Many people believe that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach. Bring your crush freshly baked cookies or a warm, comforting lasagna, and you’ll have them swooning in no time. But as much as food can bring us together, it can also create huge problems in relationships when partners don’t see eye to eye.

One woman recently reached out to Reddit seeking advice on her marriage after she decided that she was tired of accommodating her husband’s extreme dietary preferences. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as some of the replies readers shared.  

This woman does all of the cooking and cleaning in her home, on top of paying the bills

Image credits: artfolio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

So she finally decided that she’s had enough of trying to accommodate her husband’s restrictive diet

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

Image credits: inkyflossy

Many people would refuse to date someone who doesn’t follow a similar diet

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

Food is a huge part of our lives, so it’s understandable that couples want to be on the same page when it comes to their diets. I feel so lucky to have a partner who thinks I’m a great cook and who loves spicy food as much as I do. And it just melts my heart when he tells me how delicious my tiramisu is. 

According to a survey conducted by TODAY.com and Match.com, our food preferences might even inform who we choose to date. This survey found that nearly a third of meat eaters would refuse to date someone just because they’re a vegetarian. 

Another poll found that 53% of respondents would turn down a date from someone who liked their steak prepared differently than they do. Delish also delved into this topic and asked readers to share some of their dealbreakers when it comes to food opinions. 

If you don’t like pizza, drink cow’s milk, refuse to share, don’t like dessert, can’t handle spicy food or are a picky eater in general, you might have a harder time finding love.

But it’s important to be sympathetic towards other people’s dietary preferences or restrictions, because there might be a perfectly valid reason why they refuse to eat gluten. I’ve been vegan for 8 years, and I would never return to eating animal products due to ethical reasons. But I’ll happily eat anything that tastes like meat, as long as it was made from plant sources.

Some people also have severe allergies or health issues that prevent them from being able to eat nuts, gluten, eggs, dairy, certain fruits or spices and more. And, of course, being neurodivergent might also play a role in some people’s eating habits.

It’s common for neurodivergent individuals to be more selective about what they’ll eat

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

The woman who shared this story mentioned that her husband is neurodivergent, which does not automatically explain his diet, but it could certainly help us understand it. According to a review looking at the prevalence of eating disorders in those on the autism spectrum, 22.9% of autistic individuals struggle with eating disorders, as opposed to only 2% of the general population.    

Another review also found that those with ADHD are four times more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder than those without ADHD. ARFID, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, is also common among those on the autism spectrum, as one study estimates that over one fifth of autistic people will struggle with ARFID at some point during their lives.

One study from the United States also found that over two thirds of autistic children display unique eating behaviors. This might include being extremely selective about what they’ll eat or being hypersensitive to certain food textures. Neurodivergent children are also more likely to choose or avoid foods based on texture than other kids.  

The Institute for Optimum Nutrition also notes that it’s common for neurodivergent individuals to develop hyperfixation cycles when it comes to food. They may choose to eat the same meals over and over again because they’re safe, comfortable, and they always know what to expect.  

But that doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be easy to accommodate these dietary preferences, especially when you’re already working full-time, paying all of the bills and doing all of the chores in your household. We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation down below, pandas. Then, if you’d like to check out another Bored Panda article discussing similar issues, look no further than right here! 

Later, the woman shared some more background information about her situation

Many readers left supportive comments and encouraged her to start taking care of herself

However, some readers blamed the wife for getting herself into this situation

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