According to the Boston Globe, researchers have been fascinated in the differences between what women and men order to eat at restaurants.

“People say women insist on a cooked vegetable along with a salad on the nightly dinner table, while a few carrots or peas in a stew or pot pie count as a meal’s worth of vegetables for men. At seafood restaurants, guys prefer heartier swordfish or shellfish. “I’m sorry but tilapia just isn’t a fish,” says one male diner. At cocktail parties, women pass up tempting hors d’oeuvres that can’t be consumed in a single bite.”

A study was conducted in the 1980’s that showed that women “more highly preferred ” vegetables, salads, and fruits while men’s favorites were “meat-containing” with grilled steak topping the list.

“A 2007 British study found the same tendencies in school children and a more recent study at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab in 2008 confirmed that when they head to the kitchen for something comforting, women select easily prepared snacks, such as cookies and chocolate, while men pick hot meals such as soup or pizza. (Ice cream is a universal favorite.)”

What do you prefer to order when you go out to eat at a restaurant?