AITA for losing my temper over bone broth being added to a soup?

Shirley Stafford Hours
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A cozy dinner among friends, with steaming bowls of minestrone promising warmth on a chilly night, took a bitter turn for one vegetarian couple. The girlfriend, grappling with a mysterious meat aversion, trusted the host’s carefully chosen vegetarian recipe. But one guest’s reckless act—sneaking bone broth into the soup—sent her rushing to the bathroom, her body rejecting the dish. The boyfriend’s fury at the culprit erupted, turning a friendly gathering into a battleground of trust and betrayal.

This Reddit tale captures the sting of disrespect in a single spoonful. The couple’s commitment to vegetarianism, born from necessity and love, clashed with a friend’s dismissive sabotage, leaving their social circle reeling. With the group chat now a war zone, the story unfolds as a vibrant mix of loyalty, anger, and the fight for respect in friendships.

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‘AITA for losing my temper over bone broth being added to a soup?’

My girlfriend, A (24F) and I (23M) are ovo-lacto vegetarian and have been for approximately six months or so because she developed a sudden involuntary negative reaction to meat and some animal products. At best she’ll spit out the offending bite and rinse her mouth out, and at worst she’ll get sick almost immediately.

She’s gone to her primary care and is seeing a therapist but we have yet to know why she reacts this way. Any meat, from mammal to poultry to fish, triggers this reaction in her if she consumes it. Even sufficiently “meaty” vegan products that imitate the taste and texture of meat too well can set it off in her.

I opted to cut meat out of my diet as well considering I do most of the cooking and it’s easier to make us both the same meals rather than worry about cross contamination. I’ve grown to prefer some of the meatless alternatives of our normal fare, and seeing her unabashedly enjoy my food makes me feel warm and content.

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One of the worst ingredients that triggers a reaction in her is bone broth. I used to drink and cook with it beforehand, but nowadays I use mushroom broth and I don’t notice much of a difference except when shopping as it tends to be in stock at my local grocer even when the meat alternatives aren’t.

Sometimes I even switch out instant ramen seasoning for mushroom bouillon base with dried veggies if I’m feeling lazy and want something quick. We have a shared friend, B (24M) who invites us and a few others, including C (23M), over occasionally for dinner and a hangout.

He’s a much better cook than I am and he invited us over group chat recently, even offering to send a few recipes he’d been considering making by us to make sure he could accommodate. A and I looked over the recipes B sent and a minestrone recipe caught our eye, especially because it’s been soup weather and I hadn’t had proper minestrone in ages.

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We told him what we thought and he admitted it’s what he would’ve chosen too. He sent a time and date to the group chat and all seemed well. The day rolls around and we arrive a little later than everyone else. We get settled in and we serve ourselves some soup before sitting at the table.

A only had a single spoonful before immediately making a beeline for the bathroom. As soon as the bathroom door slammed shut, C shrunk in his seat and admitted to adding bone broth to the minestrone while B was greeting us as he felt it needed the flavor and didn’t think A was “really” vegetarian.

This is where I may be the a**hole. I laid into C, calling him, among other things, a f**king i**ot for tampering with food someone else made and a piece of s**t for doing it knowing full well it was supposed to be vegetarian and making my girlfriend sick.

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I told him I never wanted to see his face again and left for home with A as soon as she got out of the bathroom and had rinsed her mouth out. Now the group chat is in shambles. A says she appreciates me standing up for her but feels bad for “causing a scene”. AITA?

A simple soup shouldn’t unravel friendships, but this incident reveals the deep harm of disregarding dietary needs. The girlfriend’s meat aversion, causing immediate physical distress, was mocked by C, who added bone broth to “improve” the vegetarian minestrone. His skepticism—doubting her vegetarianism’s legitimacy—not only sickened her but betrayed the host’s efforts and the group’s trust, turning a thoughtful meal into a health risk.

This clash reflects a wider issue: dismissal of food intolerances. A 2021 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology study reports 10% of adults face food sensitivities, yet many encounter disbelief, heightening risks. C’s tampering, assuming he knew better, mirrors a cultural tendency to trivialize non-allergic aversions, sometimes linked to post-viral effects like those from COVID.

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The boyfriend’s sharp reaction, while intense, stemmed from protectiveness and frustration. C’s actions disrespected not just the girlfriend’s health but the host’s hospitality, creating a ripple effect of distrust. The group chat’s chaos shows how one reckless act can destabilize relationships. To mend this, the boyfriend might express regret for his harsh words while firmly addressing C’s wrongdoing, ensuring the girlfriend feels supported without escalating tensions further.

