WTF Is 'Girl Dinner' And Why Is It Going Viral On TikTok Right Now? (2024)

If you're on TikTok, there’s a good chance that your feed has been filled with an alarmingly catchy jingle recently.

I’ve caught myself singing “girl dinNNeEEERrrrRRRrr” to myself multiple times over the past week—partially because it’s a fun song to sing, but mostly because I’ve seen dozens and dozens of videos using the sound. There are nearly 3,000 posts of women sharing their "girl dinners," which are basically meals comprised of random snacks on a plate.

And when I say random, I’m not joking. I’ve seen an entire tin of sardines, a handful of popcorn, gummy peach rings, and cubes of cheese decoratively plated for dinner. The key is a diversity of flavors. At the very minimum, girl dinners should have something carby, something salty, and something sweet. Whether your idea of something sweet involves strawberries or jelly beans is up to you.

The trend is continuing to take off, with more women sounding off with their own renditions of girl dinner. And, as it turns out, the song is only shining a light on a pre-existing, widespread phenomenon. Commenters share that they’ve been eating this way for years. One TikTok user wrote, “I would always prefer to eat this. I never knew it was just what *girls* want.”

And depending on who you are and where you live, girl dinner can go by many different names. In the UK, it’s called “picky bits.” Some households refer to the trend as “adult lunchables.” Others may call it a “snacky plate.” No matter how you spin it, a meal comprised of lots of little snacks seems to resonate the most with women.

By contrast, many users are comparing their meals with “boy dinners”—which appear to be much more limited. TikTok user @catherinannechiang posted this video to break down the difference between the two:

I decided to ask around our office to see if these categories had any merit. My findings were a mixed bag. Our digital food producer Camille Lowder often opts for a snack plate when she’s cooking for herself, but makes full meals whenever she’s feeding other people. Our video producer Marc Stauble needs to have a protein and a side for every meal—no exceptions.

Our director of video Julia Smith doesn’t abide by the status quo. She shared, “I suppose I am a boy dinner within this dinner binary :/" Her experience also raises an astute point: While the concept of girl and boy dinners places eaters into two specific boxes, eating a plateful of snacks or an entire steak is not necessarily a gendered experience. The moral of the story is: eat whatever makes you happy and satisfied.

Do you fall into either of these camps? Let us know in the comments!