What Is a ‘Girl Dinner’ and Why’s It Trending?

For those of you on TikTok, the “girl dinner” song is probably ringing through your ears right now. But, it’s a trend that started long before the little jingle—in fact, it started in May of 2023, and has become a low-effort meal trend ever since, with #girldinner getting over 150 million views on TikTok alone.

At its core, “girl dinner” can be something other than a traditional dinner with vegetables, protein, and a starch. But, many women have taken the trend beyond that.

A girl dinner is something you don’t have to cook, or a small plate made up of random snacks.

Again, the idea of girl dinner seems to have stemmed from Tik Tok user Olivia Maher in May 2023, when she created a video talking about how people thought the medieval diet must have been horrible—to live off of bread and cheese.

Maher suggested that was her ideal meal, and panned her camera to an assortment of some of those very things and labeling it—you guessed it—girl dinner. You can check out her original video below.

@liviemaher

#girldinner #medievaltiktok

♬ original sound – Olivia Maher

If you look up #girldinner on TikTok today, you’ll see everything from bags of popcorn to pizza bagels being touted as “girl dinner.” But, most people are sharing things like snack plates and simple charcuterie boards.

The popularity of girl dinner shouldn’t come as a surprise. Charcuterie has seen a huge boom in recent years, and this is a simpler take on that, whether you want to call it a medieval meal or not. Meats, cheeses, fruits/vegetables, and bread can come together to make a delicious “feast,” and it’s a great option for when you really don’t want to cook.

Now, the girl dinner trend even has its own “song” to go along with it. If you didn’t already have it in your head before, you will after watching this video.

@imsupergraceful

ingredients household core

♬ original sound – karma carr

The original Tik Tok user who posted about girl dinner probably didn’t expect the idea to go viral, but it’s fun to see what different people like to enjoy as their “lazy meal” or what they create when they really don’t want to cook.

This trend doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Maybe you even have your own unique girl dinner to contribute. But, keep in mind that a snack plate doesn’t constitute a full meal. Make sure you’re eating enough and giving your body what it needs to function properly and have plenty of energy!