Skip to Content

30 Eating Rules The Bachelor And Bachelorette You Probably Didn’t Know About

Oh god, not the food challenges!!

By
the bachelor   2502  the 24 women who survived the rose ceremony on arrival night discover that dating matt is intoxicating although the atmosphere among the women is plain toxic matts adventurous first date with bri triggers an emotional bombshell between the other jealous women, including victoria the largest group date in bachelor history has 18 women dress up for a wedding photo shoot, with matt as the groom kissing his brides sarah is thrilled to join matt on a romantic ride aboard a 1930s biplane, but the love struck bachelorette is having a difficult time seeing him with other ladies, leading to multiple women spiraling out of control on the bachelor, airing monday, jan 11 800 1000 pm est, on abc craig sjodin via getty images
matt james, bri
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

We already know that The Bachelor, Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise contestants have to follow some pretty wild and restrictive rules once they agree to be on the show (um, they take away your phone??). But you could also spend a whole bunch of time talking just about the food and drink rules: Since the contestants are cut off from the rest of the world (both when they’re living in the Bachelor mansion and when they’re going on travel dates) how do they, like, eat?? Turns out, it’s complicated: There are handlers that get them food if they need something specific. There’s food on their dates—oh, but they’re not supposed to eat that, at least not on camera. There’s a bunch of snacks in the house, but maybe you should bring your own? Oh, and ~a ton~ of room service. So here’s what it’s like to try and figure out the food situation as a contestant on one of the Bachelor shows—even if you’re not planning on going on the show yourself, it’s a pretty wild ride to imagine exactly how you’d react in some of these scenarios.

1

You Shouldn’t Eat the Dinner Food

bachelor in paradise   708  heading into the long awaited cocktail party, five women prepare to be sent home, but first, theyll have to make it through one of the craziest nights in paradise history starting off with a bang, the beachs most controversial couple faces a reckoning they cant come back from then, one couple pays a visit to the boom boom room, another endures a birthday breakup of epic proportions, and one unlucky lady gets a second chance at love, all before the rose ceremony even begins when the roses are finally handed out, theres one more surprise in storewhat lil jon has arrived as the next guest host and hes not playing around, okay in fact, he brought a whole new batch of guys with him who will make their entrances soon later, as a new day begins, it feels like a fresh start in paradise but is there more hope or heartbreak on the horizon for these beachgoers only time will tell on bachelor in paradise, tuesday, sept 14 800 1001 pm edt, on abc craig sjodinabc via getty images
thomas, rebecca kufrin
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

From Bachelor Sean Lowe’s book, no one’s “allowed” to eat the fancy dinner food on dates. “Before we went on the date, the producers sent food to our hotel rooms,” Sean said. “We ate in our rooms and then went out for dinner, where we would be given beautiful food arranged nicely on the plate. This was just for show. No one looks good eating, and microphones pick up all kinds of chomping.”

2

And It’s Really Obvious Once You See It

the bachelorette   1804  michelle is putting her foot on the gas, moving forward in her journey to find love, starting off this week with an adrenaline pumping joyride at the bmw performance center alongside one lucky guy later, the largest group of men this season assemble for a slumber party date of epic proportions hosted by wwe superstars the bella twins but while its all fun and games for the guys, their focus seems to be on anything but michelle, leaving her feeling unseen in a way that feels all too familiar to her past and compels her to share her truth with the group after an emotional evening, michelle is ready to lift her spirits  literally  on a second one on one date that sees one jokester open up in an unexpected way and features a surprise performance by recording artist andy grammer just when the drama seems to have faded into the background, one man makes a bold move at the cocktail ceremony, turning the night on its head and forcing michelle to make some tough decisions as she hands out her roses on the bachelorette, airing tuesday, nov 9 800 1001 pm est, on abc craig sjodin via getty images
michelle young
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

Contestants might pick up a piece of their (mostly untouched) food and feed it to each other all sexy-like, but that’s usually the extent of their munching. In a very detailed article on this very subject, Jaclyn Swartz told Refinery 29, “The food on dates is usually good, but the catch is that you aren’t supposed to eat it! No one wants to watch people stuffing their face on a date. If you’re eating, you aren’t talking...Instead, we eat before the dates, as we are getting ready. The producers will bring room service to your room or a plate of food to where you’re getting ready in the house.”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
3

