Fighting Over Food? Here’s What to Do When Your Partner Isn’t on Board with Eating Healthy

Way of LifeNovember 15, 2019

One of the essentials of self-care is eating healthy, no? But what do you do when you’re all about that life but you partner isn’t? This could be such a dilemma, especially for a couple living together.

Obviously, your partner knows all the benefits of watching what they pump into their body, but you’ve also tried explaining some more in a bid to convince them to join your bandwagon. However, no matter all the effort you put in, nothing seems to work.

Arguing over food is quite common among couples

A Sensitive Topic

With time, the issue becomes a sensitive topic, often causing disagreements which tend to elevate into heated arguments. What to do? The question to which you’ve tried finding an answer to for ages rears its ugly head again.

In truth, meals are something couples tend to bond over. Whether this comes in the form of eating out or spending time in the kitchen than on the dinner table together has no bearing on the issue at hand, with the fact being that at the early stages of a relationship, you may choose to ignore your partner’s food choices.

Meals are something couples tend to bond over

With the relationship going steady, you may feel the need to stamp your authority on what you and your partner will be having from then on and lucky you if they agree without hesitation.

More often than not, however, they may want to stick to their fast food routine, ordering in, and the like. While at first you may not be that much against having different feeding habits, you may at times find yourself being pushy, or even unconsciously guilt-tripping your partner.

Needless to say, this is when all hell breaks loose. Wendy Lopez, a nutritionist and diabetes educator admits that although food-related conflict may be different from other common types of conflict in a relationship, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. In truth, it can have repercussions similar to any other disagreement.

Fortunately for those finding themselves in such a situation, the dietician has some advice on how to approach it. First off, Lopez says that you should respect your partner’s boundaries, no matter how close you two are. In essence, they are very much their own person, and they have the right to autonomy, including food autonomy.

Your partner has a right to food autonomy

Default Setting

And if they had previously agreed to be on board with your feeding habits then come short, Lopez says that you should understand that partners often do things to please their significant other.

However, such motivation usually has an expiration date and when time is up they’ll definitely fall back into their default setting. This, Lopez insists, is something that you should understand.

Next, you should stick to the mantra, “be you, do you.” Even if you and your partner’s feeding stars aren’t aligned, don’t abandon your diet to please them. Remember food autonomy? It applies to you too J Soon enough, it’ll be common practice for both of you, and you’ll never find yourselves arguing over it.

Also, whenever you feel like having a cheat day, go for it. Partake in your partner’s meal, and maybe, just maybe, they may decide to have a healthy feeding day as well. If they don’t though, don’t beat yourself up over it.