Does Your Hubby Tell You the Truth When He Doesn't like a Meal You Prepare?

It depends on how much he doesn't like it. If he really doesn't like it, he'll try to choke down a few bites and then tell me that it just wasn't his thing then ask me if I would mind if he made himself a sandwich. This doesn't happen too often, luckily.

If he doesn't much care for it but can still eat it, he'll just say that, "It's okay," with a little little inflection at the end of that almost hints at a question but its really not. When he likes what I have prepared, he is pretty forthcoming with the compliments so his, "It's okay....?" is really his way of being honest and telling me that the food is tolerable (he ate it after all!) but not that great.

I don't think my husband does... but he should because if I don't know he will be eating it for the rest of his life.

It took my husband about 5 yrs to finally tell me to stop cooking pot roast. lol. We still laugh about that. He likes just about anything spicy so I usually get 'it's too bland". I love pasta with white sauce dishes and that is one of his least favorite type of dish.

I love to cook and my husband knows to only say something if I ask or if he REALLY does not like something I have prepared.. he will say, "this was not my favorite".. or he will politely just throw it away and not get seconds..

It is our way of letting me know, he really did not like it..

my husband will tell me - and honestly I don't think that it should hurt your feelings. He wasn't trying to be mean to you, and maybe the past few times you made it he hasn't liked it and has been polite. I personally would rather know if my husband doesn't like something that I make so that I don't make it again, or if it is something that I like I will make it when he is not going to be there or something. I would prefer that he tells me instead of choking down something that he doesn't like, but that is just me, and I have a pretty thick skin. I wouldn't take it personally, he just has some different preferences than I have. I try to make things that everyone likes, not just the things that I like.

He tells me. However, I know what things he won't eat (cheese, mushrooms, etc). He's the pickiest eater in our house so I have to dumb-down the meals to his level! lol

For 3 years with my DH I have been making Mexican food. I was raised in Az and really love mexican food. Tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas..... My Dh would always eat it too. About a month ago he cae out and said he hates when I make Mexican food, and he hates eating it. He put up with it for 3 years just so my feelings wouldnt get hurt. But now since the truth is out, I have stopped making mexican dishes for dinner. I only make it when I know he wont be home now.

yes he tells me. i want him to, because i dont want to spend an hr or hr and a half making something he doesnt like or wont eat. as soon as i try a new recipe i tell him...so - is this on the rotation or not? he is extremely nice about it when he tells me as he knows how much trouble i have gone to

He tells me he does not like it, and if there is a tweak he shares it with me, and I try not to be but hurt but he also tells me when he does like it as well. I tell him when he makes something I do not like, it is what happens. Next time you are inclined to make this meal tell him ahead of time so he can plan on making his own dinner; that's what we do!

Im fortunate that my husband likes just about everything. But if he didnt I'd want him to tell me. but they are always afraid of hurting our feelings. Sounds like ur hubby was trying to be nice :)

My husband will try his best to work through a meal he doesn't like...he won't say anything to me at the time but weeks later he'll quietly ask if I will not make that meal again. Please don't let something like this hurt your feelings. You are a wife, not a chef! He does not have to like everything you cook. And in my household, I do not have to cook something he likes everytime anyway.

As my 3 year old says..."you get what you get and you don't get upset!" If he does not like my food, he is free to prepare something else...and sometimes he does, and no offense taken on my end.

Actually, my, ahem, "developing" cooking skills has often become the butt of jokes by my husband. He was just teasing me the other day about the time I prepared rice pudding while we were still dating -- only to discover that after slaving over this dessert, somehow my rice came out undercooked (still can't figure out why that happened!) and my pudding was crunchy. He ate quietly, not saying a word, later he confessed because he really liked me and did not want to hurt my feelings (aww!). This was quickly followed by a "PLEASE, PLEASE don't ever make that again or I'll end up in the emergency room!" I just roll my eyes and "threaten" that I'll make him rice pudding only if he misbehaves, LOL!

My husband will tell me but he will kindly preface it with "I appreciate the effort you put in, but....". Then I know not to make that anymore. But mostly he cooks the big get together meals, and we have been married 22 years, so we sort of know what the other likes and does not like. When I get ticked off about something that boils my blood, I try to hold it inside for a day just to see if it was my hormones making me cranky or if he really did offend me. I am the hotblooded one and he is super patient - I blurt everything out and he stores it up and only gets angry when he feels that many things went wrong. That in itself has caused arguments since I could not believe he kept several little things stored up, but he felt he did not want to bother me with little annoyances. I would rather let it out and be done with it and have a cup of tea together and forget it. I think it is a difference in approach, but does not affect underlying love or compatibility in our case. Often it is just what you describe: one puts in a lot of effort and had hoped for good feedback and instead got a negative input which rankles. Just make sure that the way you handle the aftermath is proportionate to the issue and worth an argument in the grand scheme of things.

