Anonymous wrote:In my southern upbringing, Mayo was a food group. Along with butter and sour cream, although not together. Best sandwich ever - ripe tomato, wonder bread, Mayo and salt.

I’m not Southern but a great tomato hot off the vine calls for the sandwich you described! I was raised on the east coast with roots deep in the Midwest and my grandmother had a lot of uses for mayonnaise, some which I’ve never seen anyone else do.

In my southern upbringing, Mayo was a food group. Along with butter and sour cream, although not together. Best sandwich ever - ripe tomato, wonder bread, Mayo and salt.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you could be me but 5 years ago. I finally broke and set boundaries. I buy a small bag of groceries when I visit, eat what I can but supplement with fruit, a Whole Foods premade salad etc. helps that I have a food intolerance so I played that card. It really sucked to make the first move on a boundary but it got better and I’m so much happier (and less bloated) when I visit.

Fun story though, after a few years of me eating green vegetables on the side (I would never plate it during a formal meal, but I would definitely eat in the kitchen after), she told me she was making salad for thanksgiving. Yes! Then it came out …. Mayonnaise and canned mandarin oranges. Blech.

You mean together? Like mayo on mandarin oranges?

OP, you could be me but 5 years ago. I finally broke and set boundaries. I buy a small bag of groceries when I visit, eat what I can but supplement with fruit, a Whole Foods premade salad etc. helps that I have a food intolerance so I played that card. It really sucked to make the first move on a boundary but it got better and I’m so much happier (and less bloated) when I visit.

Fun story though, after a few years of me eating green vegetables on the side (I would never plate it during a formal meal, but I would definitely eat in the kitchen after), she told me she was making salad for thanksgiving. Yes! Then it came out …. Mayonnaise and canned mandarin oranges. Blech.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grab a bag of lemons on the way. I pound citrus water when visiting relatives to help cut the inevitable grease. It helps some. Loading up on greens and offering to make a salad to compliment the meal also good.

*Complement

Oh yeah… I spelled it wrong. Thank you so much for not bothering to respond to any other aspect of my post - cool.

DP spelling correction was done “discreetly” ( nod to another poster’s discretely) without inserting themselves at all- it could have been you that provided correction. There was no gotcha- really that is how it should be done and how we all learn. If I have to read one more post about a “wondering” eye….

Whatever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grab a bag of lemons on the way. I pound citrus water when visiting relatives to help cut the inevitable grease. It helps some. Loading up on greens and offering to make a salad to compliment the meal also good.

*Complement

Oh yeah… I spelled it wrong. Thank you so much for not bothering to respond to any other aspect of my post - cool.

DP spelling correction was done “discreetly” ( nod to another poster’s discretely) without inserting themselves at all- it could have been you that provided correction. There was no gotcha- really that is how it should be done and how we all learn. If I have to read one more post about a “wondering” eye….

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed that tuna noodle casserole shouldn’t have Mayo. Mayo can’t be cooked and anything called a casserole has to be cooked. Tuna noodle casserole usually contains cream of mushroom or something similar.

OP, I love mayo and it is a carb-free condiment, but I still wouldn’t want copious amounts running all over the place. Just discretely wipe off a little. Your MIL is trying to be nice and you are t there forever.

Mayonnaise is a fairly common ingredient and can most certainly be cooked.

and I don't understand how Helman's says they have 0 carbs when it definitely has sugar in it.

Anonymous wrote:1) Why didn’t you just make your own sandwich?

2) Tell her you are having tummy issues with mayo, and that if possible, you’d like to make your own sandwich or a can of soup or something. She can’t know unless you open your mouth and speak up. I hardly think she’ll ding you if you frame it as tummy issues vs. not liking it.

3) Tuna casserole does not contain mayo, on any planet. Make your point without exaggerating.

4) Pack some granola bars, make an excuse to run an errand and go get yourself some food. You are not hapless. [Excuses.] No really, pack food, bring food, get yourself food. [Excuses.]

Do you talk like a child all the time? Tummy? Really?

Every tuna casserole I've ever seen and never eaten has mayo. Ew to everything related to canned tuna.

I get why the poster complained. It is annoying. It's actually worse than annoying but I agree that no one has a gun to her head forcing her to forgo food.

OP, I get it. I don't think you're coming from a bad place. Seems like you don't want to upset your MIL. I have the same problem when visiting my ILs. My MIL and FIL eat the most unhealthy stuff, and my MIL is just not a good cook. Everything she makes is super unhealthy and worst of all, doesn't taste good (so I'm eating tons of calories and fat without the goodness). All that said, I just try to suck it up and eat it. I love my MIL and she loves feeding all of us.

A few tips - just take small portions and keep snacks in your bag. We also always offer to treat everyone to dinner to thank them for their generous hosting. Planning stuff to do (ie sightseeing, parks, etc) around mealtimes can help w/ grabbing something while out. And finally - keep the visits short!

Anonymous wrote:Agreed that tuna noodle casserole shouldn’t have Mayo. Mayo can’t be cooked and anything called a casserole has to be cooked. Tuna noodle casserole usually contains cream of mushroom or something similar.

OP, I love mayo and it is a carb-free condiment, but I still wouldn’t want copious amounts running all over the place. Just discretely wipe off a little. Your MIL is trying to be nice and you are t there forever.

Mayonnaise is a fairly common ingredient and can most certainly be cooked.

It's 72 hours, OP. Free food. Suck it up.

I remember my mayo-laden time in Germany as a child,and now hate mayo. My kids slather it everywhere. Just say you’re tired of mayo and could she not put any on your portion, and if that can’t work, because it’s a common dish, would she mind if you cook, or at least make your own meal?

I'm with you, OP, and totally get it. My MIL is a terrible cook - her meals are both full of fat, greasy, and tasteless (her specialty is overcooking everything). But, I know she loves to cook for and host the family, so I've always done my best to eat what she prepares. Best I can offer - take small portions, have some snacks in your bag, and offer to buy dinner out to "thank them for their generous hosting". And keep the visits short!

This is how the older generation of my Southern family eats. It’s truly a thing to behold. My grandmother spreads a layer of mayo on bread before adding a mayonnaise-based salad filling to a sandwich.