I love girl’s nights. But I’ll admit, they’re not great for swimsuit season. Just one night of hanging with the girls can throw your diet out the window. After all, the staples of a girl’s night are junk food and chick flicks. And if you decide to go out for cocktail hour, you could be adding in a lot of unwanted calories.

So, I propose an alternative girl’s night. Here are some ideas for a more health-focused evening, whether you want to reunite with some old friends, you’re working through a breakup, or it’s time for a bridal shower and you’re wanting to send off a good friend in style.

“Love your girlfriends?

Try these ideas for a more

health-focused, yet fun

girl’s night.”

Homemade Natural Beauty Products

Spa night is a great way to enjoy quality time with each other. But instead of splurging on fancy beauty products from the store, try making your own. You can get amazing results from a homemade face mask or hair mask, and everyone will have fun discovering recipes that they can keep using. You might even want to test out a few options and have everyone vote on their favorite.

Additionally, homemade face and hair masks don’t have to be very expensive. You can get great results with oatmeal, avocado, egg, and even matcha powder.

Do a Yoga or Meditation Session

This can be especially fun if you have a couple friends who aren’t usually into working out. Yoga, or a guided meditation can help you all get into the relaxation spa night mood, bringing the soothing effects inside as well as out. After all, as this article states, yoga can have such a powerful effect on your cognition that it’s often part of the medical regime for people suffering from mental illness like depression or addiction. This can be a great way to set the scene and help everyone relax together.

Gussy Each Other Up

This is one of my favorite things to do when I’m with a bunch of girl friends. We all have our own distinctive styles, but sometimes we can get stuck in them. Sometimes we’re even afraid to try out a new style, but having other people act as our stylists and makeup artists pushes us to venture beyond the routine. Have fun either shopping in each others’ closets, or going out to the mall. Try a different style of makeup for each person and see if you can find something that shifts you out of your comfort zone.

Stock Up on Healthy Snacks

One of the most wonderful things about summer is that we crave less sweets, and when we do have a hankering for sugar, there are tons of healthy fresh fruits out there. Invite everyone to bring a healthy snack, and indulge yourself with fresh cherries and berries, roasted nuts and seeds, and unique salads.

If the night calls for a meal, make an extreme salad bar, make homemade smoothies, or invite everyone to bring a different topping for a whole-grain pizza. Pair movie night with some air-popped popcorn and leave the cookies in the pantry.

A Better Way to Truth or Dare

It seems like the traditional purpose of truth or dare is to bond through taking turns embarrassing each other. What if you decided to direct it in a more constructive way? Encourage each other to try something you’re usually scared to do, but will make you feel ultimately empowered. Make your dares specially formulated to push your friends and encourage them.

For example, you might dare one friend to go flirt with a guy at the grocery store without wearing any makeup. Even your truths can be enriching; instead of forcing them to reveal something that makes them uncomfortable, have everyone else saying something nice about the person on the hot seat. Or you might ask them to share one of their more deeply-held ambitions, and then pass the question around the circle so that it’s a communal experience.

Looking for more ideas? Check out this list of fun summer parties and incorporate some of the flavor into your girl’s night. For example, you can take the standard chick flick movie and move it outside so it feels a little more festive. What are your ideas for a healthy girls’ night? Share below!

About the Author
Christine is a professional writer and an avid reader who’s passionate about storytelling in any form. At any given moment, she’s in the middle of at least three books on anything from psychology to ninjas. Although she’s a marathon swimmer and enjoys camping in the mountains, she believes there’s nothing better than a carton of ice cream and a Dawson’s Creek marathon. Follow her writing on G+ and on Twitter @readwritechill.

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