Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be cringed out by this (re sharing a takeaway)

291 replies

Cloudyonasunnyday · 04/06/2026 20:27

When me and partner get a takeaway and share it he is obsessive over making sure we get half each, he will literally count pieces of chicken in a curry for example - how would this make you feel ?

OP posts:
BlueSherbet · 04/06/2026 21:58

Don't take it personally.

Food is very important to men!

Lifeomars · 04/06/2026 21:57

I made a massive chicken korma today and was portioning up some of it up for freezing . I must admit I was keeping an eye on how much chicken was in each container . It's only for me but I would be a bit disapointed if one of the containers had less chicken in it. It was bloody lovely too, I added lentils and spinach, impressed with myself!

Maternityleavelady · 04/06/2026 21:57

XenoBitch · 04/06/2026 20:35

Ah ok. Is the takeaway a bit stingy with the chicken?
I have had a prawn curry from one place, and there was a grand total of 8 prawns in it. If I was sharing, I would want to make sure we had the same.

I agree on counting prawns as they are always so tight with them. You’re lucky to get 8 prawns in a takeaway - we usually get 4 or 5! I have actually just given up prawn curries as they are too annoyingly stingey now. But no I don’t count chicken or lamb pieces 🤣

GrandTheftWalrus · 04/06/2026 21:55

DH has a much bigger appetite than me so when we get a takeaway we each just get what we want. Last time we got a Chinese I got a kids curry and it was massive. And im not a teeny tiny I just get what I think ill eat. Although tbf I usually get a soup, kids meal and a banana fritter.

However a chicken chow mien is always an adult meal and I end it in one sitting.

godmum56 · 04/06/2026 21:53

nowaynohowz · 04/06/2026 20:35

I do this. It’s nothing about being tight, it’s just the easiest and quickest way for me to see I’ve dished it out fairly. (Edited to add - I do have OCD…this may be relevant information 😂 )

Edited

I don't have OCD to my knowledge but I do this too, to make sure I dish up fairly for all.

ACR7 · 04/06/2026 21:52

I couldn’t get worked up over this. My husband is a greedy sod. He’s 6ft 5 and quite slim but seems to go into greed mode with food. Think it goes back to his childhood and not having much. He was in his element when I was in the jabs and he could dust off all my food haha

Strawberryteabag · 04/06/2026 21:51

differentstrokesfordifferentfolks · 04/06/2026 21:35

But you do know that everyone is different, right? I can and do eat as much as my DH and no, I’m not remotely over weight. No “penis portions” in my house!

I never mentioned feeding his penis! I cant say we do that in this house either! 😳

TeaPot496 · 04/06/2026 21:50

I do this, but it's a trauma response to growing up extremely poor, and neglected, and I don't mean to seem mean. Has he any such history?

Lifeomars · 04/06/2026 21:49

whitefluffydog · 04/06/2026 21:06

I have always eaten 1 fifth of what any man I have been with, usually eats. So these things would never even happen

How do you eat 1 fifth of a jacket potato for example or 1 fifth of a boiled egg?

nomas · 04/06/2026 21:48

whitefluffydog · 04/06/2026 21:06

I have always eaten 1 fifth of what any man I have been with, usually eats. So these things would never even happen

You realise we now imagine you do the exact opposite to this, right?

That you eat 4/5 and leave 1/5 to yo man?

PurpleDisco · 04/06/2026 21:47

I’m assuming he’s on the spectrum or is not diagnosed yet? Does he have any other symptoms? The fact he’s so tight is surely off putting for you to say the least ..

katseyes7 · 04/06/2026 21:47

When we had a 'share' bag of sweets, my ex husband used to count them into two bowls.
He once cut a jaffa cake in half because there was an odd number in the packet.
This is the same man who'd eat seven out of a 10 pack of crisps while l was on a late shift and l'd been shopping in the morning. . They were meant to be for both of us, five each, for packed lunches. So he ate all of his and two of mine. In one evening. When he still had his evening meal....

whattheysay · 04/06/2026 21:44

No I would just stop sharing takeaways and buy one dish each.
I do the sharing with my husband because I eat less than he does so I take what I want the give him the rest but he’s never give me exactly half he’ll always ask how much I want. But then he’s not tight at all

Malasana · 04/06/2026 21:43

Well it’s fair. If the meal you’re sharing comes with 8 pieces of chicken and he takes a big spoonful with 6 pieces and leaves a load of sauce with 2 pieces in the tray for you, I imagine you’d be starting a thread “My partner took all the meat and left me with the sauce”

climbintheback · 04/06/2026 21:43

Thank God he’s just a boy friend!

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 04/06/2026 21:43

Ewww.

when we get a takeaway my partner likes to make a very clear division between what’s his and what’s mine….but that’s purely so he can dig in with wild abandon and know he’s not taking more than his share.
but to count the chicken pieces? No.

fairydustt · 04/06/2026 21:42

I’m a bit like this, it’s out of fairness not being tight or petty or anything like that, for example if making beans on toast and DH and I share a tin of those baked beans that have sausages in them, usually the tin has 12 sausages in, I’ll always specifically dish out 6 per person to be fair..

youalright · 04/06/2026 21:39

Thats 100% come from childhood

Andtheyreofffortheday · 04/06/2026 21:39

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

fabstraction · 04/06/2026 21:37

Eh, if he's splitting it in half, I don't think I'd be bothered. I try to split things evenly when I'm sharing with someone. If they're small pieces of chicken I probably would just eyeball it, but larger ones? Yes, I'd count. Didn't realise that was a problem for some people.

(Unrelated, but I often have a bigger appetite than my husband.)

Dimpledaisies · 04/06/2026 21:36

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ.

giddyboo · 04/06/2026 21:36

XenoBitch · 04/06/2026 20:30

I would think he grew up with a sibling that did the same. My DSis was the sort to get a ruler out if we had to share a piece of cake.

Was about to say the same.

redskyAtNigh · 04/06/2026 21:36

I think it depends on the takeaway. Some only have about 4 pieces of meat, so it would be totally reasonable to count them out to make sure everyone got a fair portion. If it's an enormous portion with loads of meat then less so.

I would much rather have a partner than did that then end up with a plate of mostly sauce because no particular care was taken.

differentstrokesfordifferentfolks · 04/06/2026 21:35

Strawberryteabag · 04/06/2026 21:02

I agree i would always give my DH a bigger portion than me, men generally need more calories than women. I cant eat anywhere near as much.

But you do know that everyone is different, right? I can and do eat as much as my DH and no, I’m not remotely over weight. No “penis portions” in my house!

fashionqueen0123 · 04/06/2026 21:35

AMillionPeopleCheering · 04/06/2026 21:30

Shared some pasta parcels last night with my Dh - the nice big ones- and i counted those out. Maybe I will be served divorce papers tomorrow

That’s quite different to picking out pieces of chicken in a curry 🤣

Swipe left for the next trending thread