"Did I tamper with my girlfriend's food?"
So I (31M) am not vegan, but I keep vegan options in my freezer because one of my close friends is vegan and visits fairly often. When they’re over, I usually eat the same food they do to make things easier and more comfortable for them. Honestly, some of the vegan stuff isn’t bad, so I’ll eat it occasionally on my own, too.
The other day, my girlfriend (39F) was craving burgers and asked if she could cook the patties we had in the freezer. I told her “yeah, just make sure to add a little oil to the skillet before cooking.” for those who don't know, plant-based burgers will stick cuz they don't have their own fat. That was it. I didn’t think much of it.
What she didn’t realize was that the patties in the freezer were plant-based—specifically, Impossible Meat patties that were already pre-pattied and labeled. She seasoned and cooked them herself, saw the packaging (with the brand name right on it), and we ate them with some fries I made. Everything seemed totally fine. We finished dinner, and I asked her what she thought of the burgers.
That’s when she got upset. She said she didn’t realize they were plant-based until after she’d eaten them and got mad at me for not warning her. She accused me of food tampering and even went so far as to say I had poisoned her. I was honestly shocked. I never hid anything from her, and the packaging was clearly labeled.
It’s not like I swapped the meat out as a prank or tricked her on purpose I just let her cook the patties that were in there. Now she’s acting like I committed some huge betrayal by letting her eat something that wasn't meat. Am I wrong for letting my girlfriend cook plant-based burgers without telling her they weren’t real meat?
Here's what people had to say to OP:
Grilled_Cheese10 said:
If she made them herself, and removed them from the original labelled packaging, I cannot imagine what her problem is. All of that aside, is she unable to eat plants? Does she not eat plants? Why is she upset that she ate plants?
Sea-Lettuce-2371 said:
Your girlfriend is almost 40 and can’t read a label or something? NTA. It isn't your fault she didn’t read. I’m assuming she also knows you keep vegan foods in your house for your friend so she should know to pay extra attention to labels.
Inevitable_Pie9541 said:
Her being offended is weird. I could understand a vegan freaking over eating a meat burger thinking it was vegan, but getting upset over the other way around and calling it food tampering is way OTT. How was she harmed by enjoying a plant-based burger?
Fickle-Secretary681 said:
NTA. She sounds absolutely ridiculous.
IllTemperedOldWoman said:
"Food tampering?" Break up.
Careless-Ability-748 said:
nta you didn't tamper with anything. She could read the box. She asked you if she could cook them and you said yes. You didn't do anything wrong and she's being strangely dramatic.