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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to hide food?

150 replies

Bellebill · 10/03/2019 21:10

I’m sure this happens in other households but it’s starting to really get on my nerves now...
my husband who is quite a tall big fella and naturally eats more than me (and so he should what with daily calorie intake) seems to eat all the food! I’m talking cereal, multipacks of crisps etc. I’ll eat a uite a normal size bowl of cereal but his will be a mountain of special K etc so that a box will have gone in maybe 3 days (!) and he eats a packet of crisps (maybe more than one) every day if they’re there! Don’t even get me started on biscuits! I won’t necessarily eat crisps every day but maybe every couple of days I might fancy a pack, but he will never stop to think maybe he should leave a pack for me since he’s already cleared 5 out of a 6 x multipack! It’s driving me mad and I’ve started to think I might hide food for myself so that when I fancy something it’s actually there rather than racing to eat something as soon as it’s bought! He challenged me when I moaned this evening “well what am I supposed to do?” Baffles me how selfish men are!

Please tell me I’m not alone and you too live with greedy pigs?!

OP posts:
BiscuitDrama · 10/03/2019 21:12

If you’ve said once to not eat up everything, then that’s pretty selfish.
Is he overweight? His behaviour seems quite extreme.

Babysharkdododont · 10/03/2019 21:15

I don't think he's necessarily wrong, one pack of crisps a day, or a huge bowl of cereal when he's really hungry, hardly crimes of the century.
I would just put some special treats for yourself somewehyelse that he wouldn't think to look, and enjoy them in peace.

Sickofthemoaning · 10/03/2019 21:16

What so he shouldn’t eat in case you might maybe possibly fancy something???

Singlenotsingle · 10/03/2019 21:18

Not unreasonable at all. Just put a little stash away for yourself.

MaybeitsMaybelline · 10/03/2019 21:18

Yanbu, I have always hidden food.with greedy men and teenagers in the house (now adults so lesser of a problem) every day is a food free for all. Buy nice things for yourself if you can afford to, and hide them.

Suggested hiding places; on too of the kitchen cupboards, in the freezer, in the oven, in the garage, in the coat cupboard, under the bed, on top of the wardrobes, behind drawers. The list Is endless.

I have no guilt, my mother is horrified at my “selfishness” whilst playing the martyr herself and never having anything of her own.

RedSkyLastNight · 10/03/2019 21:18

If it's things like cereal and crisps, and you know he eats through them so quickly, why not just buy more?

I have same issue with teenage son but he knows not to eat food that is specifically earmarked for meals or "special" treat food. Cereal and crisps I couldn't get bothered about.

AdaColeman · 10/03/2019 21:19

Feed him much more stodge at meal times to fill him up.
Porridge for breakfast, large portions of potatoes/pasta/rice with meals. Serve bead with every meal, make soup for a first course, stodgy puddings/rice pudding each day. Add lentils to all casserole type meals to fill him up.

Then he won't need to snack on your crisps and biscuits.

BlueMerchant · 10/03/2019 21:20

Yes, really thoughtless. Complains if kids ask for special yogurts as they are 'pricey' but thinks nothing of demolishing a 7 pkt of mars bars in 2 days. I get really annoyed if we get a fancy box if 'posh' biscuits or chocolates for Christmas and he eats them all without a thought about me or the kids. It happens every year. Greedy f*er.

Bayleyf · 10/03/2019 21:20

I hear you.

If I buy biscuits they're gone in 24hs, and I've maybe had two myself... solution is to buy biscuits he doesn't like.

Margot33 · 10/03/2019 21:21

Buy more and save yourself some. Hide it well though.

OhTheRoses · 10/03/2019 21:21

Wait until you have teenagers Grin Sorry OP. He does sound a bit of a greedy pig though x

babysharkah · 10/03/2019 21:21

@AdaColeman he could feed himself more if he was hungry!!

I'd stash some for myself tbh.