My husband tells me. I know, for example, that he HATES hamburger helper (which my children love)...so I make that when I know he is not going to be home. He also is not a big fan of breakfast for dinner (pancakes, eggs, sausage)....again, I make that when he is not home. There have been times that I have made something new or different and I watch his reaction. I am lucky thta he will eat just about anything...but I can tell. If he inhales it he likes it, if it kinda swooshes around his plate he doesn't. I let him know if I don't like something he makes (although it's a RARE occasion that he cooks) and he tells me if he doesn't like something.
Don't let your feelings get hurt. Everyone has likes and dislikes!
L.

I specifically told my husband not to tell me. He is a very very very picky eater, and he doesn't really like healthy foods at all - no veggies, he prefers lots of cheese and fry, and he was telling me that he didn't really like about 3-4 meals a week. I got so sick of it that I just stopped cooking for him. Then our kids came along. I told him that he needed to set a better eating example for them, and I need to cook to keep us in budget, so he would have to stop complaining about anything I make. And he did. Usually, though, I can still tell, and of course I don't go out of my way to make foods I know he doesn't like. He is often very complimentary about foods he does like, and so I notice by lack of comment. Our agreement is that he doesn't tell me unless it gags him or something, and he eats what is on his plate, and in return, I do my best to always include things he likes in a meal. Hopefully, my kids will learn to do the same.

I think it's best to mention if you don't like something. In as nice a way possible.
It's not meant to hurt feelings, but I'd rather not make something a bunch of times thinking my husband loved it only to find out later that he didn't.
I like trying different recipes and I made this stuff one night that was so horrible I just had to laugh. Even I didn't want any of it and I didn't care how much time I'd spent on it. It went straight in the trash.
Not all things will be family favorites.
Try not to get too upset over honesty.

Best wishes.

My husband tells me if he doesn't like something I've cooked. Why waste time cooking it if he doesn't like it? People have different tastes in food. You should not be mad if your hubby doesn't like something. It is not a blow to you, it is a blow to the potato, LOL. Your husband should feel like he can be honest with you without you getting mad. If you know he doesn't like it, then don't make it anymore. Make it for yourself for lunch, but don't waste your time making him one when you know he doesn't like it. Please don't take offense to the fact that he didn't like it. Not everyone is going to like the same things, that is what makes us different. If he felt like he could have told you a long time ago that he didn't like it, you would have saved yourself the time and trouble of making it. Please don't be angry at him just because he doesn't like food you cook. There is plenty that people fight about, and that should not be one of them.

Yes he tells me. But he is usually very kind about it and he almost always eats it anyway. :)

My husband will eat anything, then tell me later "Well next time let's make it spicier." or "Ehh, it was okay. Probably not something we should make again." He'll also put enough hot sauce on it so that he can't taste anything but the spice (if it tastes really bad).

I know what you're saying -- you work hard so you want to hear a "thank you" and "it was delicious." But we don't always get those comments, so it can hurt.

I do appreciate when my husband is honest with me, but that doesn't mean that my feelings aren't hurt anyway! I completely understand what you're saying.

Like you, my husband likes 99.5% of everything I cook, so I feel lucky.

We're at odds about this. He thinks he should be honest, which, to a point, I agree with. However, he's not the most tactful of people and I hate to cook, so when I spend time on a meal, I don't want him to take one bite and tell me it's awful, or worse yet, enter the house and ask, "What smells?" (which he's done several times). I know when something is bad, and considering he doesn't much care what he eats (nothing anywhere is ever delicious- just ok) I really don't want to hear it. I can deal with criticism better though about the meal considering he makes dinner once in awhile too! I would have had hurt feelings too, but I'd have saved his for dinner the next night for me and he could have gotten his own dinner that night.

Yes, my Husband does.
But it is not often. He usually 99.9% of the time, likes what I cook.
But he is not a picky eater... but I also know what he likes and my kids and I cook per their palate.. and my cooking tastes.

It does not hurt my feelings if my Husband tells me he did not care for something I made. He will then either eat it anyway or make something else for himself.

I never liked every single thing my own Mom cooked either.
Nothing will be 100%.

