Presidents Who Had Infamously Bad White House Food

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Food served at the White House plays a fascinating role. To those who pay attention, it simultaneously offers a view of how the presidential residence portrays itself through intricately curated menus, such as those at state dinners, as well as an intimate insight into the POTUS' daily eating habits.  Sometimes, it's an unexpected comfort food like Donald Trump's special 'poison' bowl of candy. Other times, it's a surprising hobby – like the time Barack Obama became the first President to brew beer in the White House. 

In addition to being driven by the preferences of the first family, meals at the White House have also reflected world affairs and the country's economic climate, as in the case of Depression-era and wartime presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt. More recently, Chef Cristeta Comerford, who cooked in the White House for 30 years, during which she fed 5 presidents, revealed in an interview with NPR that she would regularly watch the news to gauge the president's mood and would prepare meals accordingly.

Given all the factors influencing it, food at the presidential residence is never monochrome. Instead, it spans a spectrum that ranges from exemplary when it needs to be, to quirky and outlandish, and even all the way to downright awful.

FDR's presidency is widely considered to have had the worst White House kitchen in the country's history. It's actually somewhat fortunate that many of the culinary crimes committed during his reign can be attributed to the Great Depression. Taking office in 1933, at the height of the economic slump, the Roosevelts became (in)famous for serving bland, economic dishes like butter sandwiches and spaghetti with bland canned vegetables. Gelatin was also popular, with jelly salads being a popular fixture.

In a twist of irony, the dismal White House food inspired housewives to bring its dishes into their own kitchens. The trend proved pivotal, as the Roosevelts had to continue to set an example of austerity through most of World War II. During the time they inhabited the White House, Eleanor Roosevelt publicised what the first family ate. More importantly, it brought into focus the importance of maximising nutrition from the food available. She also proudly kept household food costs at under 10 cents a meal, with the kitchen staff regularly sourcing the cheapest available vegetables and offal, such as brain and tongue. 

State dinners weren't given the pass either, as the first lady cut down courses — it was either soup or an entrée, never both. Unlike the other presidents on this list, here it was the First Lady who was largely responsible for the White House's culinary direction. FDR himself was fond of rich foods like caviar, lobster, and duck, but this was rarely entertained and never publicised. He also enjoyed his presidential coffee, but reused his coffee grounds due to wartime rationing.

Richard Nixon's final meal in the White House following his resignation was a serving of cottage cheese and pineapple. It turns out that this was also one of the first dishes requested for him after his inauguration. Though this was an unusual combination, the real scandal was when the president asked for ketchup on the curds. While undoubtedly a healthier choice than that of many other presidents, Nixon's affinity for cottage cheese made it arguably the most popular kitchen ingredient in the White House. A package of Knudsen cottage cheese — a brand the president favored — was always kept stocked for him. Even when dining with guests, Nixon was occasionally known to skip the meal and have a helping of cottage cheese instead.

When the president did partake in a formal meal, other quirks were afoot. Nixon was apparently not a fan of soup and tried to have it discontinued from state dinners. Unlike Eleanor Roosevelt's striking of soup from the menu as a form of frugality, Nixon's directive was aimed at speeding up formal White House dinners by skipping what he deemed an unnecessary course. However, per Richard Reeves' book 'President Nixon: Alone in the White House,' (via The New York Times), the 37th POTUS had also spilled soup on himself before making this order, so it isn't clear what exactly motivated the culinary choice.

While meals also consisted of regular items like lasagna, spaghetti, and meatloaf, Nixon's love for chilled dishes like cold soups, cucumber mousse, and the ubiquitous cottage cheese was apparent. Gelatinous dishes were relatively popular at the time. Still, ham mousse served with a side of mayonnaise during the Nixons' White House years sounds decidedly stomach-churning.

America's 27th president, William Howard Taft, holds the honor of being the only president to also serve the post of Chief Justice — a position he was appointed to after his term as POTUS. He is also sometimes recognised as the country's largest president, weighing over 300 pounds during his time in the White House. Unlike some of the other entries on this list, Taft's White House, for the most part, served universally loved dishes. His beloved steaks – which he was known to eat 3 times a day — were paired with lobster, lamb chops, potatoes, boiled vegetables, and coffee with cream and sugar. However, there was also roasted possum.

Taft was known to have eaten the marsupial on multiple occasions and even served it up at Thanksgiving. He also famously claimed to have once been served live possum. While it may sound completely bizarre, at the time when Taft was president (between 1909 and 1913), eating possum wasn't completely unheard of. However, it did have a certain amount of novelty; the Taft White House was gifted possums because of the president's fondness for the meat. The Library of Congress also has a photograph of a "possum dinner" hosted by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce for Taft when he was still president-elect. Other dishes Taft was known to dine on include turtle soup and animal pancreas. The White House also kept a cow to supply the first family with fresh dairy during Taft's presidential term.

Perhaps the best representation of food in Donald Trump's White House comes from his first term, when he hosted the Clemson Tigers football team in 2019. A table loaded with burgers, fries, salads, and sauce packets from McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King seems par for the course for the president whose meal of choice is well-done steak topped with ketchup.

While sources say that the food in the White House is terrible, the presidential kitchen has served up a decent variety of dishes to visiting dignitaries over the course of Trump's two terms. However, it's the 45th and 47th POTUS himself whose eating habits seem to give the White House food a bad rap. Because all meals cater to his fast-food-leaning diet, those around him are expected to partake as well. According to two of his former aides who authored 'Let Trump Be Trump: The Inside Story of His Rise to the Presidency,' "On Trump Force One, there were four major food groups: McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, pizza, and Diet Coke" (via Forbes).

During his time in the White House, Trump has been known to snack on chips, Oreos, and, famously, candy; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt once claimed his favorites were pink Starbursts and Tootsie Rolls.  Trump has also been known to go up to 14 hours between his fast-food meals. In an exclusive with the president, which included a sit-down dinner, Time reported how he was served a Diet Coke before the meal, a salad with what appears to be Thousand Island dressing, extra sauce with his chicken, and, strangely enough, an extra scoop of ice cream while everyone else only got one.