Will you or won't you eat food that has been eaten (with their utensils) by other people, and if you will, under what circumstances?

When dining, will you eat others’ food if they offer it to you? Will you eat someone’s leftovers if they offer it to you? Will you do this with everyone, or only your family members, or not at all?

Recently, I went to lunch with some former coworkers. I’ve had surgery that makes it impossible for me to eat a lot, and so I had a lot of my food left over. My dining companion asked if she could take my leftover lunch to give to her husband. I was happy to have the food not go to waste, but yet, I wouldn’t eat something that was leftover from someone else.

Then the other day, I got lunch sent in to my job. I ate about 8 bites and was done with it. I offered it to my coworker to see if he knows anybody that would want it. I explained to him that I ate out of it and he said “You mean you dug into it with your saliva’ed utensils?” I said yes. He brought it to someone who was happy to have it.

When I go out with my family, we will offer each other our food and not think twice about it. I would not ever do this with non-family members and I would never, ever eat someone’s leftovers, unless they didn’t put their “saliva’ed utensils” into it. How about you? What are your criteria for eating others’ food?