Deciding what food to order on a date can be awkward. You don’t want to be high maintenance and order the most expensive thing on the menu — but you also don’t want to order something that will turn your date off. You want your match to be even more into you after the date, not feel like they never want to see you again. So for the hope of eliminating that uncomfortable moment, here are six foods to steer clear of on a date.
1. Spaghetti
As a carb lover, I really enjoy pasta. I think it’s delicious and, in general, a very safe food choice for a date. After all, you don’t want to order something too pricey, and (unless it’s covered in truffles) pasta is usually priced just right. However, there’s a big difference between manageable pasta… and spaghetti. Pasta, such as farfalle or penne, can be eaten politely. Spaghetti on the other hand, is always messy. Regardless of how carefully you eat it, it can still splatter all over your outfit. You want to impress your date, not have them thinking you’re a slob.
2. Barbecue
Good news: barbecue is becoming trendy. Bad news: no one wants to look at a date with sauce all over their face and rib meat in their teeth. You want to be a hottie, not a hot mess.
3. Spinach & Leafy Greens
Yes, greens are healthy, but save the healthy choices for a night on your couch. Spinach and leafy greens get stuck in your teeth way too easily. Nothing would be more embarrassing than having green stuff stuck in your teeth while you’re sharing your favorite story. When you flash your date a smile, you don’t want to also flash a chunk of spinach.
4. Salad
Female daters take note: men are attracted to women who eat because a hearty appetite is appealing. A man wouldn’t invite you to join him for a meal if he didn’t want you to enjoy it. Ordering a salad as your main course sends the wrong message. It tells your date that you’re overly health conscious, which isn’t always an attractive quality. When your date tells his friends about the experience, you don’t want him to describe you as “the girl who ordered a salad.”
5. Lobster
Besides the fact that lobster will probably be the most expensive thing on the menu, it’s a sloppy food choice. It almost always requires you to wear a bib around your neck and use tons of napkins. Your date won’t be impressed as you lick your fingers and are covered in wet naps. Save the lobster for nights when you’re dining with friends.
6. Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic are delicious, and add tons of flavor to food, but they aren’t date-friendly. When you’re on a date, you want to order food that enhances the experience. Onions and garlic are so strong that they’ll leave you with less-than-perfect breathe. I’m sure you don’t want your date to remember you as the one with bad breathe!
Remember that dating is a process. It’s about connecting with someone who has similar interests and values. Once you’re in a relationship, these food choices become irrelevant. But, when you’re newly dating someone and trying to get to know each other, you want to be thought of positively!
Carly Spindel is a contributor to JDATE. See more of Carly Spindel's articles here.
