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He’s a vegan; she’s a steak and potatoes kind of girl who dislikes anything leafy or green. Is there any hope for this relationship?
A recent Slashfood post about dating with dietary restrictions inspired a slew of interesting comments—from those with restrictions and those who would, or would not, date them. Here are some of the highlights:
I started dating someone who cannot have milk products about two and a half years ago. At first it was hard to adjust … but it … has actually made me a better thinker in the kitchen—I have to be much more experimental and it has turned out to be great. So I guess it is sort of what you make of it—It would be hard for me to decide that Humboldt Fog is more important than human interaction.
I’m the one with the restrictive diet. I have a horrendous stomach. Luckily my boyfriend has been really great about asking me what he should and shouldn’t put into our dinners. When we eat out, he always looks at the menu for things that I can’t have just to be sure that I don’t order them by mistake. So sweet.
I dated a guy once who pretty much only ate chicken nuggets, steak, fries and vegetables. No bread at all. I couldn’t stand it. It put a real damper on our relationship.
Medically restrictive I can deal with—I can cook around diabetes and GI problems. Learning up-front that he was a vegan/vegetarian? Absolutely a deal-breaker—I’m a deep-south steak & potatoes kind of girl.
I also have a restrictive diet. I am allergic to vegetables and bread. I eat meat. That limits some of the places and it has cost me dates. One guy told me it was not “worth his time” to wrangle around my dietary needs, another just walked away from the table.
I don’t even like to dine with people who cannot enjoy a full range of foods. I guess ordering out in a restaurant is okay, eat what you want, but for a partner, or cooking for other people in your home, very annoying.
Even though I’m now in a serious relationship I cannot nor will I date a vegetarian or a vegan. If you are a picky eater, that is remarkably unsexy and you are gone too. As far as lactose or gluten intolerance, those are things I can work with, but veggies are out of the picture the moment I know they are vegetarian.
When I started dating my current boyfriend, we were both veg. I’ve come back to the dark side with a vengeance and will eat burgers and pork products like no one’s business. He’s not offended by my omnivorousness, and I’m not put out by his not wanting to eat meat. What someone eats or not eats shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
I once dated a man who disliked all vegetables besides potatoes. I dealt with it at the time—but in hindsight I realize it never would have worked. Medical or ethical food decisions I can respect, but it’s no fun to cook for a picky eater.
What do you think? Ever been driven crazy by the dietary restrictions/preferences of a partner—or been the restricted partner yourself?
Wow I am amazed at how many people just HATE vegans. I have been for years and have never tried to push my diet on ANYONE...i have even stuck up for meat eaters when vegans were annoying them because i believe in free will....
I eat More varied foods and flavors than most so called "omnivores"..and....."Even though I’m now in a serious relationship I cannot nor will I date a vegetarian or a...+READ
Wow I am amazed at how many people just HATE vegans. I have been for years and have never tried to push my diet on ANYONE...i have even stuck up for meat eaters when vegans were annoying them because i believe in free will....
I eat More varied foods and flavors than most so called "omnivores"..and....."Even though I’m now in a serious relationship I cannot nor will I date a vegetarian or a vegan. If you are a picky eater, that is remarkably unsexy and you are gone too." Its unsexy to care about what you put in your body? SInce when?-COLLAPSE
I'm a vegan and certainly not a picky eater. I'll eat ANY yummy food that doesn't have animal products in it. I would date a vegetarian, yes.. but never an omnivore. There would be too many complications. What if I had to kiss that person right after they had eaten a medium-rare steak?
Wow. This vegetarian/vegan = picky thing boggles my mind. I've been a vegetarian for about 12 years now, and I'm about the least picky eater I know.
Would I date an omnivore? Sure. As long as they didn't try to foist their dietary views on me and realize that I won't do that with mine either.
Then again, the first time a person makes a "don't you just want a bite of this nice juicy steak?"...+READ
Wow. This vegetarian/vegan = picky thing boggles my mind. I've been a vegetarian for about 12 years now, and I'm about the least picky eater I know.
Would I date an omnivore? Sure. As long as they didn't try to foist their dietary views on me and realize that I won't do that with mine either.
