My Honest Thoughts on the ‘Girl Dinner’ Trend”

 

Today we’re diving into something I’ve seen all over social media lately—and that’s the “girl dinner” trend.

If you’ve ever thrown some crackers, cheese, and a handful of snacks on a plate and called it dinner… this episode is for you.

Because while I totally get the appeal of an easy, no-cook meal, here’s the truth: if you’re working hard to build muscle, increase your energy, and feel more in control of your cravings—girl dinner is not it.

In this episode, I break down why this trend might be holding you back, what your body actually needs to feel nourished, and how to make simple, satisfying meals without overthinking it.

What I discuss:

  • Why “girl dinner” leads to cravings, blood sugar crashes, and fatigue

  • The two nutrients your body is begging for—especially if you’re training

  • How to reframe food as fuel (without being rigid or “all or nothing”)

  • What a balanced meal actually looks like

  • My 3-step formula for building quick, satisfying meals on busy days

  • Why wanting to nourish your body doesn’t make you high-maintenance—it makes you intentional


If you want more from me, be sure to check out...

Transcript

00:00 -

Hey, hey, beautiful human, Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello, and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace your Real podcast.

00:36

Today I want to talk about something that has been trending like crazy on social media, and that is this whole girl dinner thing. You've probably seen it like some crackers, maybe a slice of cheese, a few pickles, a handful of random snacks tossed onto a plate with a cute aesthetic and captioned it something like girl dinner. Now, I know trends can be fun and I totally get the appeal of an easy, low effort meal, but here's the truth If you're trying to fuel your body, feel stronger, build muscle and actually see the results of your workouts, this type of girl dinner is not it, and that's why, in today's episode, I'm going to be breaking down why this trend might be doing more harm than good and how to approach your nutrition in a way that's simple and supportive. In today's episode, you're going to learn why girl dinner leads to cravings, low energy and plateaued progress, what your plate actually needs to support your goals, and how to upgrade your meals without overthinking it. This isn't about shaming anyone. It's really about helping you feel your body in a way that feels good and actually works.

01:35

But before I dive in, I want to share this review. It comes from oh, there's no name, but she gave a five-star review and said best podcast ever. I'm recently coming out of an exercise and meal planning slump. I stumbled upon Julie's podcast and wow at the difference. It's crazy how every week, her podcast seems to just hit the places I need and some inspiration in my life. I'm also finishing up my first week of the Movement with Julie app and, after spending the past year using a different app, I is so refreshing to be working out with dumbbell only. Thank you so much for your workouts. Oh my goodness, I love this so much and I'm so glad that you are on the movement with Julie app. That is my dumbbell only community. So if you're looking for dumbbell only workouts, all you need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. I've got you covered five brand new workouts every single week and there's 60 minute 30 minute variations for every single workout. You can do one workout a week, you can do two workouts a week or you can do all five workouts a week. But I will link that in the show notes below, and thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review.

02:35

Okay, let's get into it. So what is girl dinner? It's basically a snack plate being passed off as a full meal. Think of it like a few crackers, some cheese cubes, maybe a handful of grapes, olives and a piece of chocolate to top it off. And while I totally get the appeal less cooking, more vibes here's the thing it's not a real meal, it's a snack.

02:56

And what I'm seeing over and over again is women relying on these low protein, low fiber, low volume plates, calling it dinner and then wondering why they're starving an hour later, dealing with nighttime cravings, waking up puffy and feeling completely wiped out by next morning. Because when you're not giving your body the nutrients that it actually needs, especially protein and fiber, you're not going to feel satisfied. Your blood sugar spikes and crashes your energy tanks, your digestion slows down, and it's not because you're doing anything wrong. It's because your body is still waiting on a real meal. Because here's the problem Girl dinner is usually missing the two things your body actually needs to feel full, satisfied and supported, and that's protein and fiber. Without those two things, your blood sugar spikes and crashes and you don't feel full for long and your body doesn't get the raw materials that it needs to recover from workouts, build muscle and stabilize your energy and mood. So even though a girl dinner might feel cute and easy in the moment, it's not doing your body any long-term favors. And so what should we do instead? Well, let me kind of give you a really simple reframe. You can have a girl dinner with random vibey foods on a plate, but your cute dinner needs to follow some simple guidelines.

