Life
Mentioning Guac In Your Profile Gets You More Dates & It's Proof The Extra Cost Is Worth It
When it comes to writing the perfect dating profile, it can be difficult to know exactly what tone to take. You want might want to be sexy and cool, but it's obviously important to be yourself — and personally, I never felt particularly confident in the sexy and cool department, so I focused my profile more on my love of Oreos and frosting. It sounds crazy, but new data shows that I may not have been that far off the mark. Because a love of guac, the undisputed king of not only burritos but all foods forever, may be the key to getting you more dates.
I know, it sounds crazy — but it's so crazy that it just might work. Zoosk, the popular dating site, looked at 3.7 million dating profiles and 364.6 million first messages exchanged on their site, to get an idea of what worked and what didn't. And it turns out that mentioning guacamole in your profile made you more likely to receive messages than not mentioning it. In fact, it made you a lot more likely. The really interesting thing is that it's not the first time that food has been linked to online dating success — and no, I'm not just talking about the homemade Oreo and frosting cake in my profile picture. A lot of our favorite foods have been shown to lead to better luck when dating online — and it makes sense — they reveal what we're passionate about. In fact, dating experts encourage you to share your must-haves, whether it's guac or spinning classes, in your dating app bio.
"Include information about the kind of hobbies, interests, and values that define your personality," Susan Winter, relationship expert and bestselling author of Allowing Magnificence, tells Bustle. "Being your partner means being in agreement with your day-to-day lifestyle. Stating important truths up front will aid your ability to match with the type of ‘resonant others’ you’d like to date."
So if food is your passion, here's what foods have been linked to online dating luck.
1Guac
Sweet, sweet guac. Zoosk found that mentioning it in your profile meant you'd receive, on average, 144 percent more messages than those who don't. That's a huge improvement and with good reason. Not only is it delicious, but it means you probably already know that guac costs extra.
2Potatoes
This is even more my speed. The same data showed that mentioning potatoes led to a 101 percent increase in messages. Considering potatoes have so many different, delicious, fried forms, I'm surprised that the number wasn't higher, TBH. Who is out there mentioning people who don't mention potatoes?
3Chocolate
A classic. I'm much more of a carbscarbscarbs fan, but I know that a lot of folks out there are suckers for chocolate. Which is probably why name-dropping it in your profile led to a 100 percent increase in messages. Plus, it already gives them an insight on what presents you might like.
4Avocado Toast
Avocado's popularity seems to know no limits. In a different set of data, this one from dating app Hater, the swiping app that matches you based on things you love, hate, like, and dislike, found that avocado on toast led to more right swipes when it was included in women's profiles. I have never met a person who didn't like avocado on toast, so I can confirm that those calculations are correct.
5Kale
The superfood list continues. Hater also found that mentioning kale made women more popular, while listing Maraschino cherries, OJ with extra pulp, and beef jerky made women less popular. Which makes me think: who is mentioning OJ with extra pulp in their dating profile? That's so weirdly specific. But then I would probably marry someone based off of their love of spicy curly fries, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
Food may seem like kind of an odd thing to mention when you're trying to look sexy and funny and cute but, hey, I think it shows an openness and willing to make fun of yourself and your weirdly specific food choices. And maybe the more specific the better.
"I think the best way [to bond with a potential partner] is to find something that's a little unique," Brendan Alper, Hater founder and CEO, tells Bustle. "You want to find something you have in common that puts you on the same team. The more unique you can get, the more you can create an intimate bond." Guess I'll let my love of spicy curly fries lead the way.
