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[1] Ronald Reagan was fond of chocolate mousse (photo © Nescafe).
[2] Lyndon Johnson enjoyed a breakfast of creamed chipped beef on toast. Here’s a recipe (photo © Recipe Tips).
[3] Richard Nixon was happy with meatloaf for dinner (photo © The Popcorn Board).
[4] Give Gerry Ford a bacon cheeseburger (photo © Smokey Bones).
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Having just discussed the food preferences of Washington and Lincoln, here are more recent presidential favorites, courtesy of FoodTimeline.org:
Dwight Eisenhower enjoyed stews and was a staunch meat-eater, which was typical for his time. He knew how to cook, and liked to make his own beef soup. One of his favorite desserts was prune whip, although he enjoyed the more commonplace apple pie and rice pudding.
John F. Kennedy enjoyed soup, a sandwich, and fruit for lunch; his favorite soup was fish chowder. He was not a big eater, but he liked the standards of the day—lamb chops, steak, baked chicken, turkey (white meat), and mashed potatoes. He also was fond of seafood, baked beans, and corn muffins; when he ate dessert, it was something chocolate. Like Lincoln, Kennedy was a small eater and often had to be reminded that it was dinner time.
Lyndon Johnson favored Southwestern, Mexican, and especially barbecue cuisine; he despised fish. Breakfast often comprised creamed chipped beef and a cup of tea.
Richard Nixon loved meatloaf, although he is famous for snacking on cottage cheese and ketchup. A weight watcher, he often had cottage cheese and fruit for lunch.
Gerald Ford was a hearty eater who preferred American staples: bacon burgers, casseroles, liver and onions, spaghetti and meatballs, and spareribs. He rarely ate dessert, but when he did, lemon pudding was a favorite.
Jimmy Carter was not a big eater, but he enjoyed down-home, southern-style dishes such as pork chops with cornbread stuffing, grits, baked and fried chicken. His favorite vegetable was eggplant; he also liked butternut squash, collards, kale, and okra. The former peanut farmer enjoyed snacking on goobers.
Ronald Reagan liked chicken and beef dishes and hearty bowls of soup. Although the nutrition-conscious First Lady focused on fiber-rich foods and dishes with a minimum of fat and cholesterol, Regan shared George Washington’s enjoyment of steak and kidney pie. He also had a special fondness for chocolate mousse, and is known for snacking on jelly beans (he had Jelly Belly make up a red, white, and blue mix for the White House—in fact, the blue jelly bean color was created for this purpose!).
George H. W. Bush loved snacking on pork rinds and popcorn. He is better known for what he didn’t like: broccoli, which his mother served every day. He also refused to eat broccoli relatives Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
Bill Clinton loved to eat. Beyond his well-documented penchant for fast food, he enjoyed chicken enchiladas, tacos, barbecued ribs, cheeseburgers, lemon chess pie, peach pie, beef tenders, and his mother’s sweet potato casserole. Notes from the Arkansas governor’s mansion indicate a fondness for corn pudding, fried chicken, roast beef, and carrot cake. After leaving office, Clinton became a vegetarian for health reasons and now practices a vegan diet.
George W. Bush liked barbecue, steaks, and traditional simple western dishes like huevos rancheros and other Tex-Mex foods. Bush was not particularly food-focused. He did enjoy a BLT, an occasional burger, a PB and honey sandwich, and a snack of deviled eggs.
Barack Obama enjoys a good dinner on date night (it’s often fine Mexican cuisine); but Michelle Obama’s family menus are healthy, with lots of salmon and vegetables. Obama may be the first “foodie” president, enjoying specialty foods such as Fran’s Smoked Sea Salt Caramels in Milk Chocolate (Michelle prefers the dark chocolate) and Black Forest Berry Honest Tea.
Donald Trump famously enjoys well-done steak, chocolate cake, Diet Coke, McDonald’s, and meatloaf. He is also known to dig into a bucket of Colonel Sanders’ fried chicken.
Joe Biden is famous for his sweet tooth: not just ice cream, but cookies, rice pudding, peach pie, custard pie, cheesecake, and coconut cream pie, among others. His favorite pasta dish is angel hair pomodoro (angel hair pasta with red sauce).
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