapas, or small plates.

“It built a community of people who already eat this way and in this style,” said Maher. “And then, it introduced a whole other audience to ‘oh, maybe I can also break it down and have a full meal that satisfies me and fills me up without all the bells and whistles that go with a full dinner.’”