04:07

Number one anchor every meal with protein. Here's the deal. You don't have to spend hours in the kitchen, try to whip up some fancy recipe, but what you do need to do is have enough protein to support your metabolism, build and maintain lean muscle and help you stay full and satisfied. I'm talking at least 25 to 30 grams of protein per meal. That's kind of the magic number, like that's going to help you, especially if you have three meals a day. You're up to about 90 grams of protein just from your meals.

04:34

So let's upgrade that snack plate. Instead of just crackers and pickles which, let's be real, taste amazing but do nothing for your satiation, try adding a couple of hard boiled eggs, some deli turkey slices or rotisserie chicken, leftover, grilled salmon or chicken from last night, a quick protein shake if you're in a real rush. These swaps don't take away the vibe, they just give your body what it actually needs. And if you're lifting with me, inside the Mint with Julie app, protein is a non-negotiable. We are building muscle in our workouts, but we recover and grow it in the kitchen. Don't skip that part.

05:04

Number two add a fiber-rich carb. Fiber is your secret weapon, not only for stable blood sugar and fewer cravings, but also for gut health, hormone health and feeling fuller for longer. But it doesn't have to be boring. Think about things like a handful of berries or apple slices, carrots or hummus, roasted sweet potatoes, high fiber tortilla wrapper, sprouted grain toast, cucumber slices, bell peppers. Now your girl dinner could be deli turkey, some hummus with carrots and a few whole grain crackers.

05:32

Cute plate check Balance and blood sugar friendly check You're feeding your body and your goals. And last but not least, number three, don't forget healthy fats. Let's stop fearing fat. It's not the enemy. In fact, your hormones literally depend on healthy fats to function properly. Plus, they help you stay full and satisfied between meals. Easy additions that you can throw on any plate a few slices of avocado, a drizzle of olive oil over veggies or wrapped a handful of almonds or walnuts, a scoop of tahini or a spoonful of nut butter, some chia or hemp seed sprinkle over whatever you're eating. These don't just make your meals more filling, they actually make them more functional. So, yes, you can still build an aesthetic, pretty plate. Just make sure that it's got some substance too.

06:16

Your body isn't asking for a trendy snack plate with a cute name. It's asking to be nourished. If you're showing up for your workouts, if you're being intentional about your movement, if you care about your health and your goals, don't sabotage all that work by skipping the fuel that your body needs. You deserve meals that energize you, that support your recovery and keep your hunger and cravings in check. And if you want a step-by-step guide on how to building meals that actually work for your body, not against it, I actually have that inside my Macro Academy Made Simple Online Academy. I'll walk you through exactly how to balance your plate with the right amount of protein, the right amount of carbs and fats so that you can hit your goals without overthinking it. Let's stop settling for these snack plates and start fueling like strong, capable women that we are. Are you in All right? Let's recap Girl dinner might look cute, but it usually lacks protein, fiber and balance.

07:07

Low quality meals lead to cravings, fatigue and salt progress. And you can still keep things simple Just anchor with protein, add fiber and include healthy fats. You're not being extra for wanting to fuel your body. Well, you're being intentional and that's powerful. And if all of this sounds great, but you're still unsure of how to actually build balanced meals or figure out what your body needs, that's exactly what I walk you through inside my Macro Kind of Made Simple Online Academy. I break it down for you step by step, so that you can stop second-guessing every meal and start fueling your body with confidence. Because when you know how to eat for your goals and your lifestyle, you stop falling for these trends like girl dinner and start making choices that leave you feeling strong, satisfied and in control. So if you're ready to ditch the guessing and get a clear plan, go check out my Macro County Made Simple Online Academy. I will link it in the show notes below. And also, if you love this episode, I know you also love episode 371, eight high protein recipes for hitting your macros, part one. I will go ahead and link that in the show notes that you can easily go check that out.

08:07

Until next time, I love you so dang much. I mean it, and go out there and embrace the real. All race to real. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it. You.

 
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