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GF’s Restrictive Food Preferences Make BF Lose All Patience With Her, He Asks For Advice
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GF’s Restrictive Food Preferences Make BF Lose All Patience With Her, He Asks For Advice

GF’s Restrictive Food Preferences Make BF Lose All Patience With Her, He Asks For Advice“I Have Reached My Limit”: Man Forced To Give Up His Favorite Foods For A Year, Finally SnapsMan Is Fed Up With Being A Chef Slave For His GF, She Leaves To Stay With Her ParentsWoman Leaves To Stay With Parents After Her Healthy Diet Escalates To A Huge Fight With BFMan Misses Hot Dogs And Fries After Tip-Toeing Around GF’s Diet For A Year, Loses PatienceMan Is Sick And Tired Of GF’s Boring Diet, Asks To Compromise But She Won’t BudgeWoman’s Boring Diet “Sucked The Joy Out Of Cooking” For Her BF, He Finally SnapsWoman Leaves To Stay With Her Parents To Cool Off After BF Refused To Be Her Personal ChefWoman Treats BF Like Her Personal Chef, Turns Hostile When He Asks For Some IndependenceWoman Never Cooks But Won’t Allow BF To Make The Food He Likes
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Living together with your partner can be quite challenging at first. No matter how much you love someone, there’s bound to be at least a smidgen of friction between you while you figure out how to match your different schedules, routines, and lifestyles. One often contentious question is what you should eat.

One anonymous man, who does most of the cooking at home and feels unappreciated, turned to the AITA community for some heartfelt advice. He opened up about exactly why he finally decided to stop catering to his girlfriend’s incredibly restrictive food preferences. Read on for the full story, as well as an update from the author.

Even if you love cooking, you can quickly lose your passion if the entire burden falls on you, yet you can’t make what you want

Image credits: Kampus Production / Pexels (not the actual photo)

A man vented online about how he can’t cook anything that he wants to eat at home because of his girlfriend’s dietary preferences

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Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)

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Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)

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After the story started going viral, the author shared a very important update. The situation had escalated

Image credits: foodilemna

Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Food taste and preferences are wildly important in relationships

Food actually plays a very significant role in relationships. Not only is eating something that all of us have to do to survive, but cooking and dining together is a way to connect. Kitchen dynamics can also reveal a lot about you as a couple, such as your priorities, how good you are at working as a team, and how you distribute housework.

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Referring to a poll of 2k adults conducted by Peperami Chicken Bites, the Independent reports that 14% of respondents admitted that they’d end a new relationship if they had completely different food tastes. Over half of the respondents said that they find someone more attractive if their food tastes match.

Meanwhile, 17% said that they would refuse to date someone with different tastes than them no matter what… even if the other person were a millionaire. And just 55% of respondents said that they were compatible with their current partners when it comes to food taste.

Food psychologist Dr. Christy Fergusson had this to say about the role that food plays in relationships and searching for a partner: “What someone eats and the food choices they make can give important insights into who they are. In dating it helps us to assess if they are going to be a good fit for us and our lifestyle and values.”

She continued: “Most people recognize that in dating and relationships, so much of our interaction is centered around food. Where to go for a meal, what to buy from the supermarket, what to have for lunch, what takeaway to order from. Food choice compatibility can be key in dating. It’s clear that we don’t only make decisions about compatibility with our head and our heart—but our taste buds too.”

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Image credits: Kaboompics.com / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The household chore distribution has to make sense to both partners, otherwise, it’s not fair

There are a couple of main issues at play in the tense situation described by the author of the viral post. The first one is the blandness of the couple’s diet itself. The second is that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of give-and-take in the relationship: one person appears to try to dominate the other and is unwilling to look for compromises.

It can be tough to find common ground if your diets are very different. Let’s be honest, eating the same thing day in and day out gets boring super quick. There’s a need for some balance between nutrition and taste.

Eating healthy does not necessarily mean that it has to be boring: you can have a lot of variety. However, that takes a lot of time and energy to do your research, find creative ways to use ingredients, do the shopping, etc.

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If one person does the lion’s share of the cooking at home, they’ll probably end up even more exhausted than they already are. Even if you’re passionate about gastronomy, being forced to do something can take the wind right out of your sails. The author of the post revealed that he also does most of the other chores at home.

Meanwhile, if one partner is bored out of their mind eating the same things over and over again, you can’t really blame them for that. It’d be unfair to force them into a restrictive diet that clearly doesn’t work for them and only demotivates them.

The author of the viral story revealed that he did his best to look for some sort of compromise. However, his girlfriend was unwilling to budge. Furthermore, she refused to do any sort of cooking or meal prep herself. Why? Because she works more.

That sort of stubborn attitude toward chores is a pretty big issue. Sure, many couples won’t be able to split the housework right down the middle because their situations are different. One partner might work more than the other, for instance. So, every couple needs to find a balance that suits them. However, helping your partner out, doing chores as needed, and showing that you appreciate their efforts—all of these are things that contribute to a happy and healthy relationship.

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“She will NOT eat any kind of pasta, any kind of bread aside from wheat, any kind of potato, hamburger or beef of any kind, no pork of any kind, no cheese of any kind, no sweets of any kind, no egg yolks, no lunch meat aside from turkey, no sauces like BBQ or ranch of any kind, no chips or other snacks of that nature,” the author of the post listed how restrictive his partner’s diet was.