The Food Situation Is More Relaxed on Bachelor in Paradise

bachelor in paradise   episode 202a   the excitement and drama continues for the remaining contestants as bachelor in paradise picks up immediately following the first rose ceremony on sunday, august 9 800 1000 pm, etpt on the disney general entertainment content via getty images television network josh, the hunky bachelor that lauren was waiting for, arrives with a date card in hand but asks tenley out instead the two have a romantic time in the charming beach town of sayulita, but upon their return back to the house, a jealous jj isnt thrilled to see the chemistry forming between themphoto by rick rowelldisney general entertainment content via getty images
Rick Rowell//Getty Images

The contestants do not have to cook on this spin-off and apparently get a vacation-style buffet for most of their meals. “There are catered buffets for every meal or you can also get things made to order behind the bar in the kitchen area,” said Jaclyn. “Grilled fish, quesadillas, and the best made-to-order pico de gallo I've ever had.”

4

It’s Kind of an Inside Joke Now

john paul jones  'bachelorette' eating rules you probably didn’t know about
ABC

The topic actually came up during a Bachelor in Paradise episode, in which a date between Tahzjuan Hawkins and John Paul Jones leads to a hushed conversation about why you’re not supposed to eat the date food. JPJ does anyway and subsequently almost vomits, so now he’s known as “the contestant who ate food on camera.”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5

Some Group Dates Have Food to Eat

the bachelorette   1704  a group date of truth or dare seems to be all fun and games until the night takes a serious turn and the men find themselves contemplating telling katie a slimy secret theyve uncovered later, tayshia surprises katie with a revelation about someone from her past and the men band together to tell the truth, leaving one suitor to fend for and defend himself tired of questioning who is here for the right reasons, our strong willed bachelorette takes a stand like weve never seen before to ensure the house is filled with good vibes only its a rollercoaster of a week, to say the least, on an all new the bachelorette, monday, june 28 800 1000 pm edt, on abc craig sjodin via getty images
tayshia adams, kaitlyn bristowe, katie thurston
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

And yes, some of that food is for show, but if you’re hungry—why not?? Case in point: Gotta love Tayshia Adams just fully nomming on the food during a scene from Katie Thurston’s Bachelorette season, right before the trio watched Katie’s contestants eat immense amounts of food (more on that later).

6

Rose Ceremonies Have Catered Food

the bachelor   2503  sarah is at the center of an emotional firestorm that envelops matt and the other women as the rose ceremony continues a steamy group date, featuring bachelor nation favorite ashley iaconetti haibon, offers the women a chance to write their own hot love scenes with matt and read them to him in front of a live audience serena p finds out if her initial feelings for matt could develop into something more serious and even though his journey just started, matts biggest fear comes to pass, leaving him devastated on the bachelor, airing monday, jan 18 800 1000 pm est, on abc craig sjodin via getty images
matt james
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

I mean...if you’re gonna stand around in a tight outfit, it might as well be worth it with a full catering situation? “But a lot of it isn’t the healthiest—think California Pizza Kitchen and fried chicken tenders,” Ashley Spivey told R29.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7

You Can Bring Food and Drinks as a Gimmick

the bachelorette   1705  fourteen remaining suitors are ready to finally put the drama behind them and focus on getting quality time with katie, until tayshia stops by to drop the bomb that there are actually 15 men hoping to capture katies heart and blake will be joining them in the house later on the massive group date, bachelor nation favorites wells adams and franco stop by to introduce and commentate on an intense game of americas hottest new sport  bash ball but when more than egos end up getting bruised, katie steps in and stands up for her guys, ending the game early and giving everyone the attention they deserve later, katie and andrew s have an important conversation about their future and one guy gets greedy with katies time at the end of the night, a rose ceremony will bring katie one step closer to hopefully finding her match on an all new the bachelorette, monday, july 5 800 1000 pm edt, on abc craig sjodinabc via getty images
katie thurston
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

You’ve probs seen it before: A contestant brings a special meal on night one or gives the lead a birthday cake during the season to help themselves stand out as “the one who brought food” (it’s usually something they have to work out with producers). Sometimes, it’s cute. Sometimes—as you’ll see in the next slide—it absolutely is not.

