This is worth a complaint in and of itself... @:-)
Whether anyone will care is another question.
And, no, it doesn't matter of this was paid F or an award ticket.
And to the OP, it wouldn't matter if your wife was an elite. The vast majority of UA elites do not get any meal prioritization in FC, only the "elite" elites (1K and GS) get this. Everyone else should bring their own food into FC if they have a preference.