Jessie Gurunathan: Girl Dinner is the antithesis of social media perfection, and I’m on board

Girl Dinner is for the times you can’t be bothered and you grab whatever you have on hand, throw it all together and call it dinner. Photo / 123rf

OPINION

I really love kai. As the daughter of a Malaysian South Indian, it’s in my DNA to obsess over food. In Malaysia, instead of asking someone how they are, we will ask, “Sudah makan?” - which translates to, “Have you eaten?”

I’m actually heading back to my hometown of Penang, Malaysia in a couple of months and all I’ve done to get organised so far is create a list of food spots my family and I need to visit.

So it pains me to admit that this year my love of all things culinary has taken a massive hit thanks to the cost of living crisis.

It’s just my partner and I in our household, two millennials who very rarely eat out and have always prioritised stocking our fridge and pantry with the best food our budget allows. For me, grocery shopping used to be almost meditative. I’d often spend a good hour or so perusing aisle after aisle, forgetting my checklist and adding things to my cart that were completely off-script.

Now, however, I break out in a sweat over the cost of a lettuce. Seriously though, how does the humble iceberg lettuce now cost $5.99? I always feel like I’m being pranked when the checkout person informs me how much I need to pay for the pared-back, sensible staples in my cart.

Opening the door to my fridge doesn’t have the same allure now either. It used to feel a bit sexy having a peek inside to see what I could whip up on a whim. Now it all feels slightly glum and uninspired. Just when I thought the recession had completely stolen my foodie mojo, “Girl Dinner” entered the chat and I’m officially a convert.

The whole concept behind the trend is positively genius really. It’s the antithesis of heavily curated picture-perfect “meal inspo” ideas that pop up in our social media feeds and feel about as relatable as Sam Uffindell giving his wife “a break” once a month from the shopping. If you’re reading this Sam, I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist, I promise this is the last time I’ll mention it … Maybe.

Girl Dinner is for the times you can’t be bothered and you grab whatever you have on hand, throw it all together and call it dinner. I think the reason the hashtag #girldinner has taken off is because we’re all a little fatigued. The pressure and pursuit of perfection, especially on social media can be so jarring at times, especially in a bloody recession.

A dinner plate that consists of a mish-mash of food items that aren’t necessarily harmonious or aesthetically pleasing isn’t exactly a new thing. What is new is the fact that Gen Z has managed to turn this into a rebellious movement of sorts that encourages healthy discussion around the relationship we have with food.

The Girl Dinner trend has been praised by some for its humour and relatability. Many women have commented that they can relate to the feeling of eating whatever is available, especially when they are feeling stressed or lazy. The trend has also been seen as a way to challenge traditional gender norms around food. Traditionally, women have been seen as the primary cooks and providers of food, while men have been seen as the primary consumers of food.

Many women have commented that they can relate to the feeling of eating whatever is available.

The Girl Dinner trend flips this script, by showcasing women taking control of their own food and eating whatever they want, regardless of whether it is considered “proper” or “healthy”.

However, the trend has also been criticised for promoting disordered eating. Some critics have argued that the trend encourages women to eat unhealthy or low-calorie meals in order to lose weight or maintain a certain body image. Others have argued that the trend can be triggering for people with eating disorders. Honestly though, as someone who struggled with disordered eating for decades, I don’t think everything has to always be so deep.

Girl Dinner might seem a little silly to some, but I think it’s a fun and light-hearted way to remove the hassle and stress many of us can experience when it comes to food prep and meal times. What did I have for dinner tonight before I sat down to finish writing this article? A boiled egg, some apple slices, celery with peanut butter, two bits of vegemite toast, a whole carrot dipped in yellow mustard sauce and some Brazil nuts.

Did it look pretty? Nope. Did it make sense? Absolutely not. Did my Girl Dinner make me feel happy and satisfied? It sure did, and that’s the whole point.