Eating for Pleasure vs. Sustenance

Food is a huge part of our lives. For one, you need it to survive (duh). But because of that importance, food is also an integral part of culture and society in general. Food is a social thing, bringing people together (when was the last time you got together with a friend and had absolutely nothing to eat or drink? Exactly.). It's a comforting thing, bringing back memories of your childhood or other fun times. It's about family and friends and yumminess.

But when I make food for myself, it's usually about just abating hunger, not about the flavors of what I'm eating. I mean, don't get me wrong: if something tastes bad, I'm not going to eat it. But my usual meals tend to go like this:

Breakfast: Cereal with banana, glass of orange juice
Lunch: Spinach/salad, pasta/rice, and chicken/some sort of meat casserole
Dinner: Quesadilla (usually just a tortilla and cheese) and a glass of milk
Snacks usually include: fruits, nuts, granola bars, or yogurt

Making Hamburger Helper is about as much flavor as my meals at home get, and that's because a spice packet comes with it. Of course part of this has to do with the fact that I'm still learning how to cook. And when I go through the effort of making a recipe from a magazine, the food is quite good and tasty; I just don't usually have time to do that.

When eating out at restaurants, I always try to order something I won't make for myself at home. And I indulge myself and enjoy whatever delicacies I'm tasting. It's just that my attitude toward food is quite bi-polar. I like eating good food and can rave about a wonderful dessert, but I also will eat just for the sake of eating, even if the taste is "meh." The "meh" food seems to be healthier in general, so maybe that's why I lean towards that route.

Does anyone else have this struggle with food? Is it okay to eat food just because it's food? Or should I always enjoy what I'm eating?

All I can say is this: The only reason I get away with eating like this is because I'm single. No man would put up with this shit. So I'm trying to practice cooking sometimes but also relish in the low-caloric intake for now.