Ringing in the new year can be a great time, especially if you're surrounded by friends, family, and that one special person you want to kiss at midnight. Some fun NYE traditions include watching the ball drop, drinking champagne, and, of course, eating those yummy appetizers that the host put together for the party.
Imagine this: There's a clear path between you and the garlic bread so, naturally, you head over to the food table to load your plate with delicious appetizers. After stuffing your face, you realize your worst nightmare. Your breath smells like garlic, you have food crumbs in your teeth, you're bloated AF, and your crush is within eyesight across the room. What do you do?
Hopefully Santa loaded you with gum and breath fresheners for Christmas. But if not, here are some foods you should avoid at all costs on NYE in order to lock in that midnight kiss.
Garlic Bread
Cheesy garlic bread might sound great in the moment, but you will soon regret your decision when the clock strikes 12. Garlic makes its smelly path past your mouth and even into your bloodstream and lungs, giving it that lingering smell that you want to avoid. Instead of garlic bread, try this healthy chocolate chip banana bread that even your crush would be dying to share.
Carbonated Drinks
Your favorite sodas are extremely high in carbon dioxide, a gas, so it's no surprise that they would make you bloated. Drinking lots of soda means gas gets trapped in your digestive system, which will make you very uncomfortable in that sparkly NYE cocktail dress. Instead, it's a good idea to stick to water as your source for hydration.
Ice Cream
Dairy products should be avoided for a few reasons. For one, the amino acids found in dairy products react with the bacteria on your tongue and tend to leave a lingering odor that is pretty unattractive. Besides the bad breath, dairy is also associated with gas bubbles building up in your tummy causing you to bloat. Instead of ice cream, try bringing your own dole whip to the table. It's dairy-free and perfect for ringing in the new year.
Beer
Though the idea of a new year might send you running toward the nearest bar, think twice before shotgunning 10 Natty Lights. The "beer belly" isn't a myth. Like soda, beer is a carbonated drink that will definitely make you bloat. So, if you don't want to be bloated around your crush, try wine or spirits instead, as they will cause much less bloating.
Cheesy Garlic Fries
This is an appetizer simply waiting for disaster. With cheese that'll make you bloat and garlic that'll make your breath stanky, this is your first class ticket to a kiss-less NYE. Instead, snack on some chocolate-covered strawberries for a delightful alternative that'll actually help make your breath smell better.
Coffee
Planning on staying up past midnight? It might not be a good idea to chug a Venti iced coffee from Starbucks before the NYE party. Coffee has very high levels of acid which can lead to bad breath, and no one wants to kiss someone with coffee breath. To avoid this problem, check out this article about the five best foods for energy.
Beans
Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat... Well, you get the idea. For the sake of everyone at the NYE party, please stay away from the crock pot of baked beans. They will make you bloated and leave you feeling rather tootie. If you're really craving those beans, try bringing your own dish of pinto or black beans that are much easier on the digestive system.
As tempting as it might be to indulge in these delicious snacks and drinks, sometimes Trident and GasEx just aren't enough to mask the consequences. Avoiding these foods is a great idea if you're planning on smooching someone this NYE. In addition to avoiding some foods, check out these seven random foods that'll prevent bad breath.