It’s Monday night and I’ve rushed home from my night class and planted my butt on the sofa just as 8 pm rolls around so I can watch a beautiful love lusting bachelor or bachelorette find love. I relish in envy when I see all of the cute dates the contestants get to go on. I mean, helicopter rides, empty baseball stadiums, private concerts, and gorgeous food — these people are lucky. But wait, there’s something odd about that last one.

Every time a romantic one-on-one dinner commences, the couple canoodles over delicious looking food and talk about their lives. There are tears, laughs, and a lot of making out. Then after the date is done, they get up and leave. But wait, no, that can’t be right — the food on their plates haven’t been touched.

the Bachelor

Gif courtesy of bachgifs.com

I first noticed this during Season 20 of The Bachelor— when Ben tried to get Caila to tell him she loved him after a month and she wouldn’t. There was a really awkward conversation, followed by a rather random resolution. After that, even I was hungry. But the pair got up and left happily, their plates perfectly preserved vestiges of an awkward/romantic (?) conversation.

After this moment of realization, I started scrutinizing every shred of food displayed on the show, and how almost every shred of food was left completely untouched.

the Bachelor

Gif courtesy of guidelive.com

I was baffled. The dates had to have lasted for hours. The contestants didn’t eat during the day, so by the time they got to the romantic and cozy dinner, they had to be famished. But they left without one piece of nourishment crossing their lips.

It’s like every occasion calls for food and wine/alcohol, except the food is forbidden and the booze is in excess. I mean seriously, these girls can draaaaaaank.

the Bachelor

Gif courtesy of theodysseyonline.com

So why the heck is no one eating on this show? Turns out, they literally aren’t allowed to.

Q&A with ex-Bachelor Sean Lowe reveals that the producers of the show won’t let the two lovebirds eat because it’s considered unattractive and no one wants to see people eating (cue the Food Network and Guy Fieri audibly gasping).

Here’s what Lowe has to say: “Typically, we would eat alone in the hotel room before the date so we wouldn’t be starving later.” How romantic.

the Bachelor

Gif courtesy of giphy.com

Of course, this season has been lucky enough to see some bites here and there, like when Ben and Jubilee awkwardly shoved hors d’oeuvres in one another’s mouth.

the Bachelor

Photo courtesy of usmagazine.com

Let us also not forget the boyish bachelor and Amanda trying to eat a McDonald’s french fry à la Lady and The Tramp.

the Bachelor

Photo courtesy of betches.com

No wonder the producers don’t want them eating food on the show: clearly, they are very bad at it. That, or they don’t understand the simple and direct way to every girl’s heart (something even Buddy The Elf gets) — you have to be direct, and ask them what they want to hear.

the Bachelor

Gif courtesy of theodysseyonline.com