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As if you needed another reason to eat pizza, ice cream, tacos, and sushi: according to new polls, involving these four foods in your casual encounters makes you more attractive. Yes, you read that right.
On behalf of Yelp, OnePoll surveyed single American millennials across the country to find out how food habits corresponded to dating habits. The findings suggest that certain foods are more popular among people on the prowl. What’s more, dining etiquette (or lack thereof) as well as food preferences can make or break your chances of getting some action.
We’ve broken down these surprising stats according to location and gender so you can use them to your advantage. Because we all know dating is a numbers game, right?
New York City vs. Los Angeles
In a poll of 1,000 millennials (500 residing in New York City and 500 in Los Angeles) differences between daters on opposite coasts emerge. New Yorkers are more open to eating with their one-night stands when compared to Los Angeles residents at a rate of 75 to 69 percent, respectively. That said, more than one in three New Yorkers believe that takeout or delivery are the only acceptable forms of dining during casual encounters.
Also: First Date Drinks: The Most Attractive Drink Orders
Fifteen percent of Angelinos and 14 percent of New Yorkers think dining with a one-night stand is a big no-no. If they were willing to dine with a one-night stand, both New Yorkers and Angelinos named pizza as their top food choice. Tacos came in second for L.A. residents while ice cream was the runner-up for New Yorkers.
Photo: Yuji Kotani, Getty Images.
Los Angeles daters are ruthless when it comes to eating etiquette. Twenty-four percent of those surveyed have turned down a date or ended a relationship over someone’s eating habits. New Yorkers are slightly more forgiving; 21 percent from the Big Apple have done the same.
Both Los Angeles residents (51 percent) and New Yorkers (46 percent) believe a potential fling can be more attractive if they like a certain food. What food might that be? Pizza of course. Sushi was the next-best choice for Los Angeles millennials while ice cream cones were second once again for New Yorkers.
Men vs. Women
In a survey of 2,000 single millennials, a gender gap is evident. Men are more willing to eat with their one-night stands than women (77 to 65 percent, respectively), but a lot of men (42 percent) only want to eat behind closed doors with their dates, stating that takeout or delivery are the most acceptable forms of dining when hooking up is on the menu. Twelve percent of men and 18 percent of women won’t dine at all with a one-night stand. (To them we say: why would anyone want to sleep with you?)
When they do dine with one-night stands, both men and women prefer pizza as their post-coital meal. As a second choice, men would opt for ice cream while women would rather chow down on tacos.
Photo: Juj Winn, Getty Images.
Be careful about your manners when eating with the opposite sex: 23 percent of men have turned down a date or ended a relationship over a partner’s eating habits as have 20 percent of women.
Many men (50 percent) and women (44 percent) agree that a potential fling is more attractive if they like a certain food. And, yes, that food would be pizza. (Are we seeing a pattern here?) Ice cream was named as the second most attractive food for both men and women.
In summary, have a pizza place on speed dial and a pint of ice cream in the freezer before you booty call. At the very least, you’ll satisfy one of your date’s appetites.
