Is it unreasonable to be frustrated by a guest who says they eat anything when they actually don’t?

[funinthesun22]

My MIL is staying with us over the bank holiday. When I asked in advance what she’d like to eat, she said she eats anything and was happy to have whatever we usually have.

Friday dinner was a vegetable and chickpea but apparently she hates chickpeas and dried fruit in savoury food. Saturday breakfast (yogurt, granola, fruit) didn’t go down well either. I took her to M&S so she could pick things she’d enjoy, but she kept insisting she was fine and didn’t add anything to the basket until I said we’d planned tacos for dinner she said she didn’t know what that was and didn’t sound keen, so we bought an alternative dinner for her.

At lunch I made a salad with homemade dressing. She didn’t like the sound of the dressing and asked for salad cream which we didn’t have. I offered vinaigrette, olive oil, or mayo as alternatives but she turned them all down and had a plain salad. She also asked for a few additions we didn’t have, despite us having been in M&S two hours earlier offering to buy food. We’ve got a BBQ planned today and I’m hopeful now that I know more of her dislikes but still not entirely sure.

AIBU to find this frustrating? I genuinely don’t mind catering to a picky eater. I just need to know what she actually likes. But every time I ask, I get “I’ll eat whatever you’re having” when that’s clearly not the case.

People over 12. Gosh this makes me fell young considering I really like burgers and make my own patties 😂🍔 and the number of burger places around is obviously just imaginary.

I mean I also have granola and yoghurt I like to switch it up

But do you have 'bloody granola' ? Granola consumption really seems to have riled up a roast loving poster.

If the existence and profitability of Toby Carvery shows that everyone loves roasts, doesn't the abundance of middle eastern and mexican restaurants in the UK show that tagine and tacos are normal and popular foods?

@Dramaticcandle You and I are both imagining exactly the same thing, What a coincidence! 😂

If only there was a way to check facts before posting…
I’ll just leave these screenshots here!

every supermarket and sandwich shop I go to have a "greek yogurt + granola topping" as a breakfast option.

You don't have to like it, but you can't have more common than that. I think there's more of those than ready-to- heat up porridge pots.

so you know 2 people who like roasts and your neighbour has one weekly, so EVERYBODY must be stuffing themselves with a roast. Ok then 😂

Now if you could explain WHO is filing up all the OTHER types of restaurants and eateries that are fully booked every weekend?

Amazing what fake lives people can portray on an anonymous forum eh?
what? fake international restaurants? You think you live in the Matrix or something 😂

why are you so angry?
Are you the MIL from hell who expect people to fall over themselves to go to your Sunday delicious roasts and is enraged that the kids and their partners run a mile to avoid them (because they have a life and no time for the bloody roasts 😂)
You should try to eat a salad, they taste wonderful in this heat wave.

Ok, so let's assume you are correct and that you don't know anyone who doesn't have a roast every Sunday.

To see how valid that is let's get some facts, firstly how many people do you know and secondly how have you gathered the data? Do you ask them once the first time you met them, do you keep your records up to date with annual reviews?

I simply can't fathom how you could know that about everyone you know unless you know single digit number of people

I agree with this. I wouldn’t class myself as picky and I would say I ate most things if visiting anyone but I don’t love chickpeas but I’d probably eat it. I think if you have guests and you don’t know their food preferences I would keep it simple. A lot of people would just prefer toast for breakfast especially if visiting someone so having that as an extra option for breakfast makes sense. Maybe if your having a bbq have some plainer items.

If you have fussy eaters, you can't win.

Toast? one will moan that white sandwich bread is not suitable, one will complain that seeds are "foreign", surdough is "pretentious", wholemeal tastes "funny", brioche is "not what they use to". I bet you toasts won't be suitable either.

And we haven't even explore the toppings!

Fair enough that fish soup for breakfast is unusual in the UK, but people are arguing about yogurt and cereals/granola 😂

Normal, bog standard food that you find everywhere.

