9 Men Reveal The Food Dealbreakers That Make Them Run Away From A First Date
Careful what you order.
Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB / Shutterstock A study from AYI.com shows that men actually prefer to date vegetarians, but these nine men won't fault you for ordering a steak — as long as you actually finish it.
Read on to find out what other food dealbreakers made these men lose their dating appetite.
1. Be willing to try new foods.
"I like dining to be an adventure. If she won't try the head cheese with black truffle, it probably won't work out." — Tanner, 22
"When a girl just will not try something new, whether it's a restaurant or different cuisine, that's a dealbreaker for me. Sticking with the same genre of food gets boring." — Tory, 25
2. Don't be judgmental.
"When a woman judges what I'm eating, especially on a first date, it's a dealbreaker. If she's a vegan or vegetarian or whatever and wants to live that way, that's fine. But if I order a steak, I don't want to get a lecture about how bad red meat is (I'm fully aware and I am trying to cut down, by the way). The way I see it — live and let live. If I get that kind of lecture on a first date, that's a red flag, and I know it's just going to get worse." — Dan, 33
"Having an attitude about what I order. Eat what you enjoy, and I'll eat what I enjoy. I don't need your commentary about why I shouldn't enjoy mine." — Eric, 34
3. Have some self-control.
"I recently went on a date where the girl seemed to have just finished a 72 hour fast and was starving. She was eating sushi with her hands, really fast. I imagined food flying over her shoulder. She even reached onto my plate to try my food. Before I had a chance to say go ahead, she already scarfed it down." — Radio, 32
4. Make your own decisions.
"The biggest food dealbreaker I ever experienced was on a date lady who evidently never got the message about the ERA and had her values steeped in the 18th century. At dinner, she announced that she preferred the man to 'order for her.' Now, I thought, okay, she tells me what she wants and when the waiter comes, I give both our orders, no problem.
But NO. She wanted me to SELECT what she was going to EAT. Now, this was something like our ... well, FIRST date ... what if she has a seafood allergy? What if the nuts in the cashew chicken throw her into anaphylactic shock? What person wants someone else to choose what food they eat? Since I wasn't in the market for a Stepford wife, that was the last time I saw her." — Daniel, 51
5. Actually, eat your food.
"It bothers me when you buy a girl food, and she barely touches it, especially if she says she's hungry. This has happened to me a lot of times. I think it's rude." — Khad, 24
6. Close your mouth.
"My absolute biggest pet peeve is chewing with your mouth open. If you're over the age of 4, you should have basic table manners. Don't be self-conscious about crunching or slurping here and there, but there's nothing more grating and disgusting than a person who doesn't have the courtesy to close their mouth while eating. This is the quickest way to end a date with me." — Brian, 33
7. Respect your waiter.
"If they're nasty to the waiter or waitress, it's a dealbreaker. Be respectful. Have manners." — David, 30
Danielle Page is the founder of ThisIsQuarterLife.com, a blog dedicated to making your mid 20's easier to navigate. Follow her on Twitter.