The cold weather has unsurprisingly seen people reaching for comfort food, when the last thing they want to do is cook after what seem like especially long winter days. It would appear that odd snacking habits is the only way to remedy this, or so TikTok users have claimed.
Creators and influencers across the giant social media platform have been sharing what they believe is the perfect way to snack, by taking random food items from the cupboard and feasting on them all at once; what has been dubbed 'rat snacking'.
The act of rat snacking harbours no secret meaning. It is self-evident. Think of late night scurrying to find treats but in an oh-so-gremlin like spirit. Swing the cupboard doors open and find a snack or two … or ten. Any perverse mix is likely to be a fine remedy for the persistent grumbling stomach. To be clear, the rat analogy ends there, according to most TikTokers.
One user and dietician Abbey Sharp has previously told Bustle: “[With] the rise in grocery costs, people are trying to find any way that they can save money and for a lot of people, this means digging deep into the pantry, freezer, or fridge to pull together any little bits and pieces that may not traditionally go together”.
“These rat snacks are becoming more popular because people often don’t see themselves making the smoothie bowls that they see on Instagram, but they can pull together a piece of cheese and a pickle with a pinch, because they have it on hand too, you know?”, Sharp added.
The sometimes odd combinations of grapes, hummus and crackers can often be described as unhinged, unlike say Girl Dinner, a trend most commonly credited to Olivia Maher. Maher was praised for starting the summer trend which she described as “no preparation, just vibes”. The idea of such a dinner is to simply stack plates with Mediterranean favourites, such as peppers and tomatoes, alongside cheese, bread, and, quite often, nuts.
In lieu of this decadent and simple art of snacking, rat snacking is when humans often scrounge together whatever they can find. It is a trend for the purpose of unabashedly letting social media or the world know of the desire to explore unconventional snacks and concoct something (or anything) to nullify the pangs of hunger in a judgement-free way.
This goes beyond the more off-grid practices such as exploring marmite and vegan butter, and may actually be a more common one than individuals might think. However, everyone's idea of what it constitutes is bound to differ. Whilst some may see it as avocado and cinnamon on toast, boundaries are non-existent for others...
