Hi Carolyn! My husband has a habit of eating the “best” foods after a grocery trip 1) first and 2) quickly. For example, he’ll just eat chips for lunch and snacks for two days until they’re all gone. This is mildly irritating when I try to eat something that’s already gone. If I mention it, he will feel bad he accidentally boxed me out and will not eat any of that item at all anymore, but then he just finds a different food to blast through — think cookies — ignoring the fruits or veggies he asked me to buy, or any of the more “prep-intensive” foods I end up having to prepare when there’s nothing quick left.
Then he complains he needs to eat healthier. So then I feel like a nag for getting one snack but still wanting him to slow down on another, and a double nag if I offer to cut veggies for him instead.
I was raised with a sibling who did this and was told “eat it before me if you want it so badly,” but that doesn’t seem like a healthy long-term strategy physically or emotionally for either of us, and may in fact be contributing to my sensitivity now. Am I micromanaging? Do we need to label his-and-her chips?!