Image credits: Polina Zimmerman / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The situation isn’t without solutions, however, both sides have to be willing to compromise and think outside the box

There are ways around this issue. For one, because it’s the girlfriend who has such a restrictive diet, it’s her responsibility to maintain it. Forcing her partner to cook for her while she contributes nothing in the kitchen herself sounds very unfair. Especially because he seems to dislike the food he makes.

In this case, the girlfriend could set aside some time after her busy schedule to do at least some of the meal prep herself. Or, if finances aren’t as big of an issue as free time, she could sign up with a healthy-eating-focused company that does either meal prep or delivers fully-cooked meals to her doorstep.

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Alternatively, she may need to lower her standards and slightly adjust her dietary expectations if she’s unwilling to cook or spend extra money on catering services. Having a partner who cooks for you is a blessing. But it’s unfair if they never get any help, and only get criticized if they deviate from ‘the plan.’

What are your thoughts on the topic, dear Pandas? What would you have done if you were in the author’s shoes? Have you ever gotten into an argument with your significant other over cooking, chores, and dietary preferences? How do you divide up the cooking in your household? We’d really like to hear your thoughts on all of this, so grab a snack and share yours in the comments!

The boyfriend also shared a lot more context in the comments of his post

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Most readers were very sympathetic to the man. Here’s their take on the argument between the two partners

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However, some internet users saw the argument differently. They decided to side with the girlfriend

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Jonas Grinevičius

Jonas Grinevičius

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

Read less »
Jonas Grinevičius

Jonas Grinevičius

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

Indrė Lukošiūtė

Indrė Lukošiūtė

Author, BoredPanda staff

Read more »

I am a Visual editor at Bored Panda, I'm determined to find the most interesting and the best quality images for each post that I do. On my free time I like to unwind by doing some yoga, watching all kinds of movies/tv shows, playing video and board games or just simply hanging out with my cat

Read less »

Indrė Lukošiūtė

Indrė Lukošiūtė

Author, BoredPanda staff

I am a Visual editor at Bored Panda, I'm determined to find the most interesting and the best quality images for each post that I do. On my free time I like to unwind by doing some yoga, watching all kinds of movies/tv shows, playing video and board games or just simply hanging out with my cat

In a relationship, how should household chores be divided?
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Skogsrået
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pffft, she sounds like anything but lovely. How these two lasted for this long is beyond me. She sounds like a "It's my way or the highway" kind of person, the kind that sucks the joy out of anything you find fun or are passionate about.

Shawnna Clement
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think she needs to see a psychologist for anxiety and any other mental health issues she may have. But yeah, she's going to suck the joy from him if she doesn't get help. My ex was OCD and went off his meds and it led to our divorce. My husband had to go on anxiety meds because it was h*ll to be around him. I understand more as I'm headed to menopause and my hormones are changing. Lol.

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KatSaidWhat
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YTA can foxtrot - she has zero willingness to compromise or cook for herself so really she's going to be single soon. This is a hill I would die on if I was him. She's absuive.

Heather Dwyer
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed! And I'll go ahead and say it...if the genders on this had been reversed there'd be a lot more people urging the OP to just breakup with this unreasonable partner a lot less concern about whether there's an ED involved. And I say that as a woman. She's being unreasonable and abusive. His "part-time" job is 30 hours, and he does all of the chores except her laundry??? That's a freaking sweet deal.

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Sarah Matsoukis
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tf is wrong with Chili, it's lean meat cooked in vegetables and spices

Papa
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not the only thing she's misinformed about. He also said she won't eat frozen vegetables. She is apparently not aware that they're often healthier than the fresh vegetables you can buy in the store.

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Skogsrået
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pffft, she sounds like anything but lovely. How these two lasted for this long is beyond me. She sounds like a "It's my way or the highway" kind of person, the kind that sucks the joy out of anything you find fun or are passionate about.

Shawnna Clement
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think she needs to see a psychologist for anxiety and any other mental health issues she may have. But yeah, she's going to suck the joy from him if she doesn't get help. My ex was OCD and went off his meds and it led to our divorce. My husband had to go on anxiety meds because it was h*ll to be around him. I understand more as I'm headed to menopause and my hormones are changing. Lol.

Load More Replies...
KatSaidWhat
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YTA can foxtrot - she has zero willingness to compromise or cook for herself so really she's going to be single soon. This is a hill I would die on if I was him. She's absuive.

Heather Dwyer
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed! And I'll go ahead and say it...if the genders on this had been reversed there'd be a lot more people urging the OP to just breakup with this unreasonable partner a lot less concern about whether there's an ED involved. And I say that as a woman. She's being unreasonable and abusive. His "part-time" job is 30 hours, and he does all of the chores except her laundry??? That's a freaking sweet deal.

Load More Replies...
Sarah Matsoukis
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tf is wrong with Chili, it's lean meat cooked in vegetables and spices

Papa
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not the only thing she's misinformed about. He also said she won't eat frozen vegetables. She is apparently not aware that they're often healthier than the fresh vegetables you can buy in the store.

Load More Replies...
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