Deciding what to eat on a first date can be tricky. You want to impress your date, but certain foods can easily ruin a good first date. Whether it’s messy dishes that can lead to embarrassing spills or smelly foods that can bring the conversation to an end, making the right food decisions on a date is crucial. It’s best to go for simple dishes that are easy to eat and don’t include pungent ingredients. Here are 18 foods to steer clear of on a first date.
Soup
According to Forbes, for Valentine’s Day, “it’s estimated that 42% of singles will be dining out to celebrate.” If you decide to dine out for your first date, it’s probably a good idea to not choose soup off the menu. Soup can be messy and awkward, as there’s a high risk of spillage, and the slurping noises you might make can be pretty unattractive. It’s also difficult to share soup without making a mess.
Shellfish
Shellfish can be an allergy hazard, and it contains common allergens that can be risky if you don’t know your date’s dietary restrictions. Shellfish is also not the easiest and cleanest food to eat, and cracking shells can be loud and messy. Eating shellfish can cause a lingering smell on your hands and breath too. So, it’s probably a clever idea to steer clear of shellfish on a first date.
Garlic Bread
Everyone loves garlic bread, but you should try to resist the temptation to order garlic bread on a first date. Garlic bread can leave a pungent smell on your breath, which can ruin your date, especially if you’re hoping for a kiss! It can also be a pretty messy food, as you eat it with your hands. It’s easy to get crumbs everywhere, and the oil from the garlic bread can make your hands sticky and greasy.
Wings
Wings are another food to avoid on a first date, as they can get pretty messy. The sticky sauces from the wings in particular can end up everywhere and get all over your hands. Finding a place for the discarded bones can also be quite awkward. Eating with your hands and licking your fingers is generally seen as rude and unrefined, so wings are typically a bad idea for a first-date meal.
Spicy Food
Some people are sensitive to spicy ingredients, so it’s a risky food choice. If you or your date aren’t used to eating spicy food and don’t have a good tolerance for spice, it can cause sweating, tears, stomach issues, and general discomfort. None of these things are attractive! The intense flavors of spicy food can also overpower the palate. Even if you love eating spicy food, you should give it a miss on a first dinner date.
Salads
Sometimes all we fancy is a refreshing salad, especially in the hot summer months, but getting a salad on a first date isn’t the best idea. It can be difficult to manage and eat large leaves elegantly, and the dressing on the salad can easily spill or drip onto your clothes and stain them. A salad also may not be the most substantial and filling meal, leaving you hungry after your date.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
CNBC reports that “in 2019, Americans spent an average of $697 to go on dates.” When you’re spending this much money on dates, it’s important to spend it wisely, and deciding to buy spaghetti and meatballs on a first date can be a mistake. Twirling pasta and cutting meatballs can be tricky, and this dish is difficult to eat without slurping or splattering. The tomato sauce can also quickly stain your clothes if you spill any.
Nachos
Nachos might seem like a good tasty and shareable choice for a first date food; however, they can actually be messy and difficult to share. The toppings on nachos, like cheese, salsa, and other toppings, can often fall off and make a mess, and the oil in nachos can leave your hands greasy and sticky. Despite being a shared dish, nachos are also usually hard to share without looking greedy or uncoordinated.
Corn on the Cob
You should avoid getting corn on the cob as a side dish when you’re on a first date, as it can be awkward and messy to eat. Corn on the cob is a pretty noisy food to eat, and no one likes to hear gross chewing and biting noises on a date! Eating corn directly off the cob can also look ungraceful and unrefined, and the corn bits can get stuck in your teeth too, which never looks attractive.
Burgers
You might think burgers are a simple and safe choice for a first-date meal, but you’d be wrong! Burgers are often full of overflowing toppings that can fall out and create a mess. Big burgers full of ingredients can also be difficult to get your mouth around and can often require large, unflattering bites. On top of this, there’s the grease from the burger that can drip or leave a residue on your hands and face.
Onions
Onions are used in a wide variety of meals, and while they can make a dish taste amazing, they also have many downsides. Onions can leave a potent odor on your breath, which can be off-putting for your date, and their strong taste can continue to linger long after the meal. Onions can also potentially cause digestive issues and gas for some people. Try to steer clear of any dishes that go heavy on the onions on a first date.
Ribs
Regardless of how tasty they are, you should always avoid ribs on a first date. Ribs are infamously messy to eat, and their delicious sauciness and stickiness can quickly lead to messy hands. Discarding the bones from the ribs can also be too awkward and unappealing for a first date. Ribs are typically served in large portions too, which can be quite overwhelming for you and your date.
Beans
Many types of beans can cause bloating and discomfort, which is the last thing you want on a first date! The Cleveland Clinic says “the issue with beans is that digesting their sugars often creates a fragrant, musical byproduct: Gas (or flatulence).” Beans can also leave a lingering odor on your breath, and saucy beans in particular can be pretty messy to eat and carry the risk of spillage.
Tacos
Tacos are yet another messy food choice that you shouldn’t order on a first date. Tacos are pretty awkward to eat, and it’s hard to take neat bites without everything falling apart. The fillings can easily fall out and make a mess while you’re trying to eat them. Tacos are also typically eaten with your hands, which can look ungraceful and lead to more messiness. Stick to foods that are easy to eat with a knife and fork!
Sushi
Sushi might not be the best option to choose for a first date, as the idea of raw fish can be off-putting to some people. Sushi also requires you to have good chopstick skills, and if your date doesn’t have these skills, they can find it quite awkward to eat. Sauces like wasabi and soy sauce can be pretty spicy or salty too, which can be overwhelming for your date if they’re not used to it.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a staple of most cinema dates, but it can actually be a bad idea on a first date. Eating popcorn can become messy, as it can leave a buttery, greasy residue on your fingers. This is bad news if you want to hold hands with your date! Crunching popcorn can also be loud and distracting, and the kernels can easily get stuck in your teeth, which can look pretty unattractive.
Crab Legs
I’m not sure anyone has ever considered ordering crab legs on a first date, but just in case you ever do, here’s your warning not to. Cracking the shells on the crab legs can be both noisy and messy, which are two things you don’t want to be on a first date! The strong seafood odor of crab legs can also linger long after you’ve left the restaurant and ruin the rest of your date.
Ice Cream Cones
We all love a cute ice cream cone, but a first date isn’t the time or place for this treat. Ice cream cones can melt quickly, especially in hot weather, and easily become messy. Nobody wants to get ice cream all over their first date outfit! If you take too long to eat it, ice cream can drip and make your hands sticky, but if you eat it too quickly, you can get brain freeze and discomfort.
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