One of my roommates this summer doesn't really eat dairy. I doubt very much that she'll ever convince me to stop eating eggs and cheese, but she did turn me on to the delicious taste of almond milk.
As I poured almond milk into my cereal this morning, I started wondering about relationships and diets.
My parents are both huge foodies, come from very different cultures, and love to travel. From a young age, they instilled in me a deep appreciation of exotic foods. Case in point? When I was 10, one of my favorite meals was a rabbit dish from a local French restaurant in Tokyo, where we lived at the time.
I live in New York now, which I love partially because of the culinary variety this city offers. But New York's variety of diets also can be extremely restrictive. Kosher, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, pescatarian - there's just too many to count. And then there's the people who are simply unadventurous eaters.
Food can be a huge issue in relationships, simply because you have to have it every day.
I appreciate the different reasons that people choose a particular kind of diet. But I like meat, and fish, and dairy, and I'm thankfully not allergic to anything. And I don't plan to give these foods up anytime soon.
I think it would be tough to date someone with a diet very different from mine. Obviously, this depends on several factors. But for example, a person who went vegetarian for moral reasons and I, a meat-lover, would have different ideas about food that could cause a lot of stress in the relationship.
I also hate dating really picky eaters. One of my greatest pleasures is trying new restaurants and cuisines and sharing my finds with other people. I would be upset if I wasn't able to do that with someone super-important to me.
Another fact to consider that my mother is Japanese, so Japanese food is a huge part of both my cultural heritage and my diet. And while Japanese food can be friendly to non-meat-eaters, it's quite tough to consume when you don't eat fish. And I would be really upset if I couldn't share Japanese food with my boyfriend.
I'm lucky, though, because I live in New York, where it's possible to find food to suit any taste. And of course, I have friends who are of various restricted diets and we find restaurants that suit both of us just fine.
But having a S/O whose diet is incompatible with mine is different. We'd be spending far more time together, eating the same food and (possibly) eventually building a life together. And if I ever have children, I'd like them to be just as passionate about food as I am.
Do you and your S/O lead very different diets? How does this affect your relationship?Image Source
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Comments (21)
I would like an SO who is a very adventurous eater, like I am. I would love to try every once and have someone to share the experience with me.
I also thought about whether or not I would be able to date someone who was vegetarian or vegan (since I'm very much an open carnivore). It would take a little more pondering to figure that out, but I wouldn't rule them out.
to the degree that i believe in serious dating, i'm pretty sure i would never seriously date someone who eats meat. it's never stopped me from hooking up with a meat eater, though.
my only big personal restriction beyond that is chinese food. i don't eat it or anything that originates from china (including, but not limited to, its people).
I'm not a foodie, so I don't think that I'd be eager to dine out often, not just with a s.o., but with anyone. I get full easily, so I'm usually bloated after the drink, soup and appetizer. forget the main course. I might have room for dessert, but I could pass on the main and save my stomach space for dessert, because I highly favor dessert treats
I usually just have a smoothie drink at lunch and I'm full. smoothies have lots of calories, so I've had a majority of my calorie intake for the day. I'm a smoothie junkie
so I won't date someone, who doesn't like smoothies. I prefer sugary foods to salty. I love candy. I go to the candy and snack food aisle at least once a week and buy snacks. I think I live off of snacks. I have a small tin treasure box filled with snacks
I just refilled my snack box
snacks 4everrr. I recently found these japanese fruity candies called Hi-Chew that have the texture of eating a rubber tire, but I love it.
He doesn't really eat sweets or anything like that... BUT I loooove sweets... So when we buy sweets I am always the only one eating it. Which isn't a bad thing (more for me!! Or else I simply just won't buy sweets because I know he won't eat them).
I would have a hard time dating a vegetarian or a vegan... I like my meat & dairy!!
i wouldn't be able to date a picky eater. I especially hate people picking out and apart food..i find it extremely disrespectful. Either order it without the ingredient or don't order the dish all together, don't waste it.