Original poster
Bellebill · 10/03/2019 21:22

How about a huge bowl of cereal every day and 1-2 packs a day, maybe 2 apples etc and then we also have two children to feed?! If I kept up with his eating habits in order that I have my share I would end up overweight and we would be pretty poor! It’s just frustrating! I’m not asking for much, just maybe him to have a second thought and I think “god I’ve drank 11 cans out of this multipack of cola, maybe I should leave the last can for her”.

OP posts:
Rainandclouds · 10/03/2019 21:23

I have to try and hide food from a greedy husband. He ate a Whole packet of biscuits after a large tea when I was putting the small person to bed and left
None for me!

ChandelierSail · 10/03/2019 21:24

I have this with DH and chocolate. I'll buy a large bar of chocolate and a day or so later will go to have some to find it gone! The whole bloody lot!

So now I buy two bars. I put his in one cupboard and the other in "my" cupboard. And woe betide him if he touches my bar!

Bananasarenottheonlyfruit · 10/03/2019 21:25

Just buy more if it is every day items like cereal and crisps.

If you had said that he was scarfing 98% of a luxury occasional treat item, I would agree he was being selfish, but I can't get on board with a large bloke having to leave day-to-day items just in case you fancy some.

AdaColeman · 10/03/2019 21:27

@babysharkah But he IS feeding himself more, that's what the OP is complaining about! Grin

tealandteal · 10/03/2019 21:27

My husband is very tall with a very fast metabolism but he manages to not eat multiple bags of crisps as he would not dream of eating more than his fair share. He also understands a budget. However he does need to eat a lot more that I do to feel full. Who is in charge of meal planning? That person needs to make sure there is enough proper food in so that the snacks are just extras and not making up for a lack of food. For example at lunch today we both had 1 packet of crisps and 1 biscuit bar thing buy I had one roll\sandwich and he had 3.

LivingDeadGirlUK · 10/03/2019 21:28

Yeah its really selfish, especially if he wont go do a top up shop after eating everything.

My partner eats a lot of sone things but goes shopping to replace so I barely notice. My ex would eat everything in the house and refuse to buy more because he had already paid his half if the weekly shop money that week.

tealandteal · 10/03/2019 21:28

Also special k is really not filling, maybe try and something with less sugar that fills him up more.

Original poster
Bellebill · 10/03/2019 21:28

@BlueMerchant that is my life!!! My sister gave us a fancy box of biscuits for Christmas, anyway I forgot about them and I found them in his office the other day “hidden” underneath some paperwork when I was looking for sellotape! Grrr!!! Sounds like this is a common problem.
Couple of extra facts - he has a brother, and his mum used to just let them eat whatever from the fridge / cupboards whenever they wanted. That is NOT what happened in my family! I used to have to ask my mother if I could get a snack out of the cupboard. Argh!!!!

OP posts:
Sickofthemoaning · 10/03/2019 21:31

I would also suggest you buy a stopwatch so you can time how much water he uses, insist he takes his phone off charge if his battery has a larger percentage than yours and insist he wore children’s clothes....you know, in case you don’t get “your share”

Cherim90 · 10/03/2019 21:35

Stash some stuff for yourself 😅 that's what I'd do! He sounds a bit selfish fair enough if he's hungry but to eat most of it and not think to leave a can or something for you, that is selfish no other word for it lol that's basically like u making tea eating it all and being like well I was hungry 🤷‍♀️😂

RedHelenB · 10/03/2019 21:36

Tell him if he eats the last one he has to replace it?

Original poster
Bellebill · 10/03/2019 21:38

Well I’ve lived with him for 15 years and we have an excellent diet of filling food with respectable sized portions (more for him OBVIOUSLY) and slow release carbohydrates to help stave off hunger etc. But if you’re telling me that I have to buy food that’ll fill him up for longer just so that he won’t eat all the crisps etc then 1. as aforementioned that won’t work and 2. this is beginning to feel like he’s my third child. 😂 I think what I’m probably going to do is to not buy crisps again because he’s slipping back into bad eating habits and frankly with two very busy small children I don’t have time to squabble or monitor stock levels to ensure I get my share. Or I might just occasionally hide a couple of bits in a wardrobe! 😂 thanks to some of you ladies for feeling my pain xx

OP posts: