Today is Friday and I just planned out my meals through Monday. I do it so I don't snack while figuring out what to eat, AND to make sure I use up food before it goes bad.

Frankly I do not want to talk abut food as a hobby. It's vulgar. Why not talk about literature, art, latest movie or play you've been too? Americans never cease to be minging.

My mom is a 96 lb 83 year old white lady of German descent. She’s always had a good appetite, been very thin almost her entire life, but very briefly got up to a size 10 in her forties and then cut out junk food. She eats nutritious foods and cooks the vast majority of her meals from scratch. When we visit and she has extra people to feed, she’s taking into account everyone’s dietary restrictions due to health conditions, as well as everyone’s preferences and what foods are in season. She’s constantly offering people food, talking about food, asking questions about what people like, meal planning, making a grocery list, going grocery shopping, meal prepping or cooking. We do the dishes and try to help with everything else, but feeding everyone is her constant focus and she will ask if you’re getting enough food if she hasn’t seen you eat much. Sometimes I flat out ask if we can just go out to eat or get takeout, just to get a break. I love food, but I enjoy it while I eat it and don’t make it a primary conversation topic.

My DH is like this and it annoys the hell out of me. He only cooks a few times a week and his dishes are pretty basic, but he’s constantly talking/asking about meals. Every outing must be scheduled with meals/mealtime in mind. Interestingly I’m the one who grew up in the “fend for yourself” household but he’s the one always focused on food.

I do this, but I usually do this the day before because I’m a planner. And the shopper. And the chef. And I hate feeling like I’m behind. So the day before I think about what meals I will make the next day and if that requires any extra shopping or what needs to be defrosted from the freezer. I’m not disordered. Just organized.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you posting about my wife? She asks what we want to eat for dinner while I'm still drinking my morning coffee and pecking at a bagel.

What’s wrong with that? When should she ask you?

Over stimulation. I'm groggy and tired. I'd like to enjoy the meal I'm in the middle of eating before having to think of another meal 12 hours later.

My advice if you need a dinner plan at 7am? Just choose something because it's not like I'm going to be able to give a coherent or informed answer about seafood when I have not even ingested my coffee.

Anonymous wrote:Why are you posting about my wife? She asks what we want to eat for dinner while I'm still drinking my morning coffee and pecking at a bagel.

What’s wrong with that? When should she ask you?

Why are you posting about my wife? She asks what we want to eat for dinner while I'm still drinking my morning coffee and pecking at a bagel.

I used to do this when I had an eating disorder, but it was anxiety based--like facing an unexpected situation/set of choices would be really destabilizing. Now I still plan things out in a general way--like what we will have for dinner--but I do not think much about lunch (and I generally do not eat breakfast), usually I eat one of three things for lunch anyway.

Anonymous wrote:I'm very close to someone like that. In fact, he's sitting in my chair.

I am lean and muscular with normal eating habits. I appreciate good meals and am a planer by nature. I can think ahead all week to the groceries I've bought and how they will be used each day.

LOL same.

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of people like this and I have been like this at times. I don’t know why I was so afraid of hunger. Maybe I felt worse long ago when I was hungry. It’s boring. I also know now that eating 3 full meals a day is a recipe for obesity. Our meals are generally so high in calories that one or two of them should be very light. Like yogurt and fruit or a small salad with a roll. I do still, however, plan for the pastries I will be eating most days.

I'm like this. It's not because I'm hungry or I'm afraid of hunger. I like to cook, and I enjoy eating. If I'm eating a delicious meal I made, even if it's something small and healthy, I'm thinking "oh this is so nice!" and it makes me think of other nice things. Like "oh the apricots in this bran muffin are delicious! I should buy some more apricots, maybe I'll try them in baked oatmeal". Plus often I'm eating with people I cook for, so it's an opportunity for us to meal plan together. Our lives are busy, so this is a time to sit down and talk and "I'm making up the meal plan for the week, is there anything you want me to include?" is one topic.

I don't think of food all the time. But I definitely think about food during meals.

That's a food obsessed person. Weird.

I know a lot of people like this and I have been like this at times. I don’t know why I was so afraid of hunger. Maybe I felt worse long ago when I was hungry. It’s boring. I also know now that eating 3 full meals a day is a recipe for obesity. Our meals are generally so high in calories that one or two of them should be very light. Like yogurt and fruit or a small salad with a roll. I do still, however, plan for the pastries I will be eating most days.

Food is one of the biggest pleasures in life and is essential to our survival, so it makes sense that people devote a lot of time towards obtaining it, preparing it, and consuming it. Some people care about it more than others, just as some people are more sexual or crave an exercise “high”. Just because you don’t plan ahead for meals or find food a topic of conversation doesn’t mean it’s unusual or wrong.

I'm like this. Generally I find that it's something people can always can have a conversation about. And my family is super busy so eating together might be the only time we can get together to plan our next meal