Eating separately...

not really an arguement ... then tell your boyfriend to do the cooking

I don't know IMO he is being ridiculous.

I suggest you enforce your threat. Let him deal with his own food--cook for yourself, hopefully he'll realize he does't like that set up. That will probably skyrocket the food bill for a while too, but if he realizes he is being unreasonable then maybe he will bend? Another idea is keeping precise track of all the money spent on food (if you don't already) so you can show him how ridiculous the bill is?

Also though before going through with that, you can tell him you will work on getting in a rotation where dinners do not get repeated during the month (very often) BUT that its going to take time for you to learn the recipes you need and how to buy ingredients in a budget friendly manner and that you would appreciate it if he would compromise so that you can manage a budge that will benefit you BOTH in the long term.

Honestly he should be thrilled that you are willing to do the hard work that meal planning in a budget friendly manner takes! Planning meals, shopping for meals, looking for sales, and THEN cooking the meals, possibly preserving meals takes up so MUCH time. He should be grateful!

tell him you'll try it out for 2 weeks and then you guys sit down and re-visit it.

I do plan our meals weekly. It DOES save money on the shopping list. I don't plan all our meals, but I plan the kids' school lunches and our dinners.

Meals that are made with the same ingredients do not necessarily taste the same. At all. So make a list of meals you want to make, make sure they are not too similar and plan for one week and see how he feels after realising same ingredients does not = same taste or even texture.

I often buy vegetables in bigger packs and use them as a side one day, mixed up in soup the next, or - in our case - as the main dish a lot of times. But broccoli doesn't taste the same if its a side dish on its own to when it's made into a tasty soup or mixed with goats cheese in a puff pastry sheet or crumbled into a nice quiche with peppers and feta cheese. He needs to realise that and the only way is to plan it, cook it and get his eyes opened!

Oh, and go thank his Mum for spoiling him like that lol

edit: sorry, bit winded there, hope it makes sense, shouldn't reply after half a bottle of prosecco lol

The way i'm reading this, it appears the food preparation responsibility is yours? If so, that is a shocking statement for him to make. I would definitely suggest preparing your food separately. You can still sit down and eat together - and even shop together. It's one thing to share the household responsibilities and have your jobs include food planning and prep, it's a whole different ballgame for him to make such outrageous demands!! I cook for myself all the time but would really struggle to come up with 30 different meals a month!

in relationships you pick your battles ... this is an easy one ... if you cook and he doesnt want it ... ahhh ... i guess he'll starve

keep a journal of how much it costs for your meal plan versus his meals, see how it looks on paper and show him. I also agree with him doing his cooking. If you both have outside responsibilties he should share in the work at home. But that works at my house, it is easier than him doing ALL his own chores lol

We used a four week rotating menu. there were repeats, but only of the meals we really liked, like spaghetti and meat sauce or bar-b q chicken. I also had next week's shopping list on this week's menu, so I could see what we needed, or what we had already.

this way, we had a great variety, but because we planned ahead, did not waste food. we also made use of our freezer, cook 2 meals, freeze one. properly packaged, it would last until the next month so your BF wouldn't complain.

My brother in law sounds exactly like that. my sis in law makes great food, he grunts and complains, eats it or doesn't, and either way goes out after supper and buys another meal like mc d's or subway, or pigs out on junk. no bloody wonder he is pushing 300 pounds with a short stick.

Without seeing your plan, I don't know who to side with. I, personally, will almost never have the same dinner within a months time. I also do not plan the same style of meal (aka Italian, Mexican, Indian, or American) or type of meal (aka Roast, Casserole, Soup, or Stew) more then twice a week. I also try to keep the same type of meat down to 2-3 times a week. So, I do understand how someone could not enjoy having too many repeats.

That said, I do all the cooking because I got sick and tired of having the same thing week after week.

If you guys are living and paying bills together, come up with a food budget first and then figure out meals around it. We budget and I meal plan, but we're not eating the same thing every night (or every week).

One thing that helped me was to write down on notecards, or wherever really, all the dinners you like. See how many you guys can come up with. Then take out 7 a week, and try to come up with a combo of meals that will be varied and fit within your budget.

This would really upset me if I were in your shoes, it would kinda be a take it or leave it deal. If he doesn't want you to plan meals tell him he can cook(and pay for himself) for both of you. The catch being give him a list of things he can NOT use and won't have in your home with the healthy sub he can use. Maybe even go as far as giving him a calorie limit for the meal cuz this is a lifestyle change you would like him to be a part of. I hope it works out for you.