5 Signs of a Foodie Call and How Men Should Deal With Them

If someone agrees to go on a date with you just to get a free meal even when they’re not romantically interested, then you’ve fallen victim to what is popularly referred to as a foodie call.

Like many women, I didn’t believe in this phenomenon when I first heard about it.

Most stories about foodie calls involve men claiming to have been used by pretty women who agreed to dinner only to make them foot the bill. Since men complaining about women only liking them for their money is a complicated and usually exaggerated issue, I thought this was just another example.

But after a research paper published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science found that 23 to 33% of women have, in fact, tried doing a foodie call, I started taking it seriously.

I agree that thirty-three percent isn’t really the majority, which means most women don’t do this. In Psychology Today’s article titled The Psychology of the “Foodie Call”, experts also pointed out that this behavior isn’t exclusive to women or even heterosexual relationships.

But for men who are genuinely concerned about this, below are 5 red flags that may be able to help you spot a foodie call from a mile away:

1) She insists on going to a specific (and expensive) restaurant.

There’s nothing wrong with a woman having food preferences.

But if she demands to have your first date in a specific restaurant, especially somewhere expensive, then chances are she’s trying to pull a foodie call on you.

Don’t hesitate to offer other options or voice out that her choice may be too pricey. A date is a chance for you to get to know each other, not to explore the best cuisines in the world.

2) She’s never expressed any interest until you suggested a date with food.

If you asked her out before but she declined because you suggested a date that doesn’t involve food, then her agreeing to dinner or lunch out is another warning sign.

If you clock her sudden interest, you can regroup and table that idea for another date. But if she insists on still getting food, you can also prepare a specific place to suggest, somewhere that at least won’t set you back hundreds of dollars.

3) She orders expensive food and expects you to pay.

One of the biggest signs of a foodie call is if she brazenly orders very expensive meals when you finally arrive at the restaurant.

It can be difficult to get out of the situation once you’ve reached this point, but you can still do damage control.

Again, you can be honest about being uncomfortable with the expense. You can even refuse to order for yourself, just to see how she reacts. Unless you promised to treat her from the get-go, you can also split the bill.

It may have been a foodie call, but at least your date will also learn a lesson of her own.

4) She doesn’t want to get to know you.

Observe how she acts during the actual date itself. If it’s really just a foodie call, you’ll see it in your conversations and her body language.

She’ll be uninterested in who you are and what you have to say. She won’t make any effort into getting to know you better.

You can’t really force her to pay attention or like you back, but you can always ask her why she agreed to go on a date with you. Maybe she’ll be taken aback enough to come up with an entertaining excuse.

5) She’s not interested in a second date.

Lastly, someone who’s got you locked in a foodie call won’t be interested in a real relationship.

Even if she suggests going on a second date, it’s likely going to be the same arrangement: with you paying for the food and her enjoying the meal for free.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how much of a bad idea it is to say yes to a foodie call twice in a row.