Dating

This is what you should eat on a date to smell nice (and this you shouldn't)

By Sophie Rietmulder | #!30Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +0200+02:001730#30Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +0200+02:00-12Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202330 01pm30pm-30Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +0200+02:0012Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam2023302023Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +02004512456pmThursday=9#!30Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam6#06-01-2023#!30Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +0200+02:001730#/30Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +0200+02:00-12Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202330#!30Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:45:17 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam6#

I hear you thinking: navigating the dating jungle with one eye and one leg (because that's how it feels) is already difficult enough without also having to pay attention to what you eat. Still, it's wise to keep reading, just to increase the chance of a second date by a few percent. There are indeed ingredients that will make you smell wonderful (hello successful first kiss) and things you better not order during that long-awaited dinner with a potential new lover. Honestly, doesn't that make you a little curious?

Water
Call me a part-time alcoholic, but as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing that can ruin the atmosphere of a date faster than a ‘just give us two waters’. Yawn. Still, it's a good plan to at least have a glass of water next to your plate. Drinking enough water helps wash away bacteria and food particles in the mouth that can cause bad breath.

Fresh herbs
Chewing on fresh herbs like parsley, mint, coriander, or basil can provide a temporary fresh breath. How to subtly incorporate this action into your date, I don't quite know, but ordering a fresh mint tea after the meal does the trick as well.

Yogurt
Okay, you'll forever be known as that weirdo who brought a tub of yogurt to a date in the name of love, but it's a lifesaver if you often suffer from bad breath. Probiotic yogurt can help reduce unpleasant odors by promoting the balance of good bacteria in the mouth. Now you know that too.

Coffee and alcohol
Sorry, don’t shoot the messenger: coffee and wine are really detrimental to your breath. Can you remember that one teacher who stood over your table with a breath that could destroy everything to help you? Exactly, they could have helped themselves first. Drinking plenty of water alongside your cup of coffee or your glass of wine can actually neutralize this, so take advantage of it.

Sugary foods
Bacteria love two things: sugar and ruining your date. Because the bacteria feed on the sugar from your dessert, you'll soon be richer in bad breath and poorer in second dates. Although skipping dessert is of course also the worst form of self-love ever. Choices, choices...

Meat
Please leave that steak alone. Eating meat, especially red meat, can promote the formation of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth, which can contribute to, you guessed it: bad breath. Besides the fact that I've never been able to eat a steak sexily (cutting as if your life depends on it and chewing until you fall over), you might as well go for a lighter meal. You happy, your date happy, and your mouth forever fresh.