A view on Girl Dinner
A Date with Girl Dinner
One time after a long drive, I pulled through Chicken Express, a Texas staple, and made the rash decision to only order sides. I drove home -- hot rolls, corn, mac-and-cheese, green beans, and coleslaw safely belted into the passenger seat, and I cogitated on the recent Internet phenomena “girl dinner” – and how it’s applications may be a tool with untapped potential for intuitive eating. In recent months, “girl dinner” has become a topic of controversy for Internet users. Essentially, it’s a collection of usually pre-prepared snacks that are eaten together as a meal. It can range from fruits, vegetables, dips, cheeses, breads, proteins, pre-packaged snacks, etc.
Some argue that girl dinner is a lazy attempt at a meal, a glorified Lunchable. One X (formerly Twitter) user calling it a “divorced dad dinner on a plate”. With convenience being in higher demand, girl dinner can be difficult to pass up when the alternative involves a $40 trip to the market and the added bonus of dishes. Cutting corners can be detrimental in more ways than one. Some say girl dinner is propaganda for disordered eating by opting out of the traditional meal format that arguably covers more nutritional bases. After all, navigating the MyPlate plan gets a bit confusing when it’s sponsored by day-old leftovers and charcuterie.
However, a powerful element of girl dinner is its diversification. One of the first steps of intuitive eating is registering body cues and gauging hunger levels. Eating patterns fluctuate, depending upon our activity levels and health, and can differ day-to-day. Girl dinner is wonderfully conducive to the flexibility of a changing appetite. There’s nothing traditional about it and follows no certain rules, however that’s not to undermine its versatility and application. When unlearning patterns of disordered eating, it’s difficult to be in attunement with body cues, especially when feeling out of touch with them for a while. Girl dinner begs the questions: how much do I want and what sounds satisfying to me in this moment? It may be a collection of snacks on hand, or a gathering of things from Trader Joe’s, or even a run through Chicken Express. The point is to exercise the freedom of honoring what you want, even if it’s not a heavy, hot meal.
The limitless prestige of girl dinner could include a greater variety of nutritional components. Non-traditional doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing nourishment. A diversified snack plate may be the same as or more conducive to the nutritional needs of a certain diet compared to the typical protein source and two sides meal. Athletes are constantly fueling and need a regular influx of carbohydrates for high-power energy and protein to replace the muscle they’re breaking down while training. Eating the same thing every day, especially while adhering to a strict, mundane workout schedule can become boring quickly. Girl dinner can be utilized as a template for “in the moment” demands. Meals vary widely in their degree of carbohydrate, fat, or protein sources and content.
This same logic applies to a person in eating disorder (ED) recovery. Introducing new foods is a daunting task and doing it at once is an unreasonable expectation. Girl dinner may look like eating one new challenging food. These foods counter safe foods and are eaten with the intent to diminish fear around consuming them. Eating a series of girl dinners gives ED patients a tangible means to think about how to gradually introduce new foods in greater amounts, lessening the overwhelm of recovery, and ultimately posing them to follow a positive trajectory long-term that can be easily adhered to. Girl dinner complements intuitive eating well, a skill developed in recovery, because it requires that the individual ascertain their own needs, both with respect to nutrition and satisfaction.
The jury might still be out on girl dinner. It’s really all perspective. Its limitless nature may provide a more comfortable setting for ED patients or can be used by anyone navigating their own needs day-to-day. Not to knock meal prepping, but boiled chicken doesn’t hit the same after 7 days of boiled chicken. It may not work for everyone, but seldom things do. Take it with a grain of salt and a side of fries.
Blog Post written by:
Katie Stoufflet, Dietetic Student & HAES® Intern