What not to eat on a first date

A romantic dinner is at the top of many people’s dating wish list – but navigating the menu can be a bit of a minefield. 

So what are the red flag foods to avoid if you want your date to go smoothly?

1. Strongly-flavoured foods

It goes without saying, really, that if you want a cheeky snog (or something more) at the end of the night, then you need to steer away from garlic-heavy dishes. 

This applies for all strongly-flavoured dishes such ones with lots of fish or onions. Just think about what would put you off kissing someone at the end of the night and don’t eat any of those things!

2. Spicy dishes

Spicy foods are risky at the best of times – never mind on a romantic date. Most people have had the experience of trying a food that is way too spicy for their palate, and suffering the consequences. Try to imagine the unpleasantness of this happening while you’re trying to appear attractive? 

Your date is unlikely to be impressed by the level of spice you can handle – and even if they are, your subsequent red face and sweating is likely to more than undo all of your good work! 

3. Messy mess

We’re not children anymore, and we should be able to handle messy foods. However, the fact is that we simply can’t. 

All it takes is one splash from your bowl of soup or a drip of barbeque sauce from a plate of ribs and you’ll have to spend the rest of the date trying to forget that you have your meal spattered down your date outfit. 

With some dishes – spaghetti being one of them – it is extremely difficult to eat them without looking like a big state. This is why it’s best to choose something simple with limited potential for it going wrong – spilling bread or salad on yourself isn’t the end of the world, but tomato sauce fully is. 

Be especially careful with messy cuisines like Italian and Indian. 

4. New options

We’re not telling you to be really boring with your food on a date, but it’s not the best time to try things you’ve never tried before. If you hate it you could end up looking picky, or having to send it back.

What’s more, if it’s a complex or adventurous food that you don’t know how to eat, this is unlikely to impress your date.  

5. Overtly suggestive foods

Remember that some foods have suggestive connotations, such as oysters, which are a bit of a seduction cliche. Going down this route of attracting your date will no doubt look a bit obvious and for many people could be rather off-putting. 

It’s probably best to avoid sensually eating any banana splits too! 

6. Don’t eat too much!

We don’t want you to go hungry, but eating so much you’re really full on a first date could make you sluggish and, basically, not your best self. It could also be a little bit painful, which is not exactly ideal when you're trying to turn on the charm.