Girl dinner. Girl dinner. Whether you sing that song every evening or just caught onto the TikTok trend, there’s a good chance that you’ve had a girl dinner at least once in your lifetime.

What is Girl Dinner?

Getting right down to the nitty-gritty, girl dinner is one of those things that consists of nothing and everything all at once—there isn’t one recipe or plate formula that makes a girl dinner, but you’ll know a girl dinner when you see one. Characterized by string cheese and loose grapes, girl dinner is a hodge-podge of various snacks and ready-to-eat pantry foods that a person—usually a woman, but anyone can have girl dinner—eats instead of a cooked meal. It can be as simple as a plate of veggies and chips with hummus, or as complex as pairing a sardine tin with microwaveable mac and cheese, leftover salad from lunch, Vienna sausages, and a bag of popcorn.

Why is Girl Dinner Trending?

We get it—it’s really rewarding to be able to wake up at 5 A.M., complete a zen morning routine, and meal prep for the rest of the day before clocking into work. Still, with TikTokers becoming increasingly more vocal about their real routines, we’re seeing the real-life ramifications of being a woman in today’s world, which means not always having time to prep an intricate dinner while looking great, being a rockstar employee, being a trophy child, being a model student, being a supportive partner, being a world-class athlete, being a…You get the picture. 

It’s a lot of pressure to take on, and, by virtue of people simply being more honest on TikTok these days, people are showing their tried-and-true girl dinners that, though they’re not Michelin-level meals, get them through their insanely draining schedules.

How to Make Girl Dinner

Remember: girl dinner is not a tactic for eating less food—it is simply a way to whip up a meal in record time. The caveat with girl dinner is that it’s really easy to accidentally under-eat or have an unbalanced dinner with this meal plan—so, ahead, we’ve unpacked a few ways that you can have girl dinner while nourishing your body with the nutrients and energy you need. 

Cut Your Plate Into Quarters: One of the best ways to make sure you’re maintaining balance in your meals is to create balance in your macros. Strive to have half of your dish with whichever macro you want to emphasize (we like protein, but you can make yours complex carbs or fats), and then a quarter each for the remaining two macros. You can even use a plate that has dividers (like this surprisingly chic and not at all child-like one) if you need help.

Protein Wisely: Cooking a steak is the absolute opposite of a girl dinner—it takes time to defrost and tons of energy to get just right. Instead of skipping out on protein altogether, choose easy protein like tofu, edamame, cottage cheese, sliced turkey breast, or high-quality tinned fish. 

Get Your Carbs In: Carbs are an essential part of any diet, but it can be easy to only go for simple carbs for quick energy. Choose complex carbs like veggies, whole wheat sourdough bread, beans, or brown rice. 

Sprinkle a Little Fat In: Omega-3 fatty acids are sooo good for you and, unlike most healthy things, they’re really easy to incorporate into your existing routine! You can get it by sprinkling chia seeds onto your yoghurt or topping your salad off with some tinned mackerel or walnuts. If you want to take it a step further, cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil are simple to drizzle onto, well, anything.

Make Your Plate Into A Rainbow: Variety is what makes things fun—eat whole foods of various colors and you’ll be sure to get in various nutrients. That can look like orange carrots, pink salmon, green pistachios, and purple eggplant.