Charcuterie boards are beautiful little assortments of your favorite cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and meats; it’s only natural to think they’d make the perfect meal, and that mindset is exactly how the infamous “girl dinner” trend was born.
Girl dinners, when plated to perfection, can look like some kind of feminine escape to medieval times and seem like the perfect treat at the end of the long day. The trend has exploded in popularity, with #GirlDinner reaching almost 20 million views on TikTok, Brit + Co. reported. But if you’re anything like me, this looks like a mid-afternoon snack, not a dinnertime meal.
Is there any nutritional value to girl dinners, or is it truly just a snack? I spoke with three wellness experts — Chrissy Arsenault, Dr. M. Haseeb, and Katie Andrews — about the importance of healthy and filling meals, and here’s what I learned about the trend.
Treat protein like you treat your bestie: incorporate it every single day.
When you look at these colorful boards, you might notice there’s something that seems to be missing: lean proteins.
Sure, the common items that are incorporated into girl dinners, like cheeses, fruits, and vegetables, each have their nutritional value. For example, cheeses provide calcium and protein, while fruits and vegetables supply vitamins, minerals, and fiber, says Dr. M. Haseeb, the MD at Healthkeeda.
Some of the top lean proteins include white-flesh fish like halibut or tilapia, plain Greek yogurt, beans, tofu, and so many more, Healthline reported.
A key issue with girl dinners is that along with the lack of lean protein, the board is filled with calories that are high in carbs from the fruits and grains on the plate.
“Protein helps you stay full and helps retain and build lean muscle, so you may find yourself hungry even after a full board,” says Chrissy Arsenault, a registered dietitian at Athletic Muscle. “Additionally, since girl dinners focus on small portions, you may not get enough [energy] intake to help meet your needs if you live an active lifestyle.”
However, if you’re still not convinced that the current take on girl dinners isn’t your friend, you could always do your own rendition of the trend. Treat it like your favorite middle school science experiment; you already have your base to start, now all you need is your favorite, balanced ingredients to create your very own girl dinner.
Welcome girl dinners… but the experts’ version.
Like Taylor Swift reclaiming all of her albums, experts also have their versions of the trend that will elevate the dish. There are three focus groups that you should be adding to your girl dinner, Dr. Haseeb says.
The three main food groups, according to Dr. Haseeb, include fiber and complex carbs to increase satiety and nutrition intake, nuts and seeds which make meals more filling and nutrient-dense, and lean protein (again, protein is our bestie!) to help with satiety and muscle maintenance.
“Girl dinners, in their natural state, are essentially the ‘elevated snack plate,’ like bento boxes for kids,” says Katie Andrews, a registered dietitian nutritionist. However, when creating your own girl dinner, it’s important to make sure you’re truly elevating that plate so it isn’t just a standard snack plate.
“You need to ensure this isn’t just a snack — if you’re replacing an entire meal with a snack plate, a couple of carrots, a dollop of hummus and some crackers won’t do it,” Andrews says. “You still need to aim for 20-25 grams of protein, a healthy fat source, and fiber rich-carbohydrates for sustained energy.”
The danger behind food fads is still real, no matter how cute the plate is.
What could be so dangerous about a lovely plate that resembles a charcuterie board? Maybe it’s not inherently dangerous, but trends like these can promote eating disorders or unrealistic expectations of calorie intake.
More often than not, young women are encouraged to participate in new diets, so it’s unsurprising that a trend like girl dinners could be taken in direction. In the past, 19% of women aged 20 and over had reported being on any type of special diet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
“Calling them ‘girl dinners’ does insinuate a diet-ness to them that I don’t like,” Andrews says. “It also suggests the portions should be smaller for women than men which isn’t always the case at a given meal.”
I get the trend, and if it was possible to thrive purely off of grapes, cheese, and bread, who wouldn’t choose that option? If you’re a die-hard fan of girl dinners that’s perfectly fine, just remember to incorporate as many proteins as possible into your meal, your body will thank you later!