8

Which Can Really, Really Backfire

the bachelor  'bachelorette' eating rules you probably didn’t know about
ABC

Champagnegate, as it’s called, was a (mostly unnecessary) dramatic situation in which Kelsey Weier brought champagne from home (Iowa) to share with Bachelor Peter Weber, and Hannah Ann Sluss was told by producers accidentally grabbed it instead. When the mixup was fixed, Kelsey took a huge swig of the drink, and it exploded in her face.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
9

And the Food Can Just Be an Excuse for ~Sexiness~

united states   october 16  the bachelor   episode 1301   jason, 32, an account executive in estate and legacy planning, meets 25 potential soul mates as he begins his exciting search for true love in the premiere episode, 1301, jason prepares for the night of his life, as the 25 beautiful bachelorettes, who can think of nothing but him, begin to arrive jillian finds a new way to grill a guy when she discloses that she can find out a lot about a man from the condiments he puts on his hot dog and puts jason to the test on the spot, when the 13th edition of walt disney television via getty imagess popular romance reality series, the bachelor, premieres with a two hour special, monday, january 5 800 1000 pm, et, on the disney general entertainment content via getty images television network  photo by craig sjodindisney general entertainment content via getty images
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

Hot dogs have been used at least a couple times on the show as, you know, a very blatant innuendo for future potential sexytimes. And, of course, you’ve gotta feed them to each other—I don’t make the rules. There are times it goes better than others.

10

On Travel Dates, You Have to Order Room Service

the bachelor   2605   week five starts off with a splash when clayton and one lucky woman head to galveston, texas, for a high stakes date all about pleasure later, at the cocktail party, clayton learns the cause of the palpable tension in the house is really one woman but when confronted, she gives an award worthy apology performance that might just be enough to keep her around then, its time to go international in toronto, canada, one lucky lady takes her relationship with clayton to new heights and those on the group date take some heat from comedy legend russell peters   and each other   during the bachelor ultimate roast but who will get the last laugh when shanae and genevieve are given the infamous two on one date find out on the bachelor, airing monday, feb 7 800 1001 pm est, on abc john medlandabc via getty images
rachel
John Medland//Getty Images

So, because contestants are not allowed out of the hotel during filming periods (because they’re cut off from the rest of the world), they can only eat hotel food. Some of the women say they loved it, but Ashley told R29 that “the most unhealthy part of the whole trip for me was when we were sequestered before the first rose ceremony...You are pretty much locked in and can only order room service for every meal. The hotel we were at didn’t have the healthiest options and I literally ate a burger and fries for days.”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
11

There’s a Two-Drink-Per-Hour Maximum

the bachelor   2602   clayton moves forward in his journey to find love with the 22 incredible women who remain after moving into the bachelor mansion for the first time since the pandemic began, these eligible singles are ready to kick off a week of dates on the seasons first group date, celebrity guest hilary duff enlists the help of the ladies to throw a dream beverly hills birthday party, but when one woman is more interested in spending time with clayton than the kids, the others have strong feelings to share later, one lucky lady flies high with clayton on the first one on one date featuring a surprise musical performance by amanda jordan and ziwe stops by the second group date to help clayton spot potential red flags among his bachelorettes after the dates have all ended, a major storm brews heading into the cocktail party when a shocking secret about a woman who already has a rose is revealed will clayton be forced to do something that no other bachelor has ever done before find out on the bachelor, airing monday, jan 10 800 1001 pm est, on abc john fleenor via getty images
the bachelor
John Fleenor//Getty Images
12

Which Is Interesting, Because the Booze Is Plentiful

bachelor in paradise   711  paradise is coming to a close and after last weeks shocking breakup of the couple most likely to live happily ever after, the remaining beachgoers have some serious thinking to do about their futures but first, theyll need to make it through the seasons final rose ceremony once all the roses have been handed out, paradises own alumni couple caelynn and dean arrive to share their love story and to let the remaining pairs know that time is running out who will choose to spend the night in a fantasy suite who will leave paradise heartbroken who will get down on one knee all these questions and more will be answered on the special three hour season finale of bachelor in paradise, tuesday, oct 5 800 1100 pm edt, on abc craig sjodinabc via getty images
bachelor in paradise
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

