to not want to go on holiday with DH as he’s taking Pot Noodles?

[Astridastro]

Hear me out on this, we are off to Italy in a month, a lifelong dream of mine, I had visions of long leisurely lunches and dinners, great Italian food and wine aplenty.

Food on holiday has always been a contentious issue for DH, he believes eating out is a waste of money and would rather sit in the hotel room with a Pot Noodle (seriously). On one holiday he actually went to a supermarket and bought all these pound noodles to try. Now I’m not for blowing money on fancy gourmet dinners but I like to eat nice, good healthy food. We’ve gone all inclusive and that’s usually a great compromise.

So this time I was informing him of the Italian tradition of eating late and it being an event, courses taking a while etc etc and he’s been so annoying about it saying he wants to go to McDonalds or he’ll just have Pot Noodles. He like to eat at 12 noon for lunch and 5pm for dinner on the dot, he eats very fast too. He says he’s going for the sights not for the food.

So I’m contemplating leaving him with his sad Pot Noodle and just taking the DC put for a nice meal on my own. It’s the way he keeps going on about it to get a rise out of me.

Doesn't mean they are joined at the hip or the dinner table

Leave him to chow down on his 'Piss Pot Noodles ' and take your DC out for at least a couple of delicious Italian Pizzas, Pasta's,Chicken Parms and a few trips to the many gelato shops. My favourite things are the Antipasti Platters and fresh breads for lunch and a lovely Affogato with a Limoncello shot! I can't imagine saying .I really think a Pot Noodle would hit the spot right now! 😆 To each their own ,but your entitled to eat what you want too. Enjoy!

Yeah I agree, I love the US but not for the food. I’m going next month and I’m actually taking some breakfast bars and oat sachets for the places I’m staying where breakfast isn’t included in the price then I plan to eat a lot of supermarket food - fruit, sandwiches etc for my evening meal and maybe a small lunch somewhere . I’m going to some of the states you mentioned though and I’ll eat out for dinner sometimes but not all the time.

Also with all the tips it adds up pretty quickly in the US!.

Conversely when I was in Thailand earlier this year I made sure I ate out at every opportunity lol and I’d be the same in Italy too.

I was almost dating a guy once who said he didn’t like eating out. Things ended there 😂

OMG, LTB!
HEATHEN!

This

I had to read this as familiar territory! My partner is different though, he loves an all inclusive but we were having a cheapie 3 day bed a d breakfast in Majorca. Finances were limited so he decided we would take loads of Pot Noodles to save money. To keep the peace ( he's otherwise lovely) I agreed.
The weather was pretty dismal but we still get out and about, then ate our Pot Noodles.On the last day we got soaked to the skin and actually had to throw our shoes out. I think he could tell my patience was wearing thin ,we ate in the hotel dining room that night.
I don't think I'd be going along with the Pot Noodles again.

Astonishing. Inexplicable.He must have many other wonderful qualities.

@OonaStubbs i think Italians would be disgusted at the thought of Pot Noodles around all the lovely fresh (real) food.

I may have been a tad harsh with the 5pm dinner, if he’s cooking he will start dinner at 5pm (tonight we are at 6pm) he goes to bed at 10pm. If I’m cooking he tells him to let him know so he can have a snack as I’ll serve at 7pm 😀

We aren’t all inclusive this time (have been in the past to solve this problem), last holiday to the US was the two of us and we ate out all the time, time before was the dollar noodle fiasco.

To whoever said I think US cuisine = Walmart I didnt say that I said I love wandering around supermarkets on holiday (I’ll probably get slated for that too) but who cares? I’m sure I’ll be wandering around Roman supermarkets stocking up on Biscotti

I love a foeriegn supermarket!

Clearly you should LTB! Holiday and culture is good, drink, atmosphere, changing things up and appreciating something different!

You forgot the marmalade.

Have you booked yet? A few times that I have been to Italy it has been half board, which may solve your problems.

I don't think I could live with a Pot Noodle man. His narrow attitude would do me in.

If he wants to get a rise out of you, he seems to have managed!
Play his game. Tell him that's fine, you'll go out with DC and you'll both be happy. Bet you when it comes to it he won't be a sad-o and stay in.

Blow his mind and point out noodles and pasta are essentially the same thing - he could have chicken and mushroom pasta 😂

Fuck that.

Those of you saying neither option is wrong…I suppose the patient kind side of me would say each to their own etc etc. But come on!! There’s a middle ground here that doesn’t involve spending £1 on a pot noodle!

He doesn’t sound like he’s willing to compromise so you just do your own thing OP.

One of the best things about travelling is about experiencing the different cuisines - that in itself will be a learning experience for your DC and is part of “seeing the sights”.

I don’t believe that this is the only time his stinginess has raised its head…he reminds me of my father in law.

Good food and culture is the best part of the holiday. I’d leave him eating his over processed shite and go and have your fill in a nice restaurant at a leisurely pace. You shouldn’t have to miss out because he’s uncultured and stuck in his ways. Stingy old shite he is.

I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless. Let him starve. You will have the most magical dinners with your children. Let them order antipasto and desert. And make a point of trying everything. You and your children will have the most memorable of times in Italian family run trattorias. Italy is very family friendly. Incidentally, I cannot remember most of the sights from many family holidays in Italy. I can remember the food and the excitement of being at the dinner table. I can’t begin to explain the importance of food and eating in our home now I’m an adult. We eat well and we are all good eaters. You are doing a great job exposing your children to good food. It’s so important on so many levels. Your husband has issues with food. Do not let him influence your children’s relationship with food. I’m genuinely sad you have to eat with this person daily. Hope he has some kind of redeeming characteristics for your sake.

It's true that there is a lot of variation especially from region to region, but Italy is the biggest pasta producer and consumer in the world. I'm sure you know that each region has its own signature pasta dish alongside their other dishes. Most Italians eat pasta very regulalry. It's not a myth that Italians eat a lot of pasta, and while Italian cuisine extends beyond it, its still a staple. You only need walk along the aisles of any supermarket in Italy to see the massive range for sale, or see any lunch menu, or have your lunch catered as part of your job. Pasta is massive in Italy! Pizzarias are everywhere too.

Italy being the biggest pasta producer and consumer in the world (which it would be, as pasta is Italian) in no way contradicts my point that pasta does not comprise the majority of Italian cuisine. Ditto pizza.

I justs can't imagine reaching the end of this short life and wishing I'd sat in more hotel rooms in my pants and eaten more Pot Noodles, while the people I loved most in the world were out in the Italian evening air, eating under the stars.

People are baffling.

I don’t think that poster was having a narrow view at all! You sound quite rude and defensive in some of these replies.

No it’s not typical for an adult man to eat dinner at 5pm….and it certainly isn’t typical
for him to want to eat pot noodles whilst on holiday….so good luck with that. 🤣

If you have gone all inclusive, its him thats wasting money, is it that he dosnt like eating when other people are there? Other than that i don't understand him at all. Id go with DC for meals and bring him something back if you can, see if he eats it, if not leave him to his pot noodles.

Oh My God !
Pot noodles when you’re in Italy 🇮🇹 no way !
I have to say when I was away with my husband we did eat dinner fairly early in the evenings compared to many Italians because we absolutely can’t sleep on a full stomach.
But we ate out all the time , apart from a cup of tea ,some toast and fruit in the early morning for breakfast in the apartment.
The rest of the time between sightseeing was coffee and a cornetto , small lunch with water and more coffee , mid afternoon gelato and dinner about 6.30 / 7 pm