We already know that the contestants on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette don’t eat on camera. The noise from the chewing is too loud, so a dramatic or romantic conversation is held over a decadent meal that never gets touched. So if the contestants aren’t eating on dates, what are they eating in the mansion? Let’s find out.
What Are They Eating?
While being locked away in a mansion for 3 months doesn’t sound awful, it’s not as glamorous as it may seem. Other than being supplied with unlimited, free alcohol, the contestants have to fend for themselves when it comes to preparing meals. But hey, at least they get to practice those domestic skills that a bachelor or bachelorette might be looking for in a significant other.
There’s no in-house chef, no grocery shopping, no going out to eat, and no food delivery service. It’s just the food that’s supplied in the pantry and fridge, combined with the contestants’ own ability (or lack of) to cook. But the mansion is stocked with a ton of food, so it’s not like they’re hungry.
“There are always lots of veggies, fruit, sandwich meat, bread, eggs, yogurt, cereal, and frozen pizza,” Ashley Spivey, a contestant on Season 11 revealed to Refinery 29.
Apparently, there’s a “handler” on the show who takes care of daily grocery runs. So if the house is running low on popcorn, it’s added to a growing list that the handler takes with them on the next grocery run.
According to Refinery 29, most of the contestants do yogurt or eggs for breakfast, make salads or sandwiches for lunch, and whip something up for dinner. What would be ideal is if one of the contestants is a trained chef. Then that person could cook for the house and practice their skill. It’s a win-win.
“We were responsible for making all of our meals in the house,” says Spivey. “Dinner would be prepared by whoever felt like cooking for everyone.”
It makes sense that the contestants have to cook for themselves. The contestants could have allergies, or certain dietary restrictions that need to be monitored. It’s almost easier this way.
So They’re Cooking All the Time?
No not all the time. Refinery 29 reports that certain instances are catered—like during the rose ceremonies. It was also revealed that (occasionally) the production staff orders in dinner as a treat, like In-N-Out. See, it’s not all bad.
What About When They Travel?
Travel is a different story. Basically, the contestants get used to ordering room service and eating hotel food. And that can be kind of limiting, especially for contestants with food allergies or dietary restrictions. It really is too bad that they aren’t allowed to go to local restaurants while traveling to exotic places, that’s the best part.
So while the amenities of the show look glamorous on the outside, the contestants are basically living in a fraternity or sorority house without a chef. The only real perk that the contestants have is unlimited booze. Ugh, what a college student would give to have that amenity in Greek life housing.