What food choices are relationship dealbreakers?

To do the Dew, or not to do the Dew?

Drinking Dew in and of itself shouldn't be a dealbreaker. (He's not leaving empty Dew cans in your car, is he? Because then you've got yourself a problem.) Any potential partner is going to make different food choices than you would, and he may be equally annoyed by your love of Hot Pockets and headcheese or your refusal to eat vegetables or exploit honey bees. I mean, show me a woman who hasn't cringed at the sight of a giant plastic jug of protein powder stashed on top of a paramour's fridge and I'll show you a woman who hasn't dated in America in the last decade.

In any case, the more time you spend together, the more you'll be sharing meals and making joint decisions about where/how/what to eat. The distinction between food choices being a dealbreaker or not seems to be related to how well you're able to negotiate that territory and come to a reasonable compromise. For example, I know a vegetarian who has resigned herself to her husband's carnivore habit with one stipulation--after he eats meat, he brushes his teeth before he kisses her. As long as he's not making you drink Dew, it's probably something you can deal with.

Readers, have you ever dumped someone or been dumped based on what you eat? What food choices would you consider dealbreakers?

Have a question for City Pages food critic Rachel Hutton? Send it to hotdish@citypages.com.