Sad Girl Food Is So Relatable

Social media platforms like TikTok have given us insight into the mundane, the depressing, and the relatable miscellanea that make up people's lives, including what they eat at meal times. And so we enter the realm of sad girl food. Sad girl food is what you eat when you can't stand to make anything truly nourishing or satisfying, but also still need to put something in your tank. 

Many folks deal with mental health struggles and per Verywell Health, food prep or grocery shopping is often overwhelming during a depressive episode, which can lead to making low-energy, less-than-pretty meals. The same can also be true when someone is simply tired or sad. These issues don't just impact young women, but the TikTok platform where users are sharing about their lives is about 50% more popular with young females compared to young males (via YouthSense).

We've all been there at times and whether you turn to a microwaved potato coated with an American cheese slice single, the flour tortilla pizza even Jacques Pépin makes, or slices of cheese, meat, and bread eaten while standing in front of the fridge in lieu of an actual sandwich, sad girl food may have been there for you. The trend of sharing these meals is relatable to many and quite frankly, we are here for it.

Sad girl food would never have made it on the Instagram food posts of yore that were filled with immaculate plates at high-end restaurants, stunning homemade feasts, and obscenely full cheese boards. But aspirational content isn't the aim of many creators now and it's not necessarily what followers want to consume. Especially as Gen Z has flocked to social media platforms, being open about mental health and its many challenges is more common than ever. 

So while your sad girl food may have previously been reserved for private moments of shame, there's no need. Dietician and TikToker Liv Kinkade shared a recipe for sad girl nachos in the midst of a mental health rut. The creator signs off the video with the affirmation, "It will certainly get the job done, and sometimes that's all we need." Truer words have never been spoken. So tuck into that white rice with butter knowing you aren't alone.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.