And apparently, contestants have ways to get around the two-drink limit, as Robby Hayes explained, “If it was two drinks an hour, we’d grab one at 3:50, one at 3:55, then [it was a] new hour at 4:00. We’d grab one at 4:00, and one at 4:05, then you have four drinks within 15 minutes.”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13

And It’s Been an Issue During Recent Seasons

the bachelor   2401   handsome airline pilot peter weber is ready to take off on an international journey filled with romance, high drama and love he grabbed hannah bs attention with his boyish charm and one storied night in a windmill, but bachelor nation was shocked when she ended their relationship now, their heartthrob is back to hand out the roses and search for his happily ever after as he stars in the 24th edition of abcs hit romance reality series the bachelor, premiering with a big three hour special, monday, jan 6 800 1100 pm est, on abc eric mccandless via getty images
sydney, mykenna, peter weber, payton, savannah, alayah
Eric McCandless//Getty Images

Peter Weber’s season was a mess anyway, but in one particular encounter, one contestant told him about another contestant, saying, “I’ve seen multiple times that she’s drinking excessively.” Drama and denials ensued.

14

You Can’t Decline Food Challenges

the bachelorette   1806  with hometowns on the horizon, michelle enlists the help of some incredibly tough critics to design and lead the dates this week her own fifth grade students the men will have to be on their best behavior to impress these smart and savvy pre teens who want the best for their beloved teacher, but one man stands out with flying colors for his fort building skills and is hand picked for the coveted one on one date the kids instincts are sharp but, even with their help, michelle still has to make her most difficult decisions as she chooses the men whose families she will meet in fact, one of those decisions may change the course of one mans life forever on the bachelorette, airing tuesday, nov 23 800 1001 pm est, on abc craig sjodinabc via getty images
nayte
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

Technically, the rule is you can’t decline any date or extreme activity, but some of them are v specifically food-related. Who knows how contestants deal if they have food allergies and the challenge involves something they’re allergic to (this deleted scene, from Michelle Young’s season, was butter-sculpture-making).

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
15

Which Includes Eating Weird Stuff

the bachelorette   1704  a group date of truth or dare seems to be all fun and games until the night takes a serious turn and the men find themselves contemplating telling katie a slimy secret theyve uncovered later, tayshia surprises katie with a revelation about someone from her past and the men band together to tell the truth, leaving one suitor to fend for and defend himself tired of questioning who is here for the right reasons, our strong willed bachelorette takes a stand like weve never seen before to ensure the house is filled with good vibes only its a rollercoaster of a week, to say the least, on an all new the bachelorette, monday, june 28 800 1000 pm edt, on abc craig sjodin via getty images
conor c, mike
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

And on Katie’s season, the men were tasked with a food-eating challenge—a whole pile of Twinkies and a ton of pasta alfredo to name a few—and some of the men hadn’t had carbs in years. So the food challenges can be intense, in other words.

16

The Contestants Cook for Themselves

the bachelorette   after narrowing down her suitors to the remaining dirty dozen, katie hopes to find out who has the willpower to keep it clean with a new  and hard  challenge while the guys in the house see if they can keep their promise, one lucky man opens up to katie with vows of his own in a ceremonious one on one date katie then enlists two queens  rupauls drag race all stars winners shea couleé and monét x change  to help find her a king in a group date debate that is sure to bring some royal tension and later, a one on one date becomes a two on two, with a special double date featuring bachelor nation power couple kaitlyn bristowe and her now fiancé jason tartick but do kaitlyn and jasons connection make katie question her own an all new the bachelorette airs monday, july 12 800 1000 pm edt, on abc craig sjodinabc via getty images
jason tartick, kaitlyn bristowe, connor b, katie thurston
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images

Yup. Leslie Hughes told the Daily Beast, “We have to do our own cooking, our own laundry…We do everything you would do when you’re at home, except be able to go outside of your home.” Ashley added to R29 that most women ate simply (breakfast: eggs, yogurt, protein bars, lunch: sandwiches or salads). “Dinner would be prepared by whoever felt like cooking for everyone,” she added. “On my season, Britt was a classically trained chef, so she would make things like bacon jam or roasted tomato soup. I usually made dessert, like banana pudding.”

