You know the old adage about food being the way to a person’s heart? Turns out that’s truer — and more literal — than you may have expected according to recent research. Keep this in mind as Valentine’s Day approaches and you make those dinner reservations or plans to dine in: 75 percent of women would rather have a good meal than sex according to a survey by the meal delivery service Home Chef.
The survey, which polled 1,000 people, also found that 44 percent of women would rather date a great cook than someone with a great body — hey, props for not being shallow, ladies! — and a staggering 90 percent found the ability to cook sexy.
Skilled cooks are definitely hot, but if you’re not one of those lucky people dating a master chef, takeout isn’t such a bad option (provided you trust the place to deliver A-plus food). Grubhub did a Valentine’s Day survey of their own and discovered that Indian dishes such as saag paneer or tandoori chicken were the most popular choices to order in on Valentine’s Day, with sushi rolls following closely behind.
More:Yes, Valentine’s Day Is Commercialized, but It’s Still Important
Meanwhile, for couples going out to eat, Zagat found that Americans are spending more than ever on Valentine’s Day meals — the average tab is predicted to be $170, up 16 percent from 2012. But a word of wisdom if you’re trying to decide where to go: You might want to give your S.O. a not-so-subtle hint about what kind of restaurant or cuisine you’re craving, or if your partner is a woman, ask her for her preference. Darkened rooms and candlelight might be what you imagine for a romantic dinner, but 43 percent of women aren’t into the traditional idea of ambiance with violins or shared spaghetti à la Lady and the Tramp.
In fact, more than half of those surveyed believe all that really matters is having a good meal. We can’t help but agree with that logic. Not sure where to go? Most women surveyed went with an Italian meal (17 percent) followed by French (13 percent), seafood (13 percent), steak (11 percent), American (10 percent), sushi (7 percent), Mexican (3 percent) and Chinese (1 percent).
Yet in spite of all this data pointing to how much people care about food — even more than sex for some — a full 20 percent of Valentine’s Day diners say the cuisine doesn’t matter to them. Either they’re more focused on what they hope will happen after dinner or they’re hopeless romantics who only have eyes for their partners rather than their dinner plates… or a little bit of both.
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