If you use TikTok, you’ve probably seen the seemingly innocent videos of people making “girl dinner”: a combination of different foods and snacks that can be quickly thrown together as a meal. Unfortunately, this trend may not be as harmless as it seems.
Influencer Olivia Maher was the first to make a video about this as she threw together scraps of bread and cheese for her dinner. Since then, many have hopped on the trend to show their leftovers and classic meals.
Maher’s voice is now stitched together with a song, humming the words “girl dinner,” which many people have used to showcase their takes on the trend; some examples include plain buttered pasta with caesar salad and fast food french fries (or a combination of fruit and cheese).
“Girl dinner” started off innocently with people showing their creative meals. Unfortunately, some iterations of this trend quickly turned into promoting insufficient eating habits. As a result, the “girl dinner” trend began spreading the notion that dinners should only consist of snacks instead of full nutritious meals.
“Girl dinner” glorifies under-eating, as it normalizes consuming a small bag of popcorn or a few almonds for an entire dinner. Many people comment under these videos agreeing with the creator and saying they do the same; this romanticizes the idea of under-eating and neglecting nutritious foods.
Unfortunately, people become influenced and start thinking they should be limiting themselves to eating small amounts of food for their meals. Some viewers may believe that if other girls do it, they should too.
TikToker Sienna Beluga shares her take on “girl dinners,” posting a video that explains, “some of these ‘girl dinners’ look a little suspiciously low cal to [her]”. Melissa Mitri, a registered dietitian, also believes that the trend is promoting unhealthy low calorie eating habits. She clarifies that many of the “girl dinners” should be eaten as snacks — not meals. On the other hand, she explains that when done correctly, “girl dinners” can be very healthy and nutritious. She notes that participants in the trend should include a protein, carbohydrate, and source of healthy fat.
While the trend of “girl dinners” initially seemed like an entertaining and creative way for one to show their meals, it quickly turned into the glamorization of eating unhealthy amounts of food.