There are plenty of creative activities that are ideal for first dates, but if they don’t involve eating, I’m not interested. It might sound like an odd dealbreaker to some people, but for me, food is just as important to my dating life as it is to my physical well-being, and here’s why:
- If the date goes poorly, it’s not a complete loss. First dates are often hit or miss, and if it’s the latter, the last thing I want is to know that I’ve wasted time, energy, and cash on someone who kinda sucks. At least if we get food, I can look back on the memory fondly. Even if the guy was lackluster, a couple of rolls of amazing sushi can really put a smile on a girl’s face.
- I’m much happier with a full stomach. If you want to catch me in a good mood, it’s not going to happen if I’m hungry. Even the promise of being able to eat later is going to cause me to show up as the most pleasant version of myself. I know just how important first impressions are, so to give a first date any chance of progressing into a second date (and then maybe even true love?), I’m going to need to get a plate of ravioli involved.
- You can tell a lot about a person by what and how they eat. A guy who refuses to be adventurous in his food choices isn’t going to be adventurous in the sack, and you can bet that if he’s a messy eater, he’s not going to pay attention to the little things that make a relationship work. Going out to eat with a person is like interviewing them… only it reveals way more. I need to know this stuff if I’m going to make any kind of investment in a man, so it’s better we stuff our faces together sooner rather than later.
- It’s time-efficient. I’m all about doing as much as possible in as little time as possible, so if I can knock out dinner and a date at the same time, I feel like a champion. It’s so much better than having to scarf down a meal so I don’t end up late for a movie date or having to cut my time short with a guy because my stomach has started eating itself. Getting food together isn’t just enjoyable — it’s practical.
- It makes for easier conversation. Especially on a first date, it can be tough to find things to talk about. Even if I’m nervous or unsure of what to discuss, I know that whatever food we’re eating can be brought up as a topic of conversation. Besides, any man who can chat about pizza with me for an extended period of time has soulmate potential.
- I need to know he won’t judge me. I can eat. A lot. If a guy thinks I’m going to conceal that fact just because this is the first time we’re meeting, he’s in for a rude awakening. I’m not going to pretend like I can’t down that whole burger just to keep up some illusion that I’m cute and dainty — it’s going down the hatch. If the fact that I can eat more than he probably can is a turn-off, well, this probably wasn’t going to work out anyway.
- I’ll get hungry at some point anyway. Even if I eat right before our get-together, my stomach is still probably going to growl if our date lasts longer than an hour. Rather than pretending like the inevitable isn’t going to happen, I’d rather just be able to rest assured that my black hole of a stomach will eventually be taken care of before my date and I go our separate ways.
- Everything is better with food. If the date goes poorly, good food will make it tolerable. If the date goes well, good food will make it spectacular. Food really improves every situation, so there’s no better way to ensure that everyone leaves satisfied than to order at least a basket of fries while we’re getting to know each other. What better way to end things on a positive note?
- It adds something special to the occasion. If things work out between us, we’re going to look back on our first date one day and remember all the great (and possibly not so great) things that happened… and you can bet that if there was eating involved, the food we munched on will be a part of those memories. Whether it’s how he knew I was The One when I put potato chips on my sandwich or when I openly laughed at him when his taco shell exploded all over his shirt, including food in our first date together is a surefire way to make it more memorable.
- I love food more than I’ll ever love a dude. No matter how much I may end up liking a guy, food will always be my first true love. Even if I were to go out with Chris Evans himself, the highlight of our time together would be the food I ended up eating while I was with him. If the guy I’m going out with isn’t as eager to eat on our first outing as I am, I’ll know right off the bat that we aren’t compatible.