@SeasonalUnicorn
1 - Clearly you have an issue with reading! I said most people I know enjoy a roast. I never mentioned a neighbour or 2 people! 🤷‍♀️😂

2 - Again, your comprehension is letting you down here, I have not said that other foods or international restaurant chains aren’t popular, I was merely correcting deluded people making false statements such as ‘most people don’t like roasts’ ‘nobody eats burgers over the age of 12’
3- Unbelievably wrong, I’m not a MIL and I certainly don’t cook for the family. Also when my DC visit they actually request a roast so wrong again. Not sure how old you are assuming I am but I’m guessing you’ve got that wrong too! Not that your condescending ageist comments would be acceptable even if I was older.
Why am I so angry? How do you come to that conclusion? Because I have a different opinion to you that happens to be supported by facts and verified by Google? I think you may want to check the screenshots in my last post before you embarrass yourself further! 🤦‍♀️😂
Also, I don’t remember saying I didn’t eat salad. The heatwave is over, you might want to treat yourself to a lovely roast to see what you’re missing out on! 😉

you are taking this issue VERY personally 😂

The only person who is deluded is you, who want to believe that roasts are a favourite food staple for everybody. I am not sure why you are taking it as a personal insult to be told that many people.. don't like roast, and even the ones who do like them, don't want them more than a couple of time a year, surely not every weekend.

Of all the things to be offended about, what a strange one 😂

@busyd4y
Oh FFS! I know plenty of people thanks! 😂
So you don’t have conversations with your friends and colleagues along the lines of ‘Did you have a nice weekend?’ Where they will reply that they cooked a roast, went out for a roast etc? I find that unusual. Have a look at my post or perhaps do your own research! 🙄😂

It looks more like you are the one taking this personally! You can’t even admit that you’re wrong when shown evidence. You carry on living in your deluded little world where everyone has to have the same opinions as you! 😂 How about ‘Ok I see now that I was wrong, people still do enjoy roast dinners and eat burgers over the age of 12’ Oh and not that it matters but I’ve had one roast this year (Easter Sunday) and can’t remember the last time I had a burger. I’m just not thick enough to post on an internet forum claiming that people don’t eat them and that nobody else has when the evidence to the contrary is all around us! 😂

This is very annoying especially as you've taken her food shopping. I had this when planning a meal out for OH's bday. Asked around his friends & partners if they had any particular dislikes. Was told no. Booked an Italian restaurant only to be told upon arrival that one of OH's friends doesn't like cheese!

How come your husband or yourself doesn't know what foods she likes though? Surely you've met her before and shared a meal? Your husband definitely has.

😂😂😂, nope, I think I can confidently say that the subject of what any of my co-workers had for lunch does not form part of our Monday morning, did you have a nice weekend pleasantries

Maybe admit you've gone in too hard, literally no one is disputing that Sunday roasts are popular fare but your insistence that they are an every week staple for nearly everyone is totally bonkers

@SeasonalUnicorn
I’m fine thanks. 😂
Not so sure about you though as you clearly can’t stop replying! I bet you’re an absolute delight in real life! 😬😂
You said most people you know aren’t wild about roasts, I posted evidence showing this isn’t representative of the UK as a whole and yet you’re still arguing! FFS!
Where did I say the whole world eats roasts? What a ridiculous comment to make? I think you need to stop commenting now and accept that people are entitled to disagree with you. You carry on believing whatever you want and ignore actual facts.

and stop reporting my posts to get them deleted

when all you got deleted was me saying: not EVERYBODY eat roasts
and most people I know are not keen on them

For goodness sakes, it's not that deep.

Even if the UK wasn't so multicultural and catered for so many different preferences, not everyboy has to like the same food as you do.

Things are heating up in the roast dinner fandom 😳

Your first screen shot
The most popular everyday breakfast in the UK… is cereal (such as Weetabix or cornflakes) or toast.
Source: weetabix.co.uk

😂😂

it's a very sensitive topic it seems