The Real Reason Bachelor Contestants Aren't Supposed To Eat On Dates
If you've ever watched a one-on-one date happen on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, you may have noticed that the contestants never actually eat any of the food that's sitting right in front of them. That's because they're told not to. According to Refinery29, the food is for aesthetic only. Former contestant Jaclyn Swartz, who was on Ben Flajnik's season of the show, said that because "[n]o one wants to watch people stuffing their face on a date," you're not supposed to eat the food (via Insider).
Another reason for not eating is that it allows for more conversation to happen. It's hard to get into someone's dramatic backstory while you're each stuffing your faces with mashed potatoes and steak. Don't worry though, Swartz did say that the producers do feed the contestants room service before each of the one-on-one dates. So, no one is going into the big date on an empty stomach (via Refinery29). That's a good thing, because according to PopSugar, it can take up to three hours to film just the dinner portion of some of those one-on-ones.
It's not uncommon for eating scenes to be faked in Hollywood
The long filming process could also be why producers don't want contestants eating the food. In Hollywood, it's not uncommon for dinner scenes to use fake food. One of the reasons for that is to not throw off the continuity of a scene. Actress Diane Lane even spoke to Bon Appétit about filming food scenes, and why a lot of the time you don't eat to prevent continuity errors in post-production. As Lane puts it, "You have to maintain things, because you can't go back two bites ago."
Since it can take two to three hours to shoot one date, you'd definitely notice if a steak was half eaten one moment and fully there the next. By not eating, you save your post-production team a lot of time and money. Though, there is no need to worry about whether or not the Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants are eating enough. According to Delish, former contestants Lauren Bushnell, Olivia Caridi, and Ashley Iaconetti dished on the food situation in the Bachelor mansion. All three revealed that the fridge was always stocked with all kinds of food. So, if you weren't already considering signing up for The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, the thought of a fully stocked fridge and chance at love could just be what finally convinces you.