Home-cooked meal recipe for romance - study

Kiwi women say preparing a date-night meal is the perfect recipe for romance in the winter months. Photo / Thinkstock

Sumptuous meals and snuggling up in front of a film are the best ways to keep romance alive this winter - so long as you're not spluttering over your partner with coughs and colds.

New results from a nationwide survey show Kiwi women would most prefer cooking an indulgent meal for two during the chilly winter months.

Of the 178 women who took part in the Kapiti romance survey, 46 per cent said preparing a date-night meal was the perfect recipe to woo your partner.

Other top responses were relaxing in a hot, steamy spa and embracing the cold with a weekend escape to a skifield.

But be warned, the number one romance killer over the winter months is sneezing and coughing.

Bachelor contestant Alysha Brown says caring for a sick partner is a true sign of love. Photo / Michael Brown

While almost two-thirds of respondents said they would be turned off by someone with the sniffles, Alysha Brown - who made it to the final three on

The Bachelor NZ

, only to be rejected by Arthur Green - said caring for a partner who was sick was a true sign of love.

"It's a chance for your partner to step up and show how caring and loving they can be.

"There's something really romantic about the lengths someone will go to to look after you and be protective," the southern beauty told the Herald on Sunday.

And Brown - who remains single - said what was not said between a couple was key to keeping love alive.

"I think the most important thing is being affectionate with each other. It's the unspoken language of love, keeping a point of contact whether it's a hand on a knee or holding hands or a little cuddle."

She was also a fan of couples preparing food together.

"You get to get your hands messy and it's something you're doing together rather than whacking it in the microwave," she said.

"It's about properly spending the time together and being interactive."

And for any prospective knights wanting to woo Brown, a winter wonderland setting would win her over every time.

"I love those outdoor hot pools. Yes, it is freezing cold when you're getting in and out but there's something really nice about being in hot pools when it's freezing."

The survey, carried out earlier this month, sought to find how Kiwi women aged between 25 and 40 years were looking forward to celebrating romance on the eve of winter.