![\"Is](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307529170-bf71.jpg\")
\n\t\tDivorce, but not as you know it (Picture: Getty\/ Metro)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tDivorce, but not as you know it (Picture: Getty\/ Metro)<\/p>\n
In the chaos of a busy week, an evening meal<\/a> is a chance to unwind and catch up with your partner.<\/p>\n But these days, eating with your other half is no longer just a case of \u2018what\u2019s for tea?\u2019.<\/p>\n It\u2019s estimated that nearly 7% of the UK population<\/a> are using (or have used) GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro or Ozempic<\/a> \u2014 and this has had an impact on how the nation views dinner time.<\/p>\n \u2018Typical side effects of GLP-1s may include nausea and reduced enjoyment of eating, which may reshape individuals\u2019 relationships with food,\u2019 Dr Leila Fathi, Research Fellow at the Centre for Food Policy at City St George\u2019s University of London, tells Metro.<\/p>\n \u2018It can create negative associations, prompting couples to prepare and eat meals separately.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tAsk Metro<\/p>\n Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about \u2013 powered by Metro and trusted publications.<\/p>\n Food allergies are also rising globally, with a 2024 study from Imperial College London<\/a> finding that new food allergy cases almost doubled in 10 years. An easy midweek spaghetti Bolognese may be delicious for you \u2014 but a nightmare for your gluten intolerant partner.<\/p>\n \t\t And, we simply don\u2019t have the time to dedicate to eating. According to 2023 research from the ONS<\/a>, UK adults spend just of three hours and 44 minutes a day on entertainment, socialising, or\u00a0other free time activities.<\/p>\n \u2018There has been a shift in dietary patterns becoming more oriented around ultra-processed, preprepared, meals, snacks and drinks,\u2019 Dr Leila adds. \u2018The food industry is very quick to hop onto trends and currently ultra-processed foods that may be \u2018high protein\u2019 are being marketed. This is taking away occasions for people to cook and eat together.\u2019<\/p>\n The solution? A food divorce<\/a>, a phenomenon coined by Metro \u2014 and taking place in households across the country \u2014 which sees couples food shopping, cooking, and eating apart.<\/p>\n It goes against the advice of many relationship counsellors, who have long-stressed the importance of couples breaking bread together. <\/p>\n \u2018Separate plates, separate lives,\u2019 writes Christina Fraser<\/a>, a BACP accredited counsellor, based in London<\/a>. \u2018When couples stop eating together regularly, it\u2019s often not just due to busy schedules. It can also signal emotional distance, unresolved conflict<\/a>, or parallel lives.\u2019<\/p>\n But in 2026, where our food needs might be so different from our partner\u2019s, could a \u2018food divorce\u2019 actually be the key to marital bliss?<\/p>\n \u2018We don\u2019t bicker, noone has to adapt\u2019<\/p>\n Ellie Sturdy, 29, lives in Dorset<\/a> with her husband, Mike.<\/p>\n \u2018When Mike first moved in, we ate the same things,\u2019 Ellie tells Metro. \u2018It was a lot of takeaways, going out for dinners, or cooking pasta at home.<\/p>\n \u2018But in September 2024, I went on Mounjaro<\/a>, and suddenly, I just didn\u2019t fancy anything.<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019d ask what I wanted for dinner, and I\u2019d just say \u201cI don\u2019t know, you pick\u201d, or \u201cJust get what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018We\u2019d go to the supermarket, and I\u2019d just walk up and down the aisles, and there was nothing I could see or think of that I wanted to eat.\u2019 <\/p>\n Ellie says this became frustrating for both parties.<\/p>\n \u2018There were times when Mike would make dinner, and we\u2019d sit down and I\u2019d have three mouthfuls, and just think \u201cI don\u2019t want this\u201d, and I\u2019d end up sitting there watching him eat.<\/p>\n \u2018After a long day, we\u2019d both end up bickering and getting annoyed.\u2019<\/p>\n And so, it became easier for them to eat individually. \u2018There was no discussion. It was a natural progression,\u2019 Ellie continues.<\/p>\n Now, Ellie is no longer on Mounjaro, but the pair have continued on with their food divorce. They don\u2019t food shop together, and rarely eat together at home.<\/p>\n \u2018Even our wedding breakfast was a buffet, so we didn\u2019t actually sit down together!\u2019 adds Ellie.<\/p>\n And she says a food divorce is something she\u2019d \u2018recommend to everyone.\u2019<\/p>\n She adds: \u2018I think it\u2019s a good thing to do. We don\u2019t row, there\u2019s no compromising, it\u2019s just so much nicer.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tDo you think a ‘food divorce’ is a good idea?<\/p>\n Yes, it would save so many rows.Check<\/p>\n No, eating together is an important bonding time.Check<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSign up to Metro’s The Slice newsletter for your guide to what’s on in London, with trusted reviews, offers and giveaways.<\/p>\n \u2018When we do eat together, if we go out for a meal, or treat ourselves to a takeaway, it feels really special.\u2019<\/p>\n Ellie says she doesn\u2019t agree with the idea that a happy couple must share meals.<\/p>\n \u2018We still have plenty of time to catch up throughout the day,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n \u2018If not eating together has such a detrimental impact on your marriage, I think there\u2019s probably other issues going on.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018He asks permission to drink my Coke Zero\u2019<\/p>\n It\u2019s a sentiment echoed by Amy Carter, 42, who has recently celebrated her 10 year wedding anniversary with her husband, Matt.<\/p>\n The London-based couple have eaten separately for as long as they can remember.<\/p>\n \u2018It started because Matt works shifts, and I have a busy social life\u2019, Amy tells Metro. \u2018He\u2019d be working weird hours, or I\u2019d have plans into the evening, and it just made sense to eat separately.<\/p>\n \u2018That then naturally developed into us also doing individual food shops.<\/p>\n \u2018I now order Gusto boxes, and I work out what I want for lunches and dinners. I don\u2019t factor in Matt\u2019s meals.\u2019<\/p>\n Amy adds they have specific items in the fridge that are their own.<\/p>\n \t\t She says: \u2018He always buys butter and cheese. If I ever pinch some, he\u2019ll comment that I never replace them \u2014 which is fair!<\/p>\n \u2018I recently had the girls over and we drank some of his wine. He\u2019s already asked me to buy him some more.\u2019<\/p>\n Amy admits it might seem like a \u2018weird mentality\u2019, saying: \u2018I do have to point out to him that we\u2019re not housemates.<\/p>\n \u2018I always have Coke Zero in the fridge, and he\u2019ll always ask me if he can have one, I suppose it is a bit odd that he asks for permission!\u2019<\/p>\n But ultimately, she says it works for them.<\/p>\n She adds: \u2018Last year, we were celebrating our wedding anniversary at a steak restaurant, and a lady at the next table asked us how long we\u2019d been married.<\/p>\n \u2018She couldn\u2019t believe it when we said 10 years, thinking we were newlyweds. When she asked us what our secret is, the answer was simple: \u201cWe hardly see each other!\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018I think having time apart for couples is so important, and for us, that includes eating apart.\u2019<\/p>\n Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SEI_307526100-c16a.jpg\")
\n\t\tCounsellors say meals are an important time for couples to connect (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/PHOTO-2026-08-06-11-16-46-399e-e1786013302721.jpg\")
\n\t\tEllie and Mike started eating apart two years ago (Picture: Ellie Sturdy)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/PHOTO-2026-08-06-11-56-20-a41f-e1786016949750.jpg\")
\n\t\tAmy says time apart is important for couples (Picture: Amy Carter)<\/p>\n
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