If your Husband says that, then just tell him he can make HIMSELF something else to eat.

all the best,
Susan

ha! After years of marriage I have learned that if my husband leaves anything on the plate- he didn't like the meal(his excuse is that he is "full" even though he will find something else to eat less than an hour later!) and if he goes back for seconds- he loves it!
I had made stir-fry for years before my husband told me that he didn't like stir fry! I told him just to tell me what he doesn't like so I don't waste my time fixing it! Now I will only have Chinese food when my sister is over and I fix him something else. So, I do prefer it when he lets me know he doesnt' like what I fixed for dinner- so next time I won't fix it. But if it happens too often- he will be the one to fix the meals!
~C.

We have a deal -- if he likes something a lot, he tells me he could eat it every week; less than once a month; a lot less then like quarterly; and hates it then like annually.... I get his drift without having my feelings hurt by harsh words :) But it also lets me know what works for our family and what doesn't. Of course, kids are not as nice.... but my 3.5 year old with often just say "mom, it's not my favorite :)" so I guess she is still on the polite side of the scale. ha!

My husband tells me he loves everything I make except liver and onions.
No one likes liver and onions in my house but me so I'll make it just for myself every once in a great while.
My husband is a pretty good cook in his own right.
If ever he doesn't like what's available for supper, he's free to whip up something that's more to his liking.
I don't take it personally because sometimes I'm not in the mood for certain foods either.

I suppose I'm really lucky cos we discovered early on in our relationship that my hubby is a "picky eater" and I'm not a very good cook. Our solution ... he does the cooking! If you happen to be a SAHM and feel "duty bound" to have a meal ready for your husband when he comes home, sit him down calmly one weekend and ask him to help you plan the meals for the week. Tell him it will help with your budget if you buy the ingredients all at once. Once he has committed to this, he can't tell you he doesn't like it cos he picked it! Good luck. May the Force be with you!! :)

yes, he tells me (i can usually tell by his reactions anyway.) he is very nice about it, and i never guilt trip him over it. i appreciate honesty and i'm sure he appreciates not being faced with a dish he dislikes over and over.
of course, this is coming from 24 years of marriage. i'm sure in the early years i was much more hyper-sensitive and he wasn't as tactful. but i've conveniently forgotten all the young-married angst.
:) khairete
S.

My husband won't eat anything I make for dinner besides Chicken Parm and spaghetti. Lol. As a result we go out to dinner a lot so I never complain. I also don't take it personally. I am not a good cook and I guess I don't really try too hard either. I do always have fresh fruit and vegetables available for our family to eat however.

I was a terrible cook when hubby and I first met...he ate burnt steak and soggy food for FOREVER and didn't say a word...FOR YEARS!

Now, after 13+ years he tells me ALL the time if he doesn't like something!

I guess our honeymoon phase is over! :)

I haven't read the other posts, but the history of meal preparation in our home is a bit like this:

I learned to ask early on: "Do you like this meal? Would you eat it again? If you don't like it, what don't you like about it? What would you change? .....Basically, is this a make again meal? Why or why not?

That was a safe and fair way to learn both his/her likes and dislikes in the beginning.

My husband recently told one of his colleagues in front of me while we were sitting down to dinner that in almost 20 years of home made cooked meals he can count on one hand how many meals were not appetizing....3 to be exact. And I know exactly which ones he meant.

As far as Mexican food - it is so tasty in general if made with fresh cilantros, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, peppers, etc. , but I wonder what HE grew up eating? Does he want more ethnic variety? More spice? I love Mex by husband does not.

And I have to agree with DH, I do not care for both chicken and potato in the same filling for Mexican food. I prefer just meat and veggies combined and potato on the side.

I am now a bit bored with my own cooking b/c I am cooking for kids again and they always want food so bland and basic.

I also think if DH is going to want specific meals, then he needs to pitch in with meal prep by either shopping, chopping, cooking or all the clean up.

Happy cooking!! And does the younger generation still say that the quickest way to man's heart is through his stomach?

Yes, my husband does tell me. Well, he actually won't come out and say "I don't like this". But if I see that he is just pushing it around his plate, I'll ask...and he will answer honestly. At first I was a little put back about it for the same reason as you - I just spent about an hour preparing and you'd rather have cereal! But then he explained and it totally makes sense. He said his dad told him that if he didn't like a meal, he better be honest about it, cause if he wasn't, he would spend the rest of his life eating that meal every now and then. And 20 years down the road you can't just come out and say "I haven't liked this for the past 20 years but never said anything".