Do You Want to Eat Like US Presidents? Leaders' Favorite Foods
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When in the White House, presidents have hundreds of staff personnel to attend to all of their whims.
Every president has a particular preference for daily fuel, even if the Executive Mansion is home to some of the most prestigious and elegant dinners in the nation.
The documented preferences of every president appear to be influenced by the tastes of first ladies, historical culinary fads, and comfort food that helps them get through difficult times in office.
These foods, which range from cheeseburger pizza to squirrel stew, are presidential favorites.
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| Which Foods Did Former US Presidents Love? |
What is Joe Biden's Favorite Food?
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Ice cream
Regarding his favorite dish, President Joe Biden has been very clear about his position. In 2016, on a visit to the Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, Joe Biden said, "My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream" (via The Hill). The audience began to chuckle, at which point he affirmed that he was serious. "I eat more ice cream than three other people you'd like to be with, all at once." In 2020, President Obama revealed that his former vice president continued to enjoy this candy (via Eat This, Not That!). We can definitely support that quality in a character.
Which Foods Did Former US Presidents Love?
1. Hoecakes (George Washington)
The first president adored hoecakes, an early take on the beloved American breakfast staple that was originally a Native American cuisine and topped with honey.
2. Cider (John Adams)
During his time at Harvard, Adams developed the habit of having a morning "gill" of hard cider, and he subsequently remarked that he would "... never forget how refreshing and salubrious" he felt the beverage to be.
3. Fresh fruit (John Quincy Adams)
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The sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was the son of President John Adams. In contrast to other people at the time, he was well-known for his love of fruit (via Food Timeline). Fresh fruit was considered a treat in the early 1800s since it was not as widely available as it is now. However, during his administration, Adams was in charge of planting a variety of fruit trees at the White House in an effort to make it more approachable. Despite his lavish preferences, he occasionally limited his dinner to a glass of water and a handful of crackers.
4. Leather britches (Andrew Jackson)
Andrew Jackson, most known for his role as a major general in the War of 1812, devoted his presidency to assisting the average citizen through The White House. Born in South Carolina, Jackson grew raised on southern cuisine, which included his favorite dish, leather britches. The Village Voice describes these as bacon-cooked green beans. Jackson loved oysters, duck, rabbit, and lamb with rosemary as well as good French wines. The "Cheese President" moniker came from the fact that he frequently served cheese at parties and kept wheels of the stuff in the White House.
5. Congealed (John Tyler)
John Tyler loved eating, even though he led a modest life. Virginia-born Tyler presided as the country's tenth president from 1841 to 1845 (according to The White House). According to Food Timeline, he was known to have a sweet tooth and puddings were among his favorite treats. This might have been partly due to puddings' capacity to feed huge groups of people, which would have been advantageous for Tyler's large family. He had seven children by Letitia, his first wife, and seven more by Julia, his second.
6. Soup with squirrels (James Garfield)
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Food Timeline claims that James Garfield loved squirrel soup. It may sound a bit strange, but in the 1800s, squirrel was a rather common protein. Typically, ingredients for squirrel soup include potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and spices like pepper and thyme. The president would have found this substantial dish to be quite satisfying. Sadly, Garfield suffered from terrible health for much of his life, so it's possible that he didn't always manage to finish this dish.
7. Chops of mutton (Chester Arthur)
Chester Arthur was one of the few who could pair his characteristic style with his favorite dish. Based on Food Timeline, Arthur's favorite dinner was mutton chops and a glass of ale. In addition, this president was well-known for having bushy sideburns, sometimes called "mutton chops." We'll never know if these two were linked. We do know, though, that Arthur was known for his ostentatious tastes and enjoyed throwing elaborate dinner parties at the White House. His employees used to serve anything there, including macaroni pie, roast steak, and mutton chops.
8. Fish chowder with John F. Kennedy
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| John F. Kennedy and Foods |
Born in Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy had a deep love for New England cuisine. It should come as no surprise given his background that the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library states that his favorite dish was New England fish chowder. Soups seemed to be a special favorite of his. The president also enjoyed chicken, steak, baked beans, mashed potatoes, and a variety of seafood dishes. He frequently needed reminding to eat dinner, though, as he wasn't a huge eater.
