The Art of the Girl Dinner

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Girl Dinner. Have you heard of her?

I have. Only I didn’t know she had a name.

It is a cute name, tbh.

What is a girl dinner?

It is the staple of “a little treat” (insert the Kathy Hilton voice), mixed with something a bit more substantial.

How did the Girl Dinner Originate?

From being exhausted, from monthly hormonal fluctuations –from working, and individuating from the enslavement of patriarchy, a subdivision of white supremacy….a dainty and small stance in the face of a real JERK (white supremacy is a jerk).

It’s how it started — I think.

I’ve seen plenty of Tikie Talkies about it.

Girl dinners have been a thing since before women and young people everywhere knew they were a thing.

Can you remember the first time you were introduced to Girl Dinner?

I was about ten, and my parents took us to Red Robbin.

Ten year old me was NOT in the mood for real food. I wanted dessert.

So, my parents decided I could have the dessert I asked for.

Did I learn my lesson?

Yes.

Too much of a good thing is not a good thing.

Did I also learn another lesson?

Sometimes you want a little treat, or many little treats, to be a WHOLE MEAL! Okay?

Girl Dinner Explained

It is the game of hors d’oeuvres meets the entree.

It’s a numbers game.

A whole mathematical problem of what sounds good and how much.

The art of health food mixed with junk food.

A Girl Dinner has the entire personality of the Cyndi Lauper song, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

It’s also just a really nice excuse to not cook anything (or to cook very little).

Gender Roles

Many women who are married or live with partners of the opposite sex have expressed contentment with the Girl Dinner.

While men everywhere want to know where the real dinner is (not all men)?

“In a cookbook there is a recipe, and in the cupboards and fridge are the ingredients (or you can always send them to their mother’s house).”

In the household I grew up in, this would be called a “FFY night” (fend for yourself night).

FFY nights were cool enough, and I think we are all better for it.

We learned to get creative in the kitchen, how to cook and how to “fend for” ourselves.

Girl Dinner Ingredients List

Recently my Girl Dinner consisted of caviar (the cheap kind of course….it tasted so good)…

Some rice crackers, oysters and cherry tomatoes with salt.

Later in the evening, I decided I was still hungry and added some more protein into the mix.

Basically, the Girl Dinner is a snack menu mixed with something more substantial.

It’s buildable, and it is not asking for a comitment.

It isn’t picky. It just is.

Healthy Approach

Girl Dinners are a slippery slope — with some saying that it’s glorifying small meals and ED/disordered eating.

My take — It can be a bit of both. But it also needs to be talked about.

I hope that the conversations about cravings, satiety, checking in with your body, how you feel, movement and taking care of yourself become a part of the conversation.

There are so many great nutritionists available that are not of the old persuasion (nutritionists from the 90s & early aughts) — who encourage cravings, eating healthy fats, and so much more.

My favorite nutritionists to follow are @thenutritiontea and @diet.culture.rebel on Instagram.

What is your go-to girl dinner?

xx

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