Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

If the Internet is to be believed, Girl Dinners are out and ‘Rat Snacking’ is in. Before you jump to the obvious conclusion that rat snacking would have something to do with rats, let us assure you that it does not. At least not completely!

Rat Snacking is a food trend that has been steadily rising in popularity online, already raking in millions of views across social media platforms.

The trend entails eating small and random snacks, usually featuring bizarre combinations, as a guilty pleasure. ‘Rat Snacking’ is named so because it has you scrounge together whatever you can find in your kitchen to make a small treat. Like rats do.

How to make yourself a ‘rat snack’?

There are no rules when it comes to rat snacking. It simply involves putting together whatever is in your pantry and turning it into a snack. TikTok user Abbey Sharp, a regustered deitician, shared her version of a “super unhinged rat snack” with her followers when she microwaved apple slices, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar and placed it on top of some bread and topped it with cheese slices for the rat snack version of an apple pie.

Other users have shared their rat snacks, which include combinations like chips and chocolate or pickles with cheese or chilli sauce and cauliflower (topped with cheese, of course!).

Why is ‘rat snacking’ getting popular?

Rat snacks are a hit amongst Gen Z mainly because of the ease and economical viability of the trend. According to Sharp, people would much rather create rat snacks than the artfully prepared smoothie bowls that are gained popularity for its aesthetics and health benefits.

What would your perfect rat snack look like?!