At The Dining Table

Communicating with your partner about food

If before you've never talked about food with your partner in great detail, except perhaps when consulting each other on where you want to have dinner, now that you're going to be living together with your boyfriend/girlfriend, that is about to change quite dramatically. From stocking up on groceries to what needs to be cooked when you're having particular meals at home, you have to discuss all of these things with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Of course, you will eventually learn your partner's food preferences or dining habits over time, but it will not be a bad idea to discuss it with him/her early on. Here are a few things you can do:

Find out your partner's food preference. The first chance you get, find time to sit down with your boyfriend/girlfriend and talk about both of your likes and dislikes in food. Do you both drink coffee in the morning? What seafood does your boyfriend like best? Does your girlfriend have any allergies with any kind of meat? Talking about it will go a long way in easing down the transition you and your boyfriend/girlfriend will likely have about each other's dining preferences - and help you understand each other better.

Be sensitive. If your girlfriend is a vegetarian, of course preparing a home-cooked steak for her would probably be a bad idea. If your boyfriend doesn't like spicy food, maybe it might not be such a good thing to surprise him with an Indian dinner. Learn to be sensitive of your boyfriend/girlfriend's beliefs and religion, or lifestyle preferences, because those things will eventually reflect on the kind of food he/she prefers - and the cuisines or ingredients he/she stays away from. You don't have to share the same likes, of course, but understanding him/her will help a lot to minimize arguments you might have about food. And to be fair, you need to let your partner be aware of your likes and dislikes as well. It has to work both ways.

Bond over food. Why not go to the neighborhood grocery store with your partner and do your shopping with him/her? You can choose the things you want to stock up in your cupboards, or you can select the ingredients for the dinner you or your partner is cooking for the evening. Simple things like these are great avenues for you to learn more about each other, and have some bonding time along the way.

-fin-

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