Date food pointers

By: Krystal Bick

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 - 1:32 AM

OK, so it finally happened. That cute guy/girl you’ve been eyeing in your capstone class finally cut the games and dropped the “You like food? Yeah, me too, let’s go grab something to eat” line. Your outfit is perfect, emergency conversation fillers are prepared and then, while at dinner, it hits you: What food could ruin this date?

Potent-smelling foods/seasoning

This includes garlic, excessive onions and certain kinds of fish, which all include an aftermath of breath stinkage. Understandably, it may be difficult to avoid some of these foods, depending on the chosen cuisine. In that case, bring gum and mints for backup, keeping in mind, though, that some foods just aren’t worth risking the first kiss for.

“Garlic is just too potent of a smell,” Trevor Richardson, a journalism major, said. “It’s difficult to mask.”

Difficult-to-digest food

This will vary from person to person, but most often includes really spicy foods like Mexican or Indian, deep-fried food like fries and calamari, or raw food like sushi. All of these have the potential to ruin or shorten a date, either with uncontrollable gas, an upset stomach or just the overall feeling of lethargy from too heavy of a meal.

Generally, a good rule of thumb is to keep in mind your personal limitations when it comes to food. If you know the sight of raw fish makes you queasy, don’t try to impress your date by going with the flow and agreeing to sushi.

Food and drink allergies are also important to keep in mind. Make sure that if you happen to order something for your date, run it by them first. That peanut curry sauce might be death waiting to happen.

If you’re the one with the allergy, don’t disregard it because you think you can get away with it just this once.

“I avoid alcohol because I’m allergic to wine,” Lindsay Bates, a history major, said. “It’s an allergy to sulfite and it causes difficulty breathing, lung and chest pain for up to a week.”

Foods that stick in your teeth

Typically the most common and hardest to avoid is the classic (insert green food item here) that gets stuck in your teeth.

While there is no common cure for this date food ailment, it’s always a good idea to be conscious of the color and texture of the food you’re eating.

For example, pesto, broccoli and any kind of dark seasoning like thyme or rosemary has a way of lodging itself between teeth and because of the darker, more striking color, it’s more obvious to your date, or anyone for that matter.

“Vegetables are the worst,” Ann Malloy, a journalism major, said. “You inevitably always get the greens stuck in your teeth.”

It’s not a terrible idea to bring floss out on a date. If sneaking off to the bathroom after every bite isn’t an option, try to avoid foods that force you to bite with your front teeth, i.e. pizza or burgers. That way, if food gets stuck, it’s further back in your mouth and hopefully out of sight.

The same applies to drinks, namely red and some blush wines as they turn mouths, lips and teeth red. Again, this may be hard to avoid, especially if your date splurges for a bottle of wine, but don’t be surprised when you both look like vampires afterward.

Messy food means messy clothes

This includes primarily anything fried, French fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, ribs with barbecue sauce, as you typically use your hands and thereby increase the chance of getting grease on yourself. However, this can also include foods with heavy sauces like Italian pastas and Thai food, which after much slurping and twirling, somehow ends up on your shirt.

“Pizza is hard for me to eat,” Lisa Badalich, a speech pathology and audiology major, said. “The sauce and the cheese get everywhere and then you look ridiculous trying to get it all in your mouth.”
â€”Krystal Bick, kbick@nevadasagebrush.com