Moving in with your partner is a huge life step! This relationship milestone can be particularly scary for many reasons, but my biggest worry was actually one that very few people think about when taking the leap to cohabitate with their romantic partner. When my boyfriend and I decided to self-isolate together this past April, I was most worried about how I was going to keep up my healthy food habits and continue to track my macros while learning to live and cook with my man.
My boyfriend does not track his macros and does not have a structured meal plan or eating schedule like I do, which initially caused me to be nervous about us living together. I am definitely more OCD/type A when it comes to meal prepping and planning while he is more of a mindful eater who does not pre track or weigh his food. This stark contrast could have potentially negative side effects for us as roommates and life partners and I was super anxious about making things work when the time came for me to move into his apartment.
So how do we eat meals together if I have to weight and track my portions, and he doesn’t! It’s actually super simple, we just make equal portions of food and try to spit things evenly! If I am making 6 ounces of ground beef for me, I will simply weight an equal portion for him as well and make 1 giant pot meal that we simply split down the middle as best as possible. While this is not an exact science, it does work well for me when I am eating for maintenance or being a less strict with my macro tracking. Overall, this cooking method works super well for nights when we both are craving pasta or a ground beef taco bowl but is less cut and dry when it comes to cooking more complicated dishes or want slightly different meals that have some common ingredients.
Another way we make this work is cooking on 2 separate baking sheets. I will prepare 1 sheet for me with my pre weighted portions and 1 sheet for him with his portions if they differ from my own. This allows us to still make a meal together without having to make the exact same portions or veggies. I personally, love mushrooms and kale and eat them probably every other day, while my boyfriend is a mushroom hater and will only sporadically join me in crunching on some crispy kale chips. I am a huge proponent of simple but effective meal making and both my boyfriend and I are not into spending hours in the kitchen each night. One pan/bake sheet meals, work wonders for us when we are trying to eat together but enjoy different protein, carb and fat sources and make for a no fuss dinner.
Cooking together when you have different habits does not need to turn into WW3 or cause you or your partner to feel guilty for their needs/wants. For me and my boyfriend, we try to cook/plan 2-3 meals per week together and then will eat the rest on our own. Sometimes we do more, and some weeks we share less, but either way we make sure to clearly communicate before we cook so that one person is not left with no chicken for dinner. If you are like me and you cannot share your food without feeling anxious about it shifting your numbers, then I highly recommend cooking on separate baking sheets or in separate pans from your roommate/partner. This will allow you to portion control your food while enjoying the same meal as your dinner date! It’s a win win for you both. No need to compromise your goals or feel guilty!
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