Since TikTok’s rise to mainstream prominence, we have seen our fair share of food trends come and go on the video-sharing app.
There were pasta skewers, the rise of butter boards, and of course, the infamous baked feta pasta dish that everyone tried to emulate.
The latest dish doing the rounds is ‘girl dinner’, indicating that pretty much anything can be a food trend.
Content creator @liviemaher has gone viral for a video where she coins the term.
In the video, which has over a million views, she says, "A girl just came on here and said how in medieval times, peasants had to eat nothing but bread and cheese and how awful that was, and she was like, ‘that’s my ideal meal.’ This is my dinner.”
@liviemaher #girldinner #medievaltiktok ♬ original sound - Olivia Maher
What Is 'girl dinner'?
'Girl dinner' basically means a no-cooking meal and is put together using bread, meats, vegetables, and leftovers found in the fridge. It is like a miniature charcuterie board, made by one person as dinner for just that one person.
This light meal made up of several different food groups has garnered a lot of attention on the app and by nutritionists too, who have been discussing the merits of eating small portions of food to avoid overindulging and overeating, especially at night-time.
However, nutritionists are also recommending the consumption of healthier, low-sodium options that could be put on the snack plate of 'girl dinner.'
And it is not all just bread and cheese. A number of other content creators have shared their dinners, where they prove that any random bunch of snacks is capable of being a 'girl dinner'.
In a video by @madde_rye, the TikToker shows off her dinner of Fruity Pebbles, crackers, pickles, coffee, soda, pepperoni, and cheese. “It’s so valid,” the creator comments.
@maddie_rye It’s so valid #fypシ #foryoupage #girldinner #mcdonaldscoke ♬ original sound - hanana
With the hashtag garnering over 15 million views, plenty of people seem to be fully on board with the meal trend.
As it has gone viral on social media, it has also sparked controversy, with some people claiming that the portions of the food in the meals are too small.
One user wrote: “Okay I am pro girl dinner, I understand girl dinner, I get it, girl dinner healing your soul. But some of these ‘girl dinners’ look a little suspiciously low cal[orie] to me hmmmmm??”
“I’ll be hungry in the next two hours”, said another user.
You can read the latest Food digimag here.