Moving forward, the couple could explore medical answers, like testing for alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-related meat allergy mentioned by commenters. Excluding C from future gatherings, unless he owns his mistake, protects the group’s harmony. The host, B, deserves praise for his care, and rebuilding trust starts with clear boundaries. This story reminds us that food is more than sustenance—it’s a matter of respect and care in any community.

Heres what people had to say to OP:

Reddit’s response to this soup sabotage was swift and fiery, unanimously backing the boyfriend’s outrage. Commenters condemned C’s reckless tampering, labeling it disrespectful and dangerous, with some suggesting it bordered on poisoning. They praised the boyfriend’s loyalty and the host’s thoughtfulness, urging the couple to distance themselves from C and reassure the girlfriend she wasn’t at fault.

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The community also speculated on the girlfriend’s condition, pointing to possibilities like alpha-gal syndrome or post-COVID aversions, reflecting a mix of empathy and curiosity. Suggestions ranged from cutting C out to pursuing medical clarity, all wrapped in a tone of support and indignation. These opinions highlight a collective disdain for boundary violations and a call for accountability in friendships, emphasizing that trust, once broken, demands consequences.

Ntooishun − NTA. A recent article talked about an increase in meat allergies. It's called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), and it's caused by a bite from the lone star tick. I think someone else mentioned it also.

pgf314 − NTA, and you’re a good for not only sticking up for her but also changing your eating habits to help support her. Did she have COVID prior to this meat aversion? Asking because my aunt had it four years ago

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and even the smell of pork makes her nauseated now (and this is a woman who’d buy extra hams at Xmas & Easter so she’d never run out).  My best friend can no longer eat anything with peanut butter, which is sadly her favorite food. All the other side effects have worn off, but the specific food aversions remain.

libelula202 − NTA Dude cared more about how dinner tasted than if your girlfriend could eat. And not just that, he sounds like one of those “allergies aren’t real” people. Honestly you’re better off without him.

He is too old to think tampering with food (that he didn’t even cook!) is appropriate. He poisoned your gf for gods sake! Make sure to tell your gf SHE did not cause a scene, the guy tampering with all of your food did.

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Lhamo55 − NTA if this isn’t AI generated ragebait. C deliberately sabotaged the host’s thoughtfully planned and agreed upon meal, and showed himself unworthy of your friendship. He not only disrespected A, but B as well by tampering with the soup.

I don’t understand what gives people the impression it’s their responsibility to disprove another person’s claims regarding allergies, illnesses or disabilities. It’s not his business and A didn’t “cause a scene” - C did.

aikigrl − NTA. Deliberate tampering of food, no matter the motive, could become criminal if the person end up with an adverse reaction and ended up in hospital. I get that your gf A feels bad because it caused an uproar in the friends group C is a total AH and should be thrown away as a friend but B sounds like an awesome and considerate friend who did nothing wrong - he probably wants to throw C away too.

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storytime_w_daddy − NTA. You stood up for your gf. Messing with someone’s food is clear-cut a**hole territory.

Specialist-Spring452 − NTA He basically just admitted to poisoning your gf. He didn't think she was 'really a vegetarian'? That's ridiculous. I would say that you could be more clear with your dietary restrictions in the future to prevent anyone from not taking it seriously again, but it seems like he knew what they were and just didn't know how serious it was (still a major crossing of boundaries).

CSurvivor9 − NTA. I don't see anything you did wrong. C, on the other hand, is a huge ahole. Make sure A knows this isn't their fault. This is all on C.

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Silvanus350 − The idea that an invited guest would deliberately tamper with a meal they didn’t make, at someone else’s house, is absolutely insane. What the f**k.. Obviously NTA.

Lollipopwalrus − NTA. This was nothing to do with flavour and 100% about C wanting to play 'got cha'. If it was flavour, he'd have added it to his own or served yours & hers up first then added it. He knew exactly what he was doing and jumped to flavour as an excuse to cover himself. 100% right response. Food tampering and allergy testing are idiotic and dangerous.

This minestrone mishap proves a single act of disrespect can sour more than just a meal. The boyfriend’s fierce defense of his girlfriend’s health underscores the power of loyalty, while C’s bone broth blunder serves as a warning about trivializing others’ needs. Trust and respect are the true ingredients of any gathering, and this story stirs a potent reminder to honor them. Share your tales of dietary dramas or boundary breaches below—let’s keep the conversation cooking!

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