The 5 Best Aphrodisiac Foods for Date Night

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If you’re looking toward Valentine’s Day or even just planning a weekend date night, food can be the key to success. Aphrodisiac foods are ingredients to entice and awaken a sexual appetite. However most of the foods I talk about as an aphrodisiacs expert are foods that will help you maintain a healthy libido. However, today I want to give you the secret to five of the absolute best aphrodisiac foods to serve to a date if your goal is a night (or afternoon) of passion.

These five most sensual foods, many of which you probably have on hand, are outstanding among the world’s most potent aphrodisiac ingredients. I’ve chosen these five best aphrodisiacs because each of these ingredients has an almost immediate aphrodisiac effect. So whether you’re looking to seduce a new lover or reconnect with your spouse on date night, these are the foods to serve to your lover.

The best aphrodisiac foods to serve to a date

1. Champagne (or Sparkling Wine)

Perhaps I’m a bit biased, but I cannot think of anything I would enjoy more at the beginning of a romantic evening than the sound of Champagne filling a fluted glass, followed by that first heady sip tingling on my tongue.

The aromas of many Brut and Blanc de Blancs Champagnes and sparkling wines are said to replicate that of a female pheromone. In addition, the wine’s effervescence allows the alcohol to hit the bloodstream quickly, offering that giddy feeling you often experience from the first few sips.

Feeling giddy can make an excellent gateway to feeling frisky on date night without the need for drinking the inhibition-lowering amounts often sought from other forms of alcohol. And, although this isn’t a reason why it makes my list of foods to serve to your lover, Champagne offers some benefits that may help your love life in the longer term. It turns out that bubbly offers all the antioxidant benefits of red wine and may support brain health.

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2. Chile Pepper

The spicy little harlots of the food world, chile peppers are among my favorite foods to serve to your lover because their aphrodisiac effects can be felt immediately and intensely.

Just a nibble of a red, hot chile can cause the tongue to tingle in anticipation. And the heat will make lips to swell with kissable plumpness. In addition, chiles can cause the cheeks to flush, which studies show equates to a sexual flush in the mind of your amour.

Eat enough and chile can cause an endorphin avalanche. The experience, which some say beats a runner’s high, is energizing, mood-elevating and body heat-building. And with your temperature on the rise, the temptation to tear off unnecessary clothing can increase with every bite.

3. Oysters

Possibly the most recognized aphrodisiac in the world, oysters have earned their reputation and are more than a cliche. There’s no way I would make a list of the best foods to serve to your lover without them!

A wonderfully lean source of easily digestible protein, oysters offer much-needed energy for a long night of passion. They are rich in zinc, which supports blood flow, making orgasm possible. Zinc is also essential for testosterone production. Combining their nutrition with oysters’ slippery/sensual texture and an aroma that is not dissimilar to a female pheromone, oysters pack an aphrodisiac punch worthy of their international acclaim.

4. Coffee

Ok, so you may object to this choice for my list of foods to serve to your lover for any number of reasons. First of all, I realize coffee is a drink, not a food. And there are plenty of negative attributes associated with caffeine.

But the buzz of an espresso can become a potent aphrodisiac, given the right situation. Not only can coffee boost energy at a key moment, but it is noted as a mood elevator. What better way to get in the mood than to sip your way to a good mood? (In clinical studies, coffee has been proven to raise levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure.)

To add to coffee’s attraction, a recent study showed that coffee drinkers live longer than those who shun the sultry, dark brew. Could you think of any better drink to serve to the one you love? (…except maybe Champagne…)

5. Chocolate

I don’t think it’s permissible to make a list of aphrodisiac foods that doesn’t include chocolate. But chocolate may not be as potent as you think. At least, not from a nutritional perspective.

Certainly dark chocolate and cocoa contain age-defying antioxidants to help keep you looking and feeling your most fresh and help keep your blood pumping. However, have you ever heard the rumors of chocolate producing a happy hormone rush, an energy surge and orgasmic pleasure?

It looks like those claims aren’t exactly factual. It’s true that chocolate can impact mood. But a scientist who studied chocolate dosage and stimulation of the brain estimated that you’d have to be willing to eat a couple dozen pounds in one sitting to achieve any sort of rush. And at that point, the only rush you’d probably be feeling is sickness from the sugar overload.

That being said, we conducted our own survey on the psychological link between food and romance a few years ago, which proved that the power of persuasion is strong when it comes to chocolate.

Among participants, 69% believe in chocolate’s aphrodisiac abilities and 65% consider a box of chocolates an ultimate gift of love. If your lover appreciates premium, dark chocolate, I just made planning Valentine’s Day a little easier for you!

Using the best foods to make for date night

Of course, with any of these suggestions, you need to keep your date’s preferences in mind. Don’t try forcing coffee on a lover of Earl Grey. And if your date doesn’t do Champagne, perhaps there are other aphrodisiac drinks that might peak her interest, like Absinthe. And if it’s a man you’re trying to woo, you might want to also take a look at our list of the best aphrodisiac foods for men.

Here are a few more date night resources you can find on our site:

If you need some recipe ideas using the foods in my aphrodisiac list, we’ve got those, too! My favorite date night foods are healthy date night recipes, so be sure to have a look at the healthy recipe index.
Don’t miss Diane Brown’s Romantic Menus & Party Ideas.
Or, if you want to get ideas for specific ingredients fast, just type whichever one of these top aphrodisiac foods you want to use into our search bar on the main menu.

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.

The 5 Best Aphrodisiac Foods for Date Night