IS THE SECRET TO SEDUCTION ON A PLATE?

A bouquet of flowers, avoiding talking about one’s ex, choosing a seductive perfume – these alone are not enough. It turns out for a relationship to get off the ground, food choices during the first date play a key role. This is the finding of a scientific study published in the journal Appetite by researchers at the University of Leeds. The sociological experiment analyzed couples participating in a blind date on the Reality Show “First Date” broadcast on Twenty Twenty TV.

Most first dates take place in a restaurant, usually over a romantic dinner. This was precisely the focus of the reality show First Dates. A total of 792 couples were invited to meet for the first time in a restaurant, their behavior at the table was monitored and the status of each couple was checked, some time later. The results were very interesting. It appears that if there is good understanding right from the selection of dishes or the way they are enjoyed together, the couple has a much higher chance of developing a fulfilling and lasting romantic relationship.

The first thing that stands out is that, in most cases (65.5 percent) it is women who suggest to men what to order or, at least, they make their choice, which is then endorsed by their partner. According to the experts who analyzed the various scenarios, this suggests that the woman “who cares for her partner, nurtures him, and feeds him” is still a figure that men find attractive, seek out and appreciate.

Another inrtiguing fact is the presence of chocolate in almost every first-date menu. In 70% of cases, the couple did not skip dessert, and in 53.6% of cases the dessert had chocolate as its main ingredient.

It certainly seems that when there is sweetness on a first date, which concludes with a delicious chocolate dessert, this is an indication of a greater likelihood that the relationship will evolve into a second date, then a third and a fourth, eventually blossoming into a serious and lasting romance.

The study concludes that dining behavior during a first date is, in fact, a form of courtship and is highly predictive of the likelihood of agreeing to a second date.

Of course, taste is subjective: as a nutritionist, I would replace dessert with exotic fruits or berries, while many other women actually like to be guided in their menu choices…

What about you? Do you remember what you ordered the first time you dined with your current significant other? Do you agree with the study? Did you also order a chocolate dessert? Let me know in the comments!

Hendrie C, Shirley I. Courtship-feeding in the “First Dates” restaurant is highly predictive of a second date. Appetite. 2019 Oct 1;141:104329.

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