After a day stacked with back-to-back meetings, endless mothering, or even couch surfing (yes, it’s tedious), cooking anything, leave alone mincing a garlic clove, sounds like a daunting task straight out of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.
But fear not! TikTok, the app known for launching countless recipe trends, has come to the rescue with the #GirlDinner trend.
The movement, introduced by TikTok creator @liviemaher, is all about simplicity and convenience and involves pulling out a plate, raiding your fridge or pantry, and voila! Your girl dinner is served.
But is the girl dinner a healthy meal option? And how do you effectively assemble a girl dinner that covers all your nutrition bases?
Keep scrolling to find out.
What Is A Girl Dinner?
Girl dinner is a minimal effort, no prep, no cook, charcuterie-board-style meal that involves throwing a random assortment of foods on your plate – say something carby, something salty, and something sweet.
The trend first came to light after creator @liviemaher posted a video of what she called “medieval peasant” food – a snacky meal that consists of sliced bread, a block of cheese, a handful of grapes, and pickles straight from the jar.
“A girl just came on here and said how, like in the 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,” @liviemaher said in the video.
“I call this “girl dinner” or medieval peasant.”
@liviemaher #girldinner #medievaltiktok ♬ original sound – Olivia Maher
Since then, it has become a #lazygirl, #singleladies, #hotgirlsummer favorite and received over 15 million views and a stamp of approval from dietitians and celebrity nutritionists alike.
So, Are Girl Dinners Healthy?
Yes, they are.
And according to a registered dietitian and founder of Real-Life Nutritionist Miranda Galati, MHSc, RD, the girl dinner trend is incredible because you can make it as nutrient-dense or not-so-nutrient-dense as you want.
It’s about everything but perfection. And the easier your girl dinner is, the better.
The key is to balance the flavors and the nutrients you incorporate. But if you want it to be all about nutrition, then it’s up to you – in fact, the better it is for your health.
How To Make A Balanced Girl Dinner Meal
Charcuterie board meals and snack plates are an incredible way to build a balanced meal that’s fun, highly nutritious, and satisfying.
However, you must consider some things when building your snack plate, especially if you’re eating it as a full meal (which is what girl dinner is all about).
So, to effectively make a healthy, well-balanced, and fun girl dinner meal, you need to:
1. Ensure your girl dinner includes a perfect balance of carbs, fiber, proteins, and volume – a block of cheese, some crackers, and grapes won’t cut it. You need to have components of a balanced meal to ensure satiety.
2. Make proteins your priority – there’s a reason why certified dietitians, fitness experts, and nutritionists always advocate for the importance of proteins. They keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer and also spare you from rummaging through your drawers looking for scraps and crumbs.
So, when crafting your girl dinner, remember to focus on easy adds like cheese, deli meats, and nuts to ensure a satisfying meal.
3. Opt for fiber-rich sources of carbs – to create a well-rounded meal, incorporating carbohydrates is essential, and choosing high-fiber options such as crackers, fruits, and yogurt enables you to stretch your energy levels long after your meal.
4. Elevate our girl dinner by including a colorful array of fruits and veggies – not only with this boost your snack plate’s volume, but it’ll also introduce essential nutrients and incorporate more fiber for fullness.
5. Don’t overthink it – the girl dinner meal is about eliminating kitchen stress and enjoying your soft girl era.
So have fun with it, mix and match it (pair your favorite proteins and fiber-rich foods with a few fun options for some flavor) and don’t forget to pour yourself a glass of red wine or your favorite cocktail.
But if you’re not sure what to assemble on your plate, here are a few girl dinner recipe ideas:
5 Girl Dinner Recipe Ideas
If you have no idea of what you want your plate to consist of, here are some of our favorite girl dinner ideas:
The Charcuterie Girl Dinner Recipe
For this, you need to assemble some:
- Cheese: English cheddar, gruyere, triple cream Brie
- Meats: Coppa, Salami calabrese
- Veggies/Fruits: mini cucumbers, olives, raspberries, strawberries
- Crunch: olive oil + sea salt crackers
- Garnish: fresh oregano (but you can also swap it out for parsley or coriander)
- Dip: red pepper jelly
The Heart-Healthy Girl Dinner Recipe
Babes who are watching out for their cholesterol levels should craft a plate of:
- Dairy: Greek yogurt
- Veggies: celery, colorful cauliflower, cucumbers, radishes, sauteed broccolini with garlic
- Crunch: multigrain crackers
- Garnish: fresh dill
- Dip: herb tahini, chili crisp, labneh (as a topping)
The Barbie Pink #GirlDinner Recipe
@thatcheeseplate is our girl dinner recipe inspiration, and she made this beautiful Barbie pink snack plate that we had to share:
- Cheese: Brie + Manchego
- Veggies: cherries, figs, grapefruit, watermelon, radishes (with olive oil and flaky salt)
- Crunch: crackers, sesame cashews
- Garnish: frozen dried strawberries, pomegranate seeds, and pink flowers
- Extra flair: Prosciutto
The Deconstructed Sandwich Girl Dinner
Who doesn’t love a deconstructed sandwich? But to make it girl-dinner-friendly, be sure to include the following:
- Carbs: Baguette
- Cheese: French Brie
- Meat: 4 Deli slices of Turkey
- Veggies/Fruits: fresh spinach, green apple, red grapes
- Crunch: roasted pistachios, chopped walnuts
- Garnish: lemon thyme, micro marigolds, rosemary
- Dip: fig jam, honey mustard
The Vegan Girl Dinner Recipe
We couldn’t forget vegan Queens. So, here is a recipe idea for y’all:
- Veggies/Fruits: baby spinach, sliced strawberries (with olive oil and apple cider vinegar)
- Crunch: poppy seeds, toasted sliced almonds
- Garnish: fresh oregano
- Dip: eggless mayonnaise
- Extra flair: ground pepper, some salt, and a tablespoon of sugar
Other #GirlDinner Ideas
@karmapilled pulled all the stops in her #girldinnertiktok meal. It has proteins, carbs, and all the hot girl summer goodness!!
@karmapilled man i wish i had professional editing software for these anyway here it is(alt: @karma (´◠ω◠`) ) also @Arkane Skye ? ♬ original sound – karma carr
@whitney.0 served it up gary’s way!
@itswhitney.0 The most important meal of the day, servin it up gary’s way #girldinner #sleepfordinner #tiredaf #fyp #fypage #fyp ♬ original sound – karma carr
She went for a simple meal – pasta and cheese. A classic #girldinner meal!
@gracestamariaamy girl dinner x♬ original sound – karma carr
Now this is what we call a balanced #girldinner meal!
@__mull Missing: Diet coke and sourdough bread w. butter #ratproverbs #girldinner #goingout #feralgirlsummer #fyp ♬ original sound – hanana
Marissa Mullen proving she’s the Queen of the #girldinner trend:
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Which recipe will you be trying out?
Let us know in the comment section below!
