Not all presidents could be considered foodies.
Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman were known for picking at their food and viewing it more as fuel for the body than as a source of pleasure.
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Most presidents, however, had at least one or two favorite foods they ate while they were in the White House:
GEORGE WASHINGTON — Fish, hazelnuts, and, yes — cherries.
THOMAS JEFFERSON — Sweet corn and macaroni and cheese.
ANDREW JACKSON — Leg of lamb and lamb chops (preferably with rosemary), rabbit, fried apple pies and “leather britches” — green beans cooked with water and bacon.
MARTIN VAN BUREN — Oysters.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON — Hard cider and burgoo (squirrel stew).
JAMES POLK — Ham, corn pone and tomato omelet.
ULYSSES S. GRANT — Rice pudding.
JAMES GARFIELD — Squirrel soup, soda bread, mashed potatoes, parsnips and apple pie.
CHESTER ARTHUR — Mutton chops with a glass of ale, and rare roast beef with hot baked potatoes.
TEDDY ROOSEVELT — Steak, fried chicken, hominy and cookies. Roosevelt had a big sweet tooth, and typically put seven lumps of sugar in his coffee. He also loved Hu-Kwa and Caravan teas.
WOODROW WILSON — Chicken salad and strawberry ice cream.
WARREN G. HARDING — Knockwurst and sauerkraut.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT — He fed hot dogs to the king and queen of England. The king asked for seconds.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER — Beef stew, prune whip, English rice pudding, roast and stuffed breast of veal.
JOHN F. KENNEDY — New England fish chowder, corn muffins and lamb chops.
LYNDON B. JOHNSON — Chipped beef covered in cream, beef stroganoff, hot biscuits, spinach and tapioca pudding. He was a buttermilk addict.
RICHARD NIXON — Cottage cheese, meatloaf and California fruits such as avocado. Nixon’s favorite breakfast, according to the Nixon Library and Museum, was cottage cheese garnished with ketchup and/or black pepper, fresh fruit, wheat germ and coffee. Nixon loved yogurt so much, he had it flown in daily from California.
GERALD FORD — Waffles with strawberries and sour cream, German apple pancakes and fresh strawberries.
JIMMY CARTER — Chicken, grits and eggplant.
RONALD REAGAN — Broiled swordfish with lemon butter.
GEORGE W. BUSH — Huevos rancheros, warm biscuits, and peanut butter and honey sandwiches.
Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at: mgoad@pressherald.com
Twitter: MeredithGoad
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