Woman on food stamps cooked for grieving boyfriend — but his entitled reaction left her in tears

When someone extends an act of kindness while they’re also struggling, it should be accepted and greatly appreciated. Instead, a woman who goes by u/MyCupOfTea777 was criticized for her gesture. The post shared on February 1, 2026, noted how the woman was understanding of her boyfriend grieving his mom’s loss after a chronic illness. To show her support, she decided to send a home-cooked meal for him despite relying on food stamps for herself. After much effort, he responded not with thanks but by insulting her food. The woman learned over text that her boyfriend’s mom passed away after a year and a half of battling an illness.

Since she didn’t live with him, she wanted to show her support and empathy. “I have never supported anyone through a loss like this, and I have never been through a loss like this myself,” she mentioned. She had cooked a big pot of pasta and meatballs and decided to take him some to his home. The girlfriend mentioned that she couldn’t cook anything fancy because she didn’t have much after having lost her job. “It was literally all I had in terms of something that could be stored in the fridge, and all he had to do was put it in a bowl and heat it,” she mentioned.

The post further revealed that she was out of food stamps and had no groceries at home, so preparing something wasn’t an option at the time. She arrived at his home and left the pot in the fridge, cleaned up his bathroom, and left. Later that night, she also went to spend some time with him and comfort him. They didn’t eat that night, and the woman understood he was likely upset and frustrated. “I can’t imagine how I would be acting/feeling if I were in his shoes,” she said. The woman had a pre-planned trip with her mom the next day, and so after spending some time with him, she left. She insisted on waiting back, but the man refused. 

That same night, the man texted her with a picture of the food she had made. Instead of a thank you or other comment, he wrote, “The amount of sauce you used is disrespectful.” Unsure how to respond, the woman mentioned she was trying to be helpful, and he didn’t have to eat it. When she got back from her trip, he invited her to dinner, cooked for her, and then “made some comments about how dinner was really good and how the food you cook for someone can be a representation of how you feel about them and how much you love them.” 

Then this morning, before I left, I went to grab the pot of pasta and take it home. It was immediately understood that he was hinting at the meal she made him. Even the next day, he mentioned how it was “inedible,” after which the woman refused to sit quietly. “He went on to say that my food made him feel so much worse,” and added how the stuff other people left was better off. “He said it was f**ked up of me to give him something so bad.” She replied by saying he could have at least thanked her or mentioned the flaw in a better way. “Nothing I do is ever good enough for him, and it’s eroding my self-confidence,” she added.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, the  Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the largest programs benefitting people in need. In 2024, the program benefited 41.7 million participants per month. Out of the population that it helped, around 41.6% of them were adults between the ages of 18 and 59, and 19.5% were adults 60 years and above. Los Angeles, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Oregon had the highest percentage of people (16% and more) being assisted by the SNAP program. 

Despite struggling herself, she chose to give a pot-full to her grieving boyfriend out of wholeheartedness and empathy, and it was received with disrespect. Many commented that she was right to stand up to him and his rude remarks. u/Taraooine said, “I lost my husband and was never this rude to ANYONE. That's not an excuse to be an asshole. Based on how he talked to you, I would have serious doubts about this relationship.” u/DystopianNightmare13 added,  “You are worth more than this jerk. I know he's grieving but that doesn't give him a pass to behave like an asshole.”

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