COVID crisis creates bedfellows

Dear Amy: Because COVID-19 has caused universities to close, my boyfriend’s sister, “C,” has moved into the house with us until further notice.

C is a very picky eater and eats mostly bread, cheese, and fruit. My boyfriend and I are mostly vegetarian and vegan, but we’ve been able to find at least one meal a week we can all share together.

More often than not, C seems to take an adult-sized portion of food, picks at the food we’ve prepared and then declares she’s not interested.

This amounts to bowls of food going into the trash over the course of the week.

I don’t want C to feel like she has to appease us, and I’ve offered: “feel free to make yourself a sandwich!” several times.

How do I prevent this food waste from happening? — Mealmates

Dear Mealmates: This pandemic has created unusual and unforeseen cohabiting groups, and occasional discomfort around the dining table.

You say that you don’t want for “C” to feel like she has to appease you - but she should feel that she has to appease you, by making an effort to be a responsible member.

You are making the effort to appease her by providing housing for the foreseeable future.

“Feel free to make yourself a sandwich” is obviously a way too subtle statement for C.

You and your boyfriend should have a “family meeting.” You should all review various aspects of your cohabitation. Say to her, “We all like to eat different things, and that’s fine. But you often serve yourself a larger portion of the food we prepare, even when it seems that you won’t like it and then we end up throwing it away. If you want to try something, it would be helpful if you served yourself a small spoonful or two, and if you like it, dive in! We just can’t afford to dispose of leftover food.”