9. Sandwich made of cheese (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
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A cheesy grilled cheese sandwich was one of FDR's favorite snacks, according to Henrietta Nesbitt, the White House cleaner during his presidency. Fruitcake, fish chowder, hot dogs, and scrambled eggs were other staples of the American diet. The president, according to Nesbitt, preferred meals that "he could dig into."
10. Chicken Enchiladas (Bill Clinton)
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| Bill Clinton and Foods |
The 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, had a few favorite cuisines, but chicken enchiladas stood out above the rest (source: The New York Times). Food Timeline claims that Clinton enjoyed eating unhealthy meals, but we can't hold it against him. He also liked BBQ, cinnamon buns, and cheeseburgers with jalapeños. But according to AARP, the former president gave up cheese chicken enchiladas and went vegan for health reasons.
11. Tex-Mex (George W. Bush)
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| George W. Bush and Foods |
While residing in Texas, George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States and the son of George H.W. Bush, acquired a liking for Tex-Mex food. Laura, the president's wife, admitted to ABC News that their biggest regret about living in the White House was not being able to enjoy delicious Mexican food. It was commonly known that the pair loved Tex-Mex when they could get it, even though food wasn't "much of a priority" for them throughout Bush's presidency (via Food Timeline). In addition, the former president enjoyed BLTs, chicken pot pie, and biscuits.
12. Nachoes (Barack Obama)
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| Obama and Food, Drink |
Barack Obama didn't hide his affection for nachos. During his appearance on "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," the former president declared that he needed someone to take his nachos away from him while he was eating (via CNN). He said, "I'll have guacamole coming out of my eyeballs."
The New York Times reports that the president, who is currently retired, also likes chocolate, trail mix, roasted almonds, and chili. It's also said that he likes to have a balanced diet, including a lot of veggies each day.
| He also loves broccoli Despite its divisive reputation, former President Obama championed the much-maligned vegetable as one of his favorites. He famously declared his affinity for broccoli during a 2013 kids’ State Dinner, where he said he loved it “especially with a little garlic.” A far cry from the indulgent tastes of some of his predecessors, Obama opted for a nutritious diet that inspired planting a vegetable garden at the White House. He also encouraged a healthier school lunch program during his administration. |
13. McDonald's (Donald Trump)
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| Trump reportedly loves McDonald's because he has a 'longtime fear' of being poisoned |
Although Donald Trump's love of fast food garnered him a lot of criticism throughout his presidency, he did provide an explanation. In 2016, he stated to CNN, "I'm a really clean person. I appreciate neatness, thus I believe going there is preferable to going somewhere where you might not know where the food is coming from." Additionally, fast food is known for its consistency. Trump's favorite fast food restaurant was (and probably still is) McDonald's, and his go-to sandwich was the Filet-O-Fish.
| He also Loves Steak President Donald Trump, who has a taste for lavish cuisine, has made no secret of his passion for steak, particularly well-done cuts. His taste in food was indicative of his appreciation of finer things; he frequently ordered prime cuts with ketchup, a move that generated some discussion on social media. When he offered elaborate state meals at the White House to foreign leaders, his dining choices created controversy. |
In Summary
US Presidents are just people like us, right? Alright, no, they aren't generally. To start with, the most of them are deceased. And as for the others, all of them have been men thus far. All of our leaders, though, have one thing in common: they all enjoy eating. Whoa, that's really... ordinary. Food is the great equalizer, after all.
We are unable to include a list of all 46 Presidents' favorite foods in this article, but as you can see, many of them enjoyed foods that sound fairly commonplace, like ice cream, steak, and chili.
However, some presidents, particularly those who lived around a century ago, preferred to eat foods that are now out of style, like boar's head, turtle steak, and sugar-stuffed tomatoes. A few presidents even indulged in such questionable-sounding treats as fanny daddies and red flannel hash, but if you'll just scroll down, we'll explain these delicacies.
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