Wondering what’s a girl dinner? It can be many things! Confused? Let's breakdown the concept.
The whole concept owes its popularity to TikTok; soon after videos of ‘girl dinners’ surfaced, the trend went viral. The meals however, are old wine in a new bottle - they're a unique way of eating what you already love, even if they’ve been christened with a brand-new name.
It all began in the summer of 2023. The term ‘girl dinner’ became popular on TikTok following the viral success of a video introducing the concept. Users of TikTok uploaded movies of their personal takes on girl dinners; these videos usually included a combination of several snacks forged into one meal.
To understand the concept of girl dinner, let us don our visualisation cap. Imagine this; you return home from work after a tiring journey by public transport. You’re way too exhausted, hungry and bored to get down to doing any chores at all. Luckily, you’ve got the home to yourself – your partner is returning home late or having dinner outside; there are no kids or room-mates that you’ve got to prep a meal for, and no nutritional needs or preferences to take into consideration. . You’ve hit the jackpot, Mademoiselle! You grab whatever you find that is readily available at home or in the refrigerator, and sit down to dig into your low-effort, comfort meal. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Welcome to girl dinner, ladies!
The terminology has entered the pop culture dictionary which defines it clearly - A meal that usually consists of snacks, side dishes, and little amounts of (randomly arranged) meals is referred to as ‘girl dinner’ (informally). Whatever the contents, a girl dinner is usually distinguished by its petite servings. Meals that resemble what is typically thought of as a snack tray, snack platter, or tiny charcuterie board are referred to as girl dinners. It could consist of many meals such as chips, popcorn, cheese slices, sliced cold meats, bread pieces, fruits, and vegetables. The phrase is frequently used to describe a dinner prepared with whatever is readily available, including leftovers.
The usage of girl in the terminology alludes to the common stereotypical association of women’s eating habits and portion sizes. Although it is used with reference to women and their food choices, it can be indulged in by any gender. There’s also a catchy song written and created in its honour!
We asked a few women to share their version of ‘girl dinner’ with us. Take a look at their curated meals!
Srishti Tyagi
Nikita Bajaj
Sara Lokhandwala
Sonali Valecha