Is it a meal? A snack? No, it’s girl dinner.
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You know those late nights in your dorm room, after a tiring day at work, or maybe when you’re just too lazy to go grocery shopping? Whatever the reason, instead of cooking a proper meal, you’re just throwing together whatever’s left in your fridge and pantry. Well, it has a name now: girl dinner. And it seems like everyone has been there.
Alright, let’s keep it real. Cooking sucks sometimes (most of the time if we’re being honest). So, why not treat yourself to the most random food from yesterday? No need for pots, pans, or other chores. Remember: when the secret ingredient of home-cooked meals is love, the recipe for girl dinner lies in the lack of effort.
What is it, exactly?
Girl dinner can be popcorn, mac n’ cheese with ketchup, or even fried chicken from a convenience store. I would bet that almost every one of us has had girl dinner at some point, which is no wonder that it has become the latest trend to take over TikTok.
The trend originated from this LA micro-influencer, Olivia Maher (AKA @liviemaher) as an easy-peasy no-cooking-required combination of food items like cup noodles, canned goodies, fruits, and biscuits for dinner. With over 520 million views for the hashtag #girldinner on TikTok, this trend has taken on a life of its own. Women worldwide are sharing their comical (or concerning) versions of their girl dinner that will have you feeling seen and heard, and realize that you may have never had a unique experience in your life. It’s popularity has even spawned boy dinner with their own genre of effortless meals.
In the Philippines, most girl dinners are made out of pancit canton, energy drinks, canned tuna, and chips. One of the most hilarious ones is rice with sinigang, sounds good? Plot twist: the “sinigang” is purely made out of sinigang mix, like, nothing else.
@psuedostratifiedvilli sinigang with nothing on it but powder 🤌🏼
♬ original sound – karma carr
The real question is: does the relatability of girl dinner be comical or concerning?
@kaidaguman 10x better if the fries are soggy 😩
♬ original sound – karma carr
TikTok certainly has a reputation for glamorizing not-so-healthy eating patterns, especially through the what I eat in a day recaps. Well, girl dinner isn’t ideal. Snacks, processed meals, and leftovers shouldn’t be considered ‘dinner.’ That said, we can’t always be in the mood (or budget) for a proper dinner every weeknight. And honestly, even before the trend blew up, we were already big fans of no-cook meals. So as relatable as the girl dinner trend is and sometimes a necessity, remember that a girl dinner isn’t something you should always be consuming on a daily basis. Make time for the balanced and hearty meals.
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