Whenever I suggest something for dinner my husband’s first question, is “What’s the starch?” He was raised on a farm and their meals were always made up of meat, potatoes, vegetables and bread. (that’s two starches).
He’s gotten better and now accepts rice or pasta as starch but not farro, freekeh, wild rice, or couscous.
Cedar Waxwing's 365 
This made me laugh. My husband will accept couscous but might complain at the other two. He will accept a meal without a starch at all. As long as it isn’t a habit. This is typical here. NZ cuisine was (1970s-80s–ish) often described as meat and three veg! One of those vegetable servings was always potatoes.
I too laughed. My husband is willing to try them all, but not on any recurring sort of schedule. And if left to his own devices, all starches become bleached, highly processed, and loaded with butter!
My husband definitely seems to believe that a starch is necessary until reminded that it isn’t. It is so ingrained.
I guess my husband was the anomaly. He loved rice–especially brown rice–bulgur, barley, oat groats, you name it. I’m thinking I was lucky, but some might disagree.