Do you like taking pictures of food and showing them to people? I mean, who doesn’t? It’s fun and exciting to see people comment on your favorite meals. Or maybe you want to make fun of how badly a certain restaurant prepares or presents their food. Either way, you know that if you post that photo, you’ll get a lot of feedback and comments.
A trend known as “girl dinners” is rampant across TikTok. The idea is to take photos of your meals and post them.
It’s fun to be part of new trends that are easily discoverable through hashtags. By participating in these trends, users can gain more followers because their content is easily discoverable through a simple hashtag. It’s an adrenaline rush and a natural high in itself.
Quick history lesson:
This popular trend was started by TikTok user Olivia Maher in May 2023. The post was supplemented with a video of her dinner, which was a platter of cheese, bread, and grapes, which she claimed was something peasants would have eaten in the Middle Ages. After the initial post, influencers of all ages and with all follower numbers bought into the idea.
This post pushed the boundaries of gender norms. Until now, it was known that women only cooked fancy meals in the kitchen. But now, this new trend is establishing a new norm where women can sit back and create great food. Maher did a lot when she posted this first post.
What is “Women’s Dinner”?
So what is this trend? “Girls’ dinner” basically means anything that’s lying around. Leftovers, cheese, bread, or even a few grapes will do. This food scraps combination should be a meal for one, more like a lunchable style meal. Another way to look at this is simply a combination of snacks beautifully arranged on a plate.
The trend started with small salads and breads, but the posts gradually became more disturbing.
Isn’t that so innocent?
This seemingly harmless and funny trend is spiraling out of control. Some users on TikTok are posting things that barely qualify as “girls’ night dinner” snacks. Things like a glass of water or a block of cheese. This can be problematic for viewers with eating disorders, even if you post it as a joke. Some psychologists believe that these types of posts can hide eating disorder habits because they are disguised as jokes.
Negative impact:
These posts are influencing young girls who may not know what a normal dinner looks like. They may think the food in those posts is what their dinner should be like. This is teaching girls to restrict their eating habits instead of listening to their bodies’ needs and desires.
“Girls’ dinner” isn’t something you make for yourself every night. It’s just not healthy. Do you go for fast food every night because it’s quick and easy? No, because this dinner habit can lead to health complications in the long run.
Constantly comparing your plate to someone else’s plate can have negative effects. You may unintentionally let your brain take over and start copying the habits you see.
“Girls’ dinners” perpetuate the idea that girls should eat less. However, this is not something that younger or older girls should focus on. These eating habits are never good for a growing body. Just because something is trendy doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good.
People who oppose negative effects:
Some users believe that this new trend encourages good eating habits. I believe so because most of the posts included a variety of foods, including the first one. It’s not just one type of food, and it’s not completely junk food either.
Balancing is important and this is reflected in most posts. This is especially true for posts like Lunchables for adults.
How to participate in a healthy way:
Consider posting a healthy platter of eggs, yogurt, peanut butter toast, and fruit for your “girls’ dinner.” This could push the standard of the dinner part of the trend and easily gain views. It’s all because you’ve provided a healthy, colorful variety that appeals to everyone.
Ramen or instant noodles aren’t always the healthiest, but you can always add eggs, meat, or cheese to your noodles in place of the accompanying seasonings. This will provide a very nice and beautiful meal for you and your followers.
Also frozen waffles. It’s also not the healthiest option, but adding fruit and sometimes a smoothie completes the meal and makes it very decadent.
To participate or not to participate?
Should I post about my “girls’ night out dinner” or should I keep it to myself?
If you’re posting about positive meals you’ve made or eaten that aren’t insanely small, I think you should. Please do not post if other users may find it annoying or concerning.
Ask the three people closest to you: a family member, guardian, friend, and anyone else you choose. Don’t post if the consensus is negative. If it’s positive, share it with the world right away. Those closest to you may have a good idea of what’s good for you to post and what might raise red flags about your behavior or the post itself.
Remember to be true to yourself and eat what your body wants to eat. Even if it’s not a trend, there’s no shame in it.
