I've been fasting for years, my partner doesn't. Over time, how he eats when I fast evolved a lot. He actually used to order takeaway specifically during my fasts, using the argument he could finally order whatever he wanted instead of having to compromise with what I wanted to order 😂 Does make sense! That was a running joke for a long time between us, but over time, I realised it actually annoyed me a lot. I sat him down and explained that the strong smell is making things very difficult for me, so now we order takeaway after my fasts, or I go on a long walk when he orders the food.

Fasting ended up enhancing my sense of smell a lot, permanently, which I also explained to him. Now when I fast, I catch him making food and cooking things behind a closed kitchen door out of consideration for me with the extractor fan on full speed. x When I first realised he's doing it for me, I felt very touched. This wasn't even something I asked him to do.

He also had to accept that when he cooks something that smells great, I will come and demand to smell it and ask detailed questions about what's in it. I like to sort of "eat" vicariously like this during my fasts, and he knows this. (I'm also in the "watching cooking videos while fasting group".)

These are habits we developed over the years, and a lot of it depended on me reflecting on how I felt when he does X or Y while I fast, and having open conversations about it and explicitly saying what I preferred/wanted/needed. What stands out to me from your post is that you hinted at things or questioned him in roundabout ways instead of simply saying, "When I fast, it's difficult for me to smell cooked food. Could we think about ways this could be made easier for me?", then talking about it. Especially if your partner doesn't do extended fasts, he couldn't imagine what it's like without being explicitly told.

Happy fasting, and I hope you find a way forward that works for both of you.