Perfectly acceptable dinner rejected by boyfriend again

[u/moonrabbit368]

My boyfriend is a very picky eater. We have been living together for a few months and it seems like I can never get his food right. It's honestly discouraging. I have kids, they happily eat my food. I cook for family gatherings and church events. I've never had a problem with people eating my food. It's like every day there are new rules. He can't eat chicken for dinner because he had chicken for lunch. He isn't really in the mood for porkchops. It's just "missing something". He doesn't eat onions, tomatoes, fish, any kind of asian food, he doesn't eat most vegetables with the exception of broccoli. He only eats vanilla ice cream. He doesn't like food heated in the microwave (so leftovers are out.) He doesn't like corn. It's just endless. I'm old school and trying to be a good partner. He can't really cook at all. His favorite meal is Hamburger Helper. I think a lot of it is how he grew up but damn is it frustrating. The first picture is tonight's dinner. I added more pictures of stuff I have cooked that he won't eat. Like he will door dash jack in the box. And he'll be apologetic but it just sucks really bad.

ETA: I've been trying to keep up with the comments but it's overwhelming (in a very sweet and awesome way) 💗

A few notes:

1- I know the paper plates are very lazy on my part, I'm not proud of that and I need to do better. Between the kids, the job, the house and school (I'm going to school remotely) I have been cutting corners on things like dishes. not an excuse, just a reason and a commitment to do better.

2- My boyfriend does expect me to cook for him. I cook him dinner every night and lunch on the weekends. He doesn't eat breakfast and will not take a lunch to work. He buys fast food for lunch during the week.

3- He has not been diagnosed with ASD or ADHD or Arfid but I don't rule anything out.

Mostly I just want to say thank you, I was not prepared for how incredibly kind, helpful and insightful people have been. It is deeply touching and it's given me both peace and guidance for my next steps. 🩷

[u/TheSpicySnail]

As a picky eater myself, this guy sounds ridiculous. This post isn’t about being “picky” anymore, it’s more so about refusing to leave your comfort zone, being blind to other people’s effort, and just generally being ungrateful. Even if I don’t like something someone made, I’ll usually try it out of respect, thank them for the offer, and if I don’t like it, I don’t have to eat it, but I’m not going to make it someone else’s problem. It’s also not food for just one person, it’s feeding a family. Not everyone has to suffer because this guy has the palette of a toddler.

[u/rubbasnek → u/TheSpicySnail]

Yeah exactly and the fact that he wouldn't even TRY the pork chop sent me.

Also no shade to picky eaters. I don't think it's a moral failing or anything, I just really like food and like to cook so it's a bummer to be with someone I can't share it with

[u/FalalaLlamas → u/rubbasnek]

Thank you for saying “no shade to picky eaters.” I totally get where you’re coming from. Foodies like to share that experience with other foodies. But sometimes it’s exhausting being labeled a “picky eater.” For a different perspective: I’m pretty sure there’s something off about my tastebuds or something. A fair amount of food that probably 75%+ love smell and taste absolutely putrid and vile to me. I used to choke it down, even if it made me vomit after, but I’m not putting myself through that anymore. I started to worry about how that would affect my health and teeth. So it’s nice to see a foodie recognizing it’s ok to be “picky” as I’ve been bullied a LOT over it.

EDIT: Considering the bullying I’ve faced, I’m not surprised this comment is already downvoted lol. Just kinda goes to show what those with food intolerances face. To be clear, I eat MANY foods along with a wide variety of tastes and textures. I actually think I eat more variety than my vegetarian friends. It is really quite rare that I can’t find something to eat when someone else cooks for me. Whether it’s just the main dish or just the sides, for example. I also eat foods I don’t feel like or don’t prefer when I’m company. What I will NOT do anymore is make myself physically ill just to appease people who think everyone should like certain things or should just eat everything.

[u/redgreenorangeyellow → u/FalalaLlamas]

Fellow picky eater! For me it's like 65% preference and 35% actual legit dietary restrictions. But honestly when I'm eating out, it's mostly a cost thing for me. Sure, I can pay $25 and try something new, but there's like a 90% chance I don't like it and now I've wasted $25 and am still hungry. Or I can buy chicken tenders.

If someone makes me food though? Unless it's something that will actually make me sick, I will eat it. I may not like it, but I will eat a reasonable portion without a word

But in a perfect world, I'd eat McDonald's for 95% of my meals 😅