To not understand people who don't love food

Not always the case.
My ex found no joy in food at all (ASD) and hated so many foods. I wasn't allowed to cook, wouldn't try anything new, ate the exact same meal out whether we were in a fancy restaurant or a chain pub.
Her diet was so so restrictive, but also unhealthy. She was overweight then and is more so now, as most of the foods she'll eat are fatty/unhealthy and her food issues mean she cannot veer from that even slightly.
Didn't have anything 'more interesting to talk about' either unfortunately. A major factor in us breaking up. I did love her but I was rather bored over time.

I just had to try and keep a straight face when my boss was saying that I must make time to eat lunch in between meetings... Yeah, that's really not going to be an issue for me

It doesn't have to be gourmet. But it must be fresh, good ingredients, and tasty. It can be very simple, nice bread, salad, cheese.

This is me too. Must have my meals in a timely manner. They must be nice. And plentiful. Otherwise I can get very sulky and cross. It's not a nice trait. But in my own defence, food is the only thing that makes this way.

I'm in the toddler trenches, when pasta and cheese are beige food are life! Despite all my efforts.

This is quite different to the other poster. The language you're using makes it sound a bit like an addiction: craving, even if it makes you feel sick. Constant craving. Non-specific. It sounds like a nebulous NEED for something, a fix or hit, you don't care how you get it, you need it. Not being able to concentrate until you have one of the meeting-room biscuits sounds like the need is bigger than anything else (or at least your work!). That's basically an addiction. Wow. Thanks for this explanation, it's really interesting to know.

If you don't mind my asking - please feel free to not reply if you'd rather not think about it! - do you think the eating disorder triggered this addiction, or was the addiction always there? It sounds like something hard-wired in your body (is it brain? is it gut? both, maybe?). I'm sorry you had to go through that, teenage years are bad enough as it is.

This sounds more like a hobby: a shared interest, like Dungeons and Dragons (!), less about the consumption of the end product than the process which includes exchanging ideas and planning and interaction with another person. I do have the odd conversation with people about the mechanics of cooking, or new ingredients I've discovered, but they're rarely and very factual!

I live alone and I still cook lovely things. If I can’t eat it all now I’ll either freeze it for another day or keep it in the fridge for tomorrow. I’ve also got much better at reducing quantities, so food that won’t freeze or reheat well (or won’t work cold) I can make one portion fairly successfully.
Don't stop eating nice food because it’s just you!

I especially don't understand the craze for hot sauce. Some slather it over everything.

I put a spoonful of cherry harissa paste on my cottage cheese salad, but keep it away from asparagus etc., or everything else on the plate would taste of harissa.

No not really. There's a planning element to it but it's also just want. You want it. Even if it's something that will make you feel sick. Like a craving but constant and can be non-specific. I am not overweight but had an eating disorder in my teens and think about food constantly. Plan my meals, think about recipes, I'm having a takeaway this weekend as I have the house to myself and been thinking all week about what I'll have. If there's biscuits or something on the table in a work meeting I literally can't concentrate on anything until I've had one. Food noise is very real and I'm jealous that some people don't have it!

for me this isn't food noise, food noise is where you are compelled to binge eat even though you are not hungry.

I love food, cooking it, planning what to eat, even shopping for it. It probably helps that DH and I both love food and so cook together every evening, its a real shared love.

So is this what people mean by "food noise"? Thinking about their next meal etc?

I'd be interested to know what those who think about food all the time are actually thinking about! Is it the flavours they will taste? The sensation? How it makes them feel? Something it reminds them of? How they feel afterwards?

I don't think I've ever felt that way about food or drink, but I do daydream/reminisce about lying on a beach, cocktail to hand, waves lapping, nobody talking to me, drifting off to sleep. These thoughts make me very happy indeed! The memories, the prospect of the next time that will happen, the sounds and smells, the feeling of complete peace etc. Is that what it's like with food noise?

I would actually say that my love of food makes me more of a pain in the arse than those that don't love it. I have to work really hard not to turn into a whiny baby if it looks like a mealtime might be delayed. If we're making plans I have to make sure that food is accounted for somewhere along the lines. I'd struggle to just head off for a spontaneous trip if I knew it might run over lunchtime.

Thank you! See, it is possible for people to have different likes and dislikes and priorities and experiences without it reflecting on their moral character or worth as human beings.

I absolutely love food. Think about it all the time. The people I know who aren't like that are far from joyless drones though. That's a really fucking weird and deliberately unpleasant take. They just enjoy other stuff, that's all.

I actually think it's a really fucking horrible thing to say when so many people who dislike food and eating have opened up about the trauma they suffered which led to them feeling like that.

I enjoy food. I just don’t feel the need to wang on all the time about how my love of food represents all the ways I’m a healthier more balanced human being and probably a better lover than someone who is a bit too busy to fuck about making shredded ham in the middle of the working day.

For me, food is work, planning, cleaning, hassle, over and over again every single day until we die.
Don’t get me wrong, if nice food manifested and cleaned up after itself without any input from me, I’d absolutely love that! But it doesn’t and I CBA and I have other (joyful 🙄) stuff to do 🤷‍♀️

I admire people that like to cook. I don’t have the patience nor do I fancy the clean up operation afterwards. I do quite like to bake though - usually one mixing bowl and no simultaneous pots boiling etc.

However, I can’t bear people that call themselves “foodies” when actually what they mean is “I like to go to restaurants”, because the chef there has the passion and the craft. You’re just eating. It’s not a hobby or a skill to use OpenTable and masticate!

I’m with you,OP, and get great pleasure out of planning and eating meals. I like them to be healthy, too: food is medicine.
I am a great Dr Rupy fan.

My Mum always said there are two types of people; people who live to eat and people who eat to live. I am the latter, my husband is the former. I marvel at the amount he puts away and I was never overweight til I met him. I am however a junk food addict who hates cooking. I can happily go without if there is nothing in the house I want to eat that doesn't require cooking. Diets are impossible cos i get to a point where i would rather not eat than have [insert food item] again. I am notorious for skipping dinner cos I would rather sleep. The amount of times my husband has lovingly crafted a nice meal and i haven't wanted/enjoyed it but ate it anyway to please him.

I’m like you as well
but I find it so hard to lose weight as food is so amazing

i I must say I’m also a fabulous cook making food from scratch and ‘layering’ flavours

Your food sounds amazing

2 slices of white bread, buttered, bag of crisps as filling.
How happy am I

Poncey salad?

Nah. I'd rather have beans on toast.

Edited to add, in the past I've done the toast and eaten the beans cold, straight from the tin.

nope....they just enjoy other sensory experiences.

Oh wow , me too. I couldn’t eat beetroot or tomatoes to this day if that was the only food left on the planet. Bad memories.
Although I’ve gone the other way and comfort eat so am overweight, I just can’t seem to stop myself.

I cant think of anything worse than eating. Its my least favourite time of any day. Id rather be hungry than even make a slice of toast. Ive always been like this and so has my dad. I get to dinner time and just think well i dont know what i want, i dont fancy anything so i just wont eat. My mum would ask about 4/5 what we wanted for dinner and me and my dad would make her crazy cos we just never knew.