Some say you become best friends when you reach a milestone: meeting the parents, first heart-to-heart, successful completion of a Netflix series, etc. But I think the true test to separate your friends from your best friends comes down to how you eat together.
Eating with someone else can be awkward. But, as your friendship progresses and it no longer feels weird to triple text or borrow their car, chances are it won’t feel weird to reveal your true colors when it comes to eating habits.
Sharing Food: Friends
You ordered the wrong thing and your friend ordered the right thing. There’s only one way to go about this.
Sharing Food: Best Friends
What’s yours is mine now, sucker.
Eating With the Fam: Friends
I’m uncomfortable. What if I hate what they’re having for dinner tonight?
Eating With the Fam: Best Friends
Too bad your mom likes me more than she likes you. Can’t wait for her classic spaghetti and meatballs (my favorite).
Ordering Food Out: Friends
This check could make or break the friendship. That’s all I’m going to say.
Ordering Food Out: Best Friends
Split the bill. We’re ordering the usual. I get all the croutons, and you get all the onions.
Cooking: Friends
Act cool, calm, and collected. Pretend like you know exactly what you’re doing.
Cooking: Best Friends
THIS IS MY JAM. Time to party. Oh, and we’re going to end up ordering pizza.
If you make it to these levels with your friend, things are looking on the up-and-up for you. If you stay in the dreaded food friend-zone, you might as well end it now to put yourself out of your misery.
All jokes aside, you will inevitably get to a point of extreme comfort when eating with your best friends. Disclaimer: Reaching this point may result in, but is not limited to: open discussions about embarrassing eating habits, a new personal mirror (who else will check your teeth for food?), a closer bond, and the creation of FOEA (Fear of Eating Alone). So just get through the uncomfortable phase so that you can get to the good stuff.