I don't eat meat but I eat seafood, so I would not be able to date someone who hate seafood. Luckily my boyfriend doesn't fall into that category.I can see where diets can be an issue in a relationship. I've been lucky so far in that I haven't dated anyone that was too far off from my diet. I briefly dated a picky eater, but he told me that he would try something new every other time we went out. It did get on my nerves that he would think even the simplest food was strange and new, but whatever. The only other issue I've had was with my most serious ex. He hated fish, due to a bad experience when he was younger that he couldn't get over. I just wouldn't eat fish around him. I ate it with friends, family, and all that jazz. I've dated a few people that were lactose intolerant. That was interesting, but it wasn't bad. I don't think I could date a vegan or a vegetarian. I eat meat, I'm an omnivore after all. I have a feeling someone like that would try to change my meat eating habits (if we were dating, I don't mean all vegetarians are out to get the meat-eaters, lol).
I would love to find someone that is just as into asian food as I am, as well as new foods. I don't think it's a necessity for me though. As long as we can somewhat agree, I guess I would be fine.
@TheNotoriousGOD@xanga - out of curiosity, why the animosity towards China?
@sasha - there's a few reasons...but mostly, i just don't trust chinese restaurants to make my veggie lo mein 100% vegetarian. (i trust restaurants that are advertised as 100% vegetarian, but i don't go to those restaurants that frequently.) also, china is economically taking over the world, and i don't quite approve of their policies, economically or politically.
one of my worst fears right now is that 2 generations from now, everyone will be speaking chinese.
@TheNotoriousGOD@xanga - When I read your original post, I was like, "Holy shit, a real racist." I sort of understand your stance though. Side note, you know most chinese restaurants are owned by Americans right? Most chinese foods are invented by americans actually. Kind of like taco bell, as mexican as a dorito shell taco.
I don't think I would mind dating someone with restrictive eating habits, but I wouldn't be able to stand it if they pushed their habits onto me. Like if they forced me to become a vegan or whatever. With that said, I was very poor growing up, so I rarely had meat anyways - maybe once a week and mostly fish (it's meat, it's all meat). I don't think I would mind someone who was a vegetarian and knew how to cook good vegie dishes.
I'm a vegetarian because I don't admire greedily killing animals for the sake of our hungry mouths. Yet, I am dating a guy who is a meat-eater and disagrees with my side of the argument. The only problem this has ever caused is the debate of kissing him after he's indulged in a burger or a steak. Everyone is allowed beliefs and actions promoting those beliefs, and besides he's willing to try my "rabbit food" from time to time.
I grew up with parents who were both great cooks. I can easily adapt to both meat eaters and vegetarians since there are excellent tasty recipes for both.
Surprisingly no. My bf a typical white American boy yet he eats rice on a regular basis like me (I'm Asian). I also am pescetarian (vegetarian who eats seafood) while he likes most meat, and we've yet to come across any issues with that. We both adore sushi and vietnamese food. When we do go out to eat it's also usually asian or seafood haha.
I dated a vegetarian.
Never again.
I've worried about this thing before. Nice to see you posting about it!
My girlfriend and I are struggling through that, right now. Since we moved in together, I've had to approach my meat-eating differently. Mostly, though, it's the smell of it cooking that bothers her, since I've never really eaten meat around her, anyway. So when she goes out of town to spend the weekend with her kid (previous marriage), I do all my cooking for the next week, or two. It's a habit I have left over from college, and it makes "sack" lunches quick and easy. And I love my marathon cooking days! So, I cook all the meat I want, and freeze most of it to thaw out the night before and reheat at work. Poof! Problem solved. Since it doesn't really affect how often I *want* to eat meat, either, I haven't had a problem with it. Except that time she surprised me and came home early, when I'd put off that marathon 'til the end. That was vaguely unfortunate. xP
Anyway, I'm becoming more adventurous the more we go out to eat, and our city has a *TON* of awesome choices. I still won't eat it if it tastes like those canned grape leaves, but other than that I've discovered a whole new side of my food-loving-ness!