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
17

And the Contestants Give Producers a Grocery List

the bachelor   episode 2301   what does a pageant star who calls herself the hot mess express, a confident nigerian beauty with a loud and proud personality, a deceptively bubbly spitfire who is hiding a dark family secret, a california beach blonde who has a secret that ironically may make her the bachelors perfect match, and a lovable phlebotomist all have in common theyre all on the hunt for love with colton underwood when the 23rd edition of walt disney television via getty imagess hit romance reality series the bachelor premieres with a live, three hour special on monday, jan 7 800 1100 pm est, on the disney general entertainment content via getty images television network rick rowelldisney general entertainment content via getty images
caelynn, kirpa, cassie, demi
Rick Rowell//Getty Images

Every day, a “handler” goes to the store for them. “We were allowed to write whatever we wanted on the grocery lists,” Jaclyn told R29. “But Courtney was raw [and] vegan at the time and 99.9 percent of the girls were gluten-free, so it was a lot of boring crap that I don’t eat. So, my additions to the grocery list were Nutella and ‘gluten products.’”

18

The Mansion’s Already Stocked Full of Food

the bachelor   2602   clayton moves forward in his journey to find love with the 22 incredible women who remain after moving into the bachelor mansion for the first time since the pandemic began, these eligible singles are ready to kick off a week of dates on the seasons first group date, celebrity guest hilary duff enlists the help of the ladies to throw a dream beverly hills birthday party, but when one woman is more interested in spending time with clayton than the kids, the others have strong feelings to share later, one lucky lady flies high with clayton on the first one on one date featuring a surprise musical performance by amanda jordan and ziwe stops by the second group date to help clayton spot potential red flags among his bachelorettes after the dates have all ended, a major storm brews heading into the cocktail party when a shocking secret about a woman who already has a rose is revealed will clayton be forced to do something that no other bachelor has ever done before find out on the bachelor, airing monday, jan 10 800 1001 pm est, on abc john fleenor via getty images
the bachelor
John Fleenor//Getty Images

The house already has snacks and basic items: veggies, fruit, cold cuts, bread, eggs, cereal, and frozen food, among other things. “They had huge glass jars filled with cheese balls, pretzels, and things along those lines,” said Jaclyn.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
19

And Contestants Can Bring Their Own Snacks

the bachelor   2302   coltons search for love starts with laughs, surprises and intense face offs between the women the first date of the season has eight hopeful bachelorettes sharing personal stories about their firsts   with colton and a live audience  and coached by happily married masters of comedy megan mullally will  grace and nick offerman parks and recreation hannah b scores the first one on one date on her birthday, including dinner on the queen mary twelve eager women attend camp bachelor with a decidedly unorthodox camp counselor, actor and comedian billy eichner, who oversees three challenging contests however, some ill timed drama the night of the rose ceremony might lead to certain ladies being left without a rose on the bachelor, monday, jan 14 800 1000 pm est, on the disney general entertainment content via getty images television network rick rowell via getty images
tayshia, katie, alex b
Rick Rowell//Getty Images

Yes, you can bring snacks from home (presumably so long as it all fits into the three suitcases you’re allowed to bring to the show). “Because I’m gluten-free, I always packed a few of my own snacks,” Tenley Molzahn told R29.

20

But Sometimes the Producers Order Food as a Special Treat

the bachelor   episode 1901   our bachelor, who is living right next door to the mansion this season, is filled with anticipation and excitement and ready to begin the search for his soul mate, choosing from a record 30 beautiful bachelorettes when the 19th edition of the bachelor premieres monday, january 5 800 1100 pm, et, on the walt disney television via getty images television network rick rowellwalt disney television via getty images via getty images
Rick Rowell//Getty Images

Occasionally, production staff will order dinner for the contestants so they don’t have to cook that particular night. “They usually do one In-N-Out night and one sushi night,” said Tenley.

Headshot of Katherine J Igoe
Katherine J Igoe
contributor
Katherine J Igoe (she/her) was a favorite editor for Cosmopolitan and is a freelancer: lifestyle, culture, and beauty (she's obsessed with gift guides, best-of movie lists , and beauty products). She's been a freelance writer and editor for over a decade, collaborating for Marie Claire (2018 to 2021) and Bustle (2021), with bylines in the New York Times, Parents magazine, And sorry. She lives in Boston with her family, and you can follow her on Instagram or Twitte. It's “I go to dinner,” not “her huge ego,” but she chose to both.
Watch Next 
preview for Watch Our Newest Videos
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below