Then again, the first time a person makes a "don't you just want a bite of this nice juicy steak?" joke, that's a pretty good sign they aren't the One.-COLLAPSE
Aha! The undercurrent in these posts seems to be that pickiness suggests surliness. Not so in my case. I've got religion-inspired preferences and on top of that foods I just don't like, even if I try them numerous times throughout my life. But why force it when there are so many other delicious options out there? What I do eat is enthusiastically approached. Sure, my preferences can be a bit...+READ
Aha! The undercurrent in these posts seems to be that pickiness suggests surliness. Not so in my case. I've got religion-inspired preferences and on top of that foods I just don't like, even if I try them numerous times throughout my life. But why force it when there are so many other delicious options out there? What I do eat is enthusiastically approached. Sure, my preferences can be a bit embarrassing to explain to large or unfamiliar groups. I usually either make do with what's ordered, or buy myself an extra side dish so I get enough. At parties, I'll share a dish I *can* have if I'm not sure it's me-friendly, and keep everything else on the down-low. No need to spoil it for others!-COLLAPSE
Medical, religous, and moral issues I can work around as long as the person is sincere and consistent. Flaky, picky, cheaters don't get invited back nor do people who don't enjoy food.
when in college dated many women, lunch at a inexp ethnic rest., to check out habits and issues. some women i would take to a movie or theater but advise them to eat before. sometime people would invite me to dinner and i did not like the foods or the health and political issues associated with same, i would tell them that there were foods that i do not eat. we seldom seen each other again "food...+READ
when in college dated many women, lunch at a inexp ethnic rest., to check out habits and issues. some women i would take to a movie or theater but advise them to eat before. sometime people would invite me to dinner and i did not like the foods or the health and political issues associated with same, i would tell them that there were foods that i do not eat. we seldom seen each other again "food is Love" and if there was one thing that would sour the potential friendship it was political issues associated with food! if there was a medical reason i would work around it by checking menus before we went to the rest. and addressing the issue as early as possible.-COLLAPSE
I'm perfectly happy to adjust my cooking for people who have medical/religious restrictions--as long as they're consistent. The guy who has a serious egg allergy and hasn't eaten them since he was 5--sure, I'll make a no-egg wedding cake for you! The woman who eats bacon with me in our hotel one morning, then blanches when I serve roast chicken the next day because "she's not eating meat these...+READ
I'm perfectly happy to adjust my cooking for people who have medical/religious restrictions--as long as they're consistent. The guy who has a serious egg allergy and hasn't eaten them since he was 5--sure, I'll make a no-egg wedding cake for you! The woman who eats bacon with me in our hotel one morning, then blanches when I serve roast chicken the next day because "she's not eating meat these days": no way. But I agree: picky/restrictive eaters aren't sexy, and their diets are often pretty unhealthy.-COLLAPSE
It's funny how things can work out. I have a hugely restricted diet due to allergies, digestive disease and religion. Oddly, I can go into nearly any decent restaurant and find something I can eat, even if it is slightly adjusted. I'm not that picky of an eater myself. If it tastes good and I can eat it, I will. Honestly, once I find a dish or two in a restaurant that I can actually eat, I tend...+READ
It's funny how things can work out. I have a hugely restricted diet due to allergies, digestive disease and religion. Oddly, I can go into nearly any decent restaurant and find something I can eat, even if it is slightly adjusted. I'm not that picky of an eater myself. If it tastes good and I can eat it, I will. Honestly, once I find a dish or two in a restaurant that I can actually eat, I tend to get them over and over. I'd love to try new things, but this makes it much easier and less stressful for everyone.
On the other hand, when I met the girl who is now my fiancé, she truly thought seafood/fish was those breaded things you threw in the microwave or were fed at the school cafeteria. On one of our first nights out, she stared across the table at me in utter disbelief when I ordered seared tuna. To her, that was what came out of the can and she was pretty surprised to see the beautiful steak that was placed in front of me. She eventually tried it, in her own time and became hooked. Here was something that I was "limited to" that she now found herself experiencing for the first time because of it.
Things between us and food work out great. She's even adjusted many of her baking recipes so that I can enjoy her baking as well. Great stuff! I think she gets a kick out of how great her food can taste when she gets experimental and produces amazing results!
(Thank you to her father for selling her out. I had no idea she baked until he mentioned her "amazing chocolate chip cookies" one day. :) )-COLLAPSE
When I was younger and not married I had a policy of not dating "diets" unless there were real medical or religious reasons for the restrictions. In those days it was mostly vegetarians. I had concluded that the diets were a stalking horse for personality disorders.
VVM
I so know this feeling! I dated a woman who was such a picky eater that when we went out, nothing was ever good enough. It really cramped the mood of many a evening. When I cooked, I just got really good at knowing what she liked, but it was exhausting after a while.