I suppose it would be important to someone who is so young. What others eat becomes less of an issue once you're a mature adult and realize that diet changes over a lifetime. The child who loves milk, ice cream, cheese, and bagels later discovers she adores salads and seared tuna as a young adult. When she is a college student, she puts on "the freshman 15" eating pizza and cheap carbs (because she's on a tight budget). Later, if she has kids, her diet changes again - to anything bite sized (peanut butter makes a comeback and stays). Lactose intolerance sees her switch her dairy products to soy. Phytoestrogen worries see her switch from soy milk to almond milk. If her SO suddenly develops hypertension (high blood pressure), the whole family switches to low sodium. Food allergies can strike at any age and can range from a rash to anaphylaxis (a life threatening reaction where the airway swells shut).
When I discovered that I was allergic to almonds I was devastated, because I loved them and had enjoyed them all my life. Almonds are in most trail mixes, most granola bars, and many, many dry cereals. I can't even eat things that touch almonds. One day I could eat them, the next day I nearly ended up in the hospital when I ate my daily handful of almonds.
My diet REALLY changed when I discovered that I had developed Celiac Disease. I was the "sprouted wheat berry", Kashi, make my own whole grain bread queen. Now I'm the salad and fresh fruit and vegetable queen, rice is my grain. I've found myself consuming more fish, and more often than not, the food I prepare is more Asian than Mediterranean.
Oh, and I switched from beer to wine.
Diet is ever-changing. Sometimes we don't have much say in the matter, but....you gotta eat!
I could date someone who isn't into meat, but I could never stay with someone who doesn't eat vegetables. I had a very big problem with one guy I dated, briefly, who was a very picky eater. We went to a sushi place with my friend, and he wouldn't try anything, just sat there eating his seafood tempura with his hands. It was like he was munching on a plate of fish sticks to me, and it reminded me of babysitting, in a very negative way. I'm very glad that my boyfriend is as adventurous as I am. We're both foodies. Except he likes lots and lots of spice in his food, and keeps a bottle of hot sauce on his desk. I have absolutely no problem with that, though.
I am a vegetarian and my boyfriend loves meat... He likes trying new things and so do I!
I think its sad not to be able to fully enjoy a meal together with a partner. Food should unite everyone :)
Thankfully, my boyfriend loves to eat almost everything and in large quantities, so I can try to diet and let him finish off my plate of food.
My ex-boyfriend was nearly addicted to fast food, and he ate a "regular" diet where he had meat, dairy, and anything else. I was a pollo-vegetarian at the time, only eating foul, and when I wanted to switch to a vegetarian because meat disgusted me, he was very mean and threatened to break up with me, told me I was stupid, and a million other mean things. I finally switched to vegetarian when we broke up.
My current boyfriend (the new and improved) knew all about how my ex-boyfriend handled the diet situation. He ate a regular diet, too, when we first met... but after watching me become a flourishing vegetarian, then vegan, and now low-fat raw vegan, he decided he wanted to change his diet, too! A couple months after we met, he stopped eating red meat altogether, which he knew was my very first step into vegetarianism when I began it all. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, he came to me with the decision to become a vegetarian. He has never been happier or healthier!
We're incredibly happy and love our diets!! It is so nice to have someone who is not only supportive and accepting of my awesome diet, but is willing to try it out, too.
Personally I don;t care that much.. I have A LOT of food intolerance's but no allergies in the sense that the person I am with can eat whatever they want to around me.. I just can;t eat it without getting sick. I;m a bit of a pain to eat out with, because I am a little bit limited - I can usually find something I just have few choices and often get bored of them so eating out is not my favorite thing to do. I figure if someone really likes me than they'll have to learn to deal with it because there is nothing I can do about it.