Man Accused of 'Fat Shaming' Girlfriend After Fight Over His Baking Backed
It's usually better to avoid awkward comments about food and eating habits, but a man has been backed online for telling his girlfriend to stop eating, after she repeatedly helped herself to his creations.
After seeing his girlfriend constantly dip her fingers into the delicacies he bakes for customers, Reddit user u/throwawaycakegf lost his patience and told her that she needs to stop dipping her fingers into everything he makes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors the production and distribution of food and pharmaceutical products throughout the country and has strict guidelines to follow. One of the most important is good manufacturing practice, including sanitation and food safety.
The 26-year-old man has been baking to help his younger sister, who owns her own bakery and is struggling to keep up with demand. Wanting to help out in any way he could, the poster began making cake fillings at home, including custard and marmalade.
Simply looking at the homemade creations wasn't enough for the girlfriend, who would dip her fingers in to taste them each time—clearly a spoon was out of reach.
Taking to Reddit, the poster wrote: "Unfortunately, the past four times I've made these fillings, my girlfriend [F24] has literally dipped her fingers into the filling jars and contaminated them.
"I've tried explaining to her that she can't dip her fingers in and contaminate the entire batch because then I have to remake it. I said she should use a spoon and take some out if she wants to try so bad, but she just pouts and says that she likes using her fingers because it takes her back to her childhood."
After being patient and repeatedly asking her to use a spoon, watching her contaminate his chocolate custard was the last straw.
"I totally lost it because this is the fifth time she blatantly disregarded what I said, and I yelled at her and told her to stop...eating the food I'm making because it's not for her, and she's contaminating it," he said. "She started crying and got mad at me for fat-shaming her, even though I made no comment on her weight."
The post ends by acknowledging that his response was "harsh," but he felt compelled to be blunt because asking politely wasn't working.
Nicolle Osequeda, lead therapist at Lincoln Park Therapy Group, is a relationship specialist who has helped many couples address underlying problems and create positive changes.
Speaking about the Reddit poster's dilemma, Osequeda suggested making a separate batch just for the girlfriend to try, but verbal communication is equally as fundamental to resolve the issue.
"Next time, the baker can make their girlfriend a small sample portion of whatever they are serving, so that she can eat it however she likes—with fingers or a spoon," she told Newsweek. "However, in order for this to work, the baker needs to know that their girlfriend understands, respects and validates why it's important that his client's food remains uncontaminated.
"Similarly, she also needs a chance to be able to share why it is that she loves to taste the food. I'm sure both reasons are valid."
While Osequeda encourages the couple to speak openly with one another, she doesn't overlook the importance of the food safety regulations the baker has to abide by.
With more than 39,000 votes on Reddit and 5,300 comments, there were many people on hand to offer advice or perspective. The vast majority supported the poster and suggested the problem is with the girlfriend, not him.
One Reddit user commented: "She's exhausting and sounds like she's trying to sabotage you helping your sister."
Another person wrote: "Does she also wear a diaper and draw on the walls with crayons because it reminds her of her childhood?"
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