Go ahead; eat what you want to eat. It’s your meal, it’s your appetite, who is judging you? Well… your date is actually. First dates are full of judgments and opinions being made, for both people. While you should be yourself as much as you can, it may also be a good idea to avoid certain unnecessary things that could make you look, or smell, badly. You may have heard that guys love for a girl to order ribs, chicken wings, or tacos on a first date because it shows she is fun, but that is not the whole story. Even though it would be nice to show your date that you can eat like a real woman, you should save the messy foods until you are on the 5th or 6th date, just in case his idea of ladylike is different than yours. To help, here are a few things to pass on when sitting down to dine for the first time with a new person.
14 Tzatziki
If you wouldn't eat something at work with new coworkers, you shouldn't eat them on your first couple of dates. We advise you to avoid the overpowering garlic breath that sets in shortly after eating tzatziki. Gyros and other greek wraps are usually doused in tzatziki, which is why we love them, but for the first few dates, we recommend you save yourself the embarrassment of having pungent garlic breath.
13 Submarine sandwich
Picture yourself eating a sub. Two hands, widest mouth you can, lettuce falling from all angles... not the most flattering image is it? Not only that... but let this be the intro to phallic shaped food items. Make it a pizza sub and things just got a whole lot worse for you. Not to mention the sauce that may end up all over your face, all while trying to remain a sexy standard throughout dinner.
12 Hot dog
The king of phallic food. The hot dog is a classic walk and talk meal, but also seems to find it's way into fantasy. It is pretty horrible to think about but the sexual stigma behind hot dogs but it is simply too much of a hurdle to jump. The only exception to this is rule is if your date is at a baseball game. Even then, eat with caution.
11 Leafy salad
Guys don't want baggage. They want a fun carefree evening enjoying good food and good company. When a girl shows up and orders a house salad, hold the croutons, with dressing on the side, she comes off as high maintenance. Unless you are both very strictly and strongly health conscious and have discussed your love for salads and healthy eating beforehand, get something with some substance. He will appreciate that you can eat like a human and believe that you are probably more fun to be around. Another reason to avoid leafy salads is the small little pieces that like to stick to your teeth. Adding green to your smile could be somewhat of a turn off.
10 Garlic bread
As delicious as this is, it is only recommended if the date is going horribly. Garlic bread actually has two demons, the obvious being garlic on your breath. There will be no kissing after a healthy, or even small, dose of garlic bread after your spaghetti. Secondly, it can cause major bloating which will make you feel uncomfortable for the evening and probably make your date feel the same.
9 Onions
Another smelly choice that should be avoided. Sharing a box of onion rings is cute... for a 5th date... but on your first night out you may want to keep these fried veggies out of the mix. It would be wise to ask for no onions in whatever dish you order at the restaurant - you'd be surprised how much they are used.
8 Chicken wings
Chicken wings are delicious and are so much fun to order at a restaurant, especially on wing night, but only when you are in the company of friends. We say this because watching someone dive into a saucy basket of wings, may be one of the least attractive or appealing sights. Wings are messy and are eaten by tearing the skin and meat off of a bone with your teeth and hands, leaving you full of sauce on your face, hands, teeth and sometimes on our clothes. Just avoid this one until you are a few dates in.
7 Ribs
Similar to the chicken wings, ribs can be very messy. Their greatest asset is their sauce and, although they can be eaten with utensils, ribs are often eaten with your fingers, all 10 of them. For this reason it is advised that you avoid this caveman-style eating until you get to know each other much better. You don’t want your date looking at you like you are a monster.
6 Food with a lot of exceptions
Don't be that girl that orders the chicken stir fry but instead of chicken can you get shrimp, and can you hold the peppers and the broccoli, and the cauliflower, and is there a sauce that is not quite as spicy, and can you get noodles instead of rice, but make them rice noodles... you just sound like you will be a handful and that is not the impression you want to give. Yes, you deserve to eat things you like and things that you are not sensitive too... but why not just find something that may be closer to what you are looking for.
5 Certain fish
Some fish are just fishy. And not everyone likes fishy. Sushi is fine since most raw fish will not have a strong smell (assuming you are at a reputable place), but cooked fish will leave you and the room smelling a little too potent. It is also a smell that lingers since the oils are likely to have clung to your hands, and at the very least will linger on your breath and seep out your pours. Great for your skin. Bad for a date.
4 Soup
{slurp} {slurp} {slurp}. It is pretty distracting when someone is slurping soup off of a spoon, and even more so when they hold the bowl right up to their mouth and drink away. To cut to the chase, noisy foods are a turn off and you should stick to solid foods. A nice starter soup that is small and that you politely and quietly sip over good conversation is different than a giant soup that you slurp away at the whole meal.
3 Lobster
Ripping an animal apart with your bare hands is just not something most people see as romantic. While Lobster can be a fun date because of the extra work and distractions, save it for the second or third dinner. Even for those who are full blood meat eaters, it is still less attractive watching your date rip an arm off than it would be to see them twirl spaghetti or cut a chicken breast with a fork and knife.
2 Corn on the cob
It is nearly impossible to eat corn on the cob gracefully. Not only that, but it is also seemingly impossible to make it through one without getting at least 3 kernels stuck between your teeth. That fuzzy yellow smile is certainly not one you want to be flashing at anyone, unless they have the same quirky sense of humour as you - but how would you know that on date one? Better be safe and stick to a veggie with a little less texture.
1 Ordering too many cocktails
This one comes as a little tid bit of advice. Even though you may be nervous and want to calm your nerves, do not order too many drinks. You may think you can hold your liquor well, but your date might get the wrong impression when you order 4 drinks before the appetizers arrive. Have fun, relax, order a drink or two, but do not order more beverages than you have courses coming.
