Please excuse me, I would like to rant

[Tally]

My boss is really doing my head in at the moment. He keeps going on about all the "poncy" food I eat in my lunchbox, during my lunchbreak, when I would prefer to have a rest than defend my choice of food. This is a man who eats only things that come in a box with instructions on, and he's pretty picky even about that. He eats 5 different meals that I am aware of. He does not eat any vegetables and he does not eat anything green or brown (chocolate excepted, naturally). He does not eat meat, even meats which are not brown, because it is dry and gravy reminds him of diarrhoea. He does not eat curry because it reminds him of vomit. His diet is so restricted that he cannot buy himself a meal in McDonalds (beef is brown).

 

He was shocked by the healthiness of my sandwich, which contained egg mayonnaise and a very little bit of cress. It was made with granary bread which he thinks is lumpy and horrible.

 

He always goes on for ages when I eat a little bit of salad, how it's not real food because it's green and nothing green is edible.

 

The other day I dared to eat an onion bhaji and he stuck his head out of the window, retching and chocking because it smelt poncy, foreign, and he was convinced the smell would upset him stomach. He did this until the boss arrived and then suddenly he was absolutely fine again

 

We had a weird conversation last week because he was very worried about going on holiday with his girlfriend because she likes to eat meatballs and he doesn't know if he likes meatballs. I asked him if he liked spaghetti bolognese and he said he'd never eaten it but he does like spaghetti. I assumed he was talking about a meatballs ready meal, but apparently she likes to buy fresh, raw meatballs, fry them in a pan, add a jar of ragu sauce, and serve them with spaghetti. He thought this was a real palaver and poncy food. The thing that really worried him was that the jar of tomato sauce would clash with the spaghetti. I tried to reassure him that it would go nicely together, but he was insistent it would clash. In the end it emerged that he thought spaghetti meant Heinz spaghetti that comes in a tin with tomato sauce! He checked with his girlfriend and she has confirmed that she eats plain spaghetti with her meatballs and tomato sauce and he was really shocked to learn that not only does she eat "poncy" sauce (froma jar), she also eats "poncy" spaghetti instaed of tinned spaghetti.

 

So then he went on for ages about her eating poncy food as well! Her diet is about as restricted as his, it just happens that she likes different things. She likes curry, but only korma, but he won't try it because it looks like sick or bogies, and he's worried it would be too spicy.

 

We always have a conversation just before home time about what we're going to have for dinner, and he goes on about the "poncy" food I eat for dinner as well as my lunchbox. He thinks I have a really exotic diet because I eat things like spaghetti bolognese.

 

I've got my mum in one ear telling me it's my restricted diet that's causing my health problems, and my boss in the other telling me it's the disguisting poncy food that looks like poo that is causing my health problems.

 

It's just like talking with a small child. Instead of accepting that he has an unusual diet, he just calls other people names and criticises their diet: poncy, posh, exotic, disguisting, looks like poo, etc. I don't criticise his diet (to his face), but he's quite happy to tell me my lunch looks like poo.

[A-S warrior]

he sounds like a real catch, lol. he sould see one of my venison stir frys, it would blow his mind!

[chris54]

I remember one time my mother in law was going on about not liking foreign food then promptly announced that she was cooking spaghetti for tea.

[Tally]

People are weird, aren't they!

[Nickay12]

You should take in some dog food and pretend to eat it.. For a laugh.

[Special_talent123]

he is insane, thats the truth. what does he eat sounds like he doesnt even eat anything?

[Lancastrian]

To be honest, having a go at the kind of food you're eating sounds very much like he's bullying you. It's not and never will be any of his business what you eat.

 

He's picking on you because he sees you as an easy target. You need help with working out how to deal with this.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Lancastrian

[darkshine]

Maybe he's exploring new ideas in a highly offensive and defensive way

 

As for box meals - what the hell does he eat? I can think of loads that look less than grim - fresh stuff tends to look better!

 

If this happened to me - some person analysing and criticising my food (this would REALLY annoy the hell out of me - it would also put me off my food) First I would tell them to refrain from doing so. And if they continued I'd say unless you try what I'm eating you have no right to judge it cuz that would be like judging a country without knowing anything about it - what he's doing is like a racism of food... hmm a food racist - could that be a new term

 

Or failing all that I'd eat elsewhere - maybe in about 6 months we will have warmer weather and you could eat outside

[chris54]

I think your too nice a person, Tally, if it were me I would just give as good as I got. Tell him what I thought of his diet, tell him hes the one with the problem. We all have a bit of a joke and jive. So one of my work mates gets out their food, "Home made today from fresh ingredients" I get out mine "Factory made fresh from the shop last week"

[Tally]

It's not bullying. He's one of the gentlest people I've ever met, to the point where he is massively taken advantage of by his friends. It's just annoying, although there's not a lot that puts me off my food. I can't really eat outside because there's nowhere to go except the car park, and it's just a little too far to go home for lunch. So maybe I will criticise his lunch and see how he likes it.

 

He basically eats various forms of potato, cheese, very little meat, quite a lot of toffee and chocolate, and no fruit or vegetables apart from parsnips.

 

He says he does not have time to cook, but he does spend a lot of time on hobbies and chatting on the phone. It seems to be a choice he's made and won't change for anyone, which is why I don't see the point in trying to get him to change.

 

It frustrates me because I am aware my diet is restricted and I am not well enough to cook the foods I would like to eat. When I do cook fresh foods it's generally alongside processed foods. For example, I might slap some nuggets and chips in the oven and cook myself a carrot to go with it. Or if I cook spaghetti bolognese or curry it's with a jar of ready made sauce. Even my salad is from a packet of ready-prepared salad. So it's not like I'm even the complete opposite of him, I just have a slightly wider repertoire, and possess saucepans.

[Mumble]

I agree it's not bullying, it's just being totally untactful and unaware of how what he says impacts on you. What you've written reminds me sooo much of my mother. She eats a bad diet and happily criticises anything I make or buy that is in any way healthy. I think I find it difficult for similar reasons to you - that I find it hard to cook for myself but put effort and energy into it as I know it's important, and so to be criticised is even harder. I'm afraid the only way I've found to deal with it is to ignore her and tell myself that she's not actually criticising me, she's just being totally ignorant of my feelings and that isn't something I can change, so no point wasting energy trying or worrying about it.

 

and possess saucepans.

Well if he gets too much and you leave, you could get a job as an extra darlek on Britain's Got Talent! :D

[Tally]

I've got some falafel in my lunchbox for tomorrow!

[darkshine]

It frustrates me because I am aware my diet is restricted and I am not well enough to cook the foods I would like to eat. When I do cook fresh foods it's generally alongside processed foods. For example, I might slap some nuggets and chips in the oven and cook myself a carrot to go with it. Or if I cook spaghetti bolognese or curry it's with a jar of ready made sauce. Even my salad is from a packet of ready-prepared salad. So it's not like I'm even the complete opposite of him, I just have a slightly wider repertoire, and possess saucepans.

 

I do that!! I am certain that adding fresh foods to processed foods has to be way better than just processed on their own