Negotiating Compatibility, #13: Dining

"What to eat, when to eat, where to eat" is an important topic of compatibility in a relationship.  For young couples it is a lot easier to agree than for older folks.  Young people may have not been out of college for long, may be used to picking up anything on the run, and can even tolerate long bouts of fast food.

Those who have been out in the world for a few years undoubtedly develop individual eating habits.  More and more, these days, it may involve "eating out."  Take a person who has loved to go to the best restaurants every day and add a person who loves to cook healthy meals at home and you may have a problem brewing!  The home cook who fixes simple meals would like a break at times, but not feel comfortable with a drastic change of eating restaurant cooking daily.  Would the person who always has selected meals from a large selection on menus really appreciate someone to cook simple meals every day?

What about budget issues?  It is far more costly to eat a meal in a restaurant or even drive through fast food places, for most foods.  Probably few couples or families could afford to do this daily.

And there's the matter of not knowing exactly what's in foods cooked at restaurants.  Several times my friends have reported severe, immediate allergic reactions to such food.  I personally have a problems gaining weight if I eat "out" too often.  You hardly ever know how many calories are in a particular food item.

Several families and friends have dinner mealtimes I consider late - 8 or 9 p.m.  When I visit with them, I know to eat a small snack in late afternoon but I would prefer to eat between 5 and 6 p.m.

Some families never eat at a table.  They always eat sitting on the couch in front of the TV.  They lose precious opportunities to give the young ones conversational skills and table manners.

Mealtimes must be hardest on families whose members have widely different schedules.  There are moms who just put dinner in the refrigerator for children and even husbands to help themselves and microwave when they get home.

Is it a thing of the past to have a really nice meal served at a table at home with people enjoying both the food and each other?

God in heaven, we in America are so blessed to have an almost infinite number of food choices all year around!  Thank you for this.  Help us enjoy both our food and our compadres, we ask You today!  And help us remember our Meal Blessings, please!