How to get in on ‘girl dinner,’ the new trend that’s been around all along

By Casey Barber, CNN

(CNN) — Although the so-called “girl dinner” is being popularized by young women promoting throw-together meals on TikTok, it’s in fact an inclusive meal.

If you identify as a human, you have probably already made this type of solo dinner for yourself at some point in your life. I’m a middle-aged girl, and this is the style of meal I’ve been calling “snack dinner” for years.

The hashtag #girldinner on the social media site showcases the variety of ways this trend can be interpreted, with hodgepodge-style meals that could look as upscale as a highly styled presentation of burrata, prosciutto, cherry tomatoes, sliced peaches and olives or as accessible as scrambled eggs with hot sauce accompanied by cheese slices and Wheat thins or a basic plate of nachos.

The original “girl dinner” TikTok video, posted by Olivia Maher, featured a countertop spread of grapes, cornichons, bread and cheese.

‘Girl dinner’: A personal snack plate

The basic gist of my “snack dinner” is that it’s a meal for one person that requires no cooking, no advance planning and barely any prep time. It’s essentially a personal snack plate, like a low-key cheese or charcuterie board, and it’s usually made from existing leftover ingredients in the fridge and pantry.

If it makes you feel more seen, think of this kind of meal as a “permission slip dinner,” because there are really no rules.

Your solo snack plate dinner doesn’t have to include bread, cheese or charcuterie if that’s not your personal preference. It doesn’t require the particular inclusion of anything beyond what makes you happy and satisfied for the evening.

I’d even argue that you can plan ahead for a snack dinner as a way to give yourself something to look forward to after a busy week, when it’s too hot to consider a heavier cooked meal, or just to have an easy pick-me-up on hand.

I use the category of snack dinners in my flexible, personalized meal planning system as a pinch-hitting placeholder — a way to fill a hole on a night when I don’t want to cook or know I’ll run out of steam.

When I put a snack dinner on my meal plan, it’s also a signal for me to splurge on a few items — such as Castelvetrano olives, a wedge of Gorgonzola or fresh figs — that no one else in my household wants to eat.

Normally, I’d feel a little guilty about buying these ingredients for myself, but for a snack dinner, there’s inherent permission to eat what brings you joy.

My husband’s snack dinner plate looks much different than mine does. He loves a high-quality sharp Cheddar cheese, a handful of Triscuit crackers, apple slices or grapes and not much else. (“Salami,” he offered as an example of his sometimes-diverse snack dinner tastes.)

If you’ve been loyal to a protein-and-two-veg plate and want to dabble in snacking dinners, start with your favorite snack elements and expand from there.

Love hummus or guacamole? Add in a few different dipping mechanisms beyond the usual chips or baby carrots, like quartered radishes or walnut halves.

Slice leftover bagels or other bread bits into cubes, and toast them briefly as another crunchy element to include on your snack plate. (Yes, I consider toasting an acceptable exception to the no-cooking dictum for a snack dinner. But again, your plate, your rules.)

Have fun pairing sweet and salty ingredients, such as cheese and pretzels with fruit or granola bars, or by mixing brined ingredients like pickles or peppadew peppers (sweet and tangy!) into cream cheese for a DIY spread.

Above all, consider this trend a way to let yourself, whoever you are, off the hook and eat something fulfilling that gives you zero stress tonight.

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