“What Is ‘Girl Dinner’? TikTok Trend Courts Controversy,” wrote the Today Show, saying some online were concerned the trend could just be “starvation short shrift.” The New York Post called it “Gen Z’s disturbing new ‘girl dinner’ trend,” saying that some Girl Dinners, like a can of Coke or just a few pickles, seem like just disordered eating under a fancy new disguise.
“What is going on! Where are the hungry girls?” the Post asked.
It’s true that Girl Dinners that consist of just a few snacks or a lone dessert would not be nutritionally sound if eaten every night, and no one should feel like they can only eat Girl Dinners. But are we overthinking a fun treat, or is it actually cause for concern?
We asked Vanessa Rissetto, a registered dietitian and CEO of Culina Health, to weigh in, and she tells Glamour that it’s not so black and white.
“It’s totally fine once in a while to add a bunch of cheese, meat, fruit, and veggies to a plate and call it ‘dinner,’” she says. “It’s summer and currently 95 degrees in NYC (and in many cities) each and every day. The last thing any of us want to do is turn on the stove… That being said, be sure the plate includes protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates.”
She agrees, though, that if you are doing Girl Dinner every night, or using it as an excuse to under eat, it can be a slippery slope.
“Eating only pickles for dinner, drinking Coke Zero as your meal—this trend can fall into the disordered eating territory, especially when it comes to people promoting and applauding it,” she says. “Remember, it’s all about the messaging and who’s delivering it.”
Of course we should all focus, most of the time, on making sure we are eating a balanced diet. If you are having a soda and a pickle for dinner every single night, that could be a sign to speak to your doctor about developing healthier eating habits.
But does that mean Girl Dinners on their own are promoting disordered eating? I don’t think so, personally. When I watch the videos of Girl Dinners, what I’m noticing isn’t actually the meals themselves (which in truth, are sometimes disgusting) but the delight the women are taking in the beauty of not caring. In a world where it sometimes feels like women need to optimize every second of their existences, where we are told to count calories and macros and double wash our vegetables and make gluten-free substitutes and avoid dairy, sometimes it can be delicious to just pile up a big mound of hummus and crackers and call it a day. It’s not about restriction, it’s about indulging in the freedom of not giving a F. Of eating what you want, even if it is just soda and a pickle.
At least, that was the creator’s original intention. In an interview with the Today show, Maher emphasized that Girl Dinner isn’t about the ingredients at all. Anything can be a Girl Dinner, if it makes you happy.
