President William Howard Taft Had A Bold Choice For His Morning Meal
When you think of President William Howard Taft, among the first things that comes to mind is likely the anecdote about him getting stuck in a bathtub. This tale is frequently cited to emphasize the 27th president's size, but it is actually not true. However, Taft was one of the bigger United States presidents as the man simply loved food. In her memoir "Secrets of the White House," presidential housekeeper Elizabeth Jaffray claimed the only food the president disliked was eggs. Everything else he enjoyed with gusto. Funnily enough, this U.S. president's favorite breakfast food included a frequent egg companion: steak.
Taft's breakfasts varied, but one favorite was a 12-ounce steak along with two oranges, multiple slices of toast, and plenty of coffee. According to a 1935 Washington Post article, there was nothing terribly unique or exciting about how Taft preferred his steak. The recipe was pretty basic: a steak seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter cooked in a pan greased with steak fat.
Taft did not just enjoy steak for dinner. He often ate steak three times a day. A favorite lunch was steak and lobster with heaps of potatoes and boiled vegetables on the side. Taft would often request this same meal for dinner, but in much larger amounts, sometimes doubling the meat. He also began dinner with a bowl of turtle soup, a vintage soup Taft loved to eat.
Eventually, Taft had to cut down on his steak habits
Steak was not the only rich food William Howard Taft indulged. This U.S. president's favorite foods included veal, bacon, lamb, and chicken in addition to sweets like Bon Bons and raspberry jelly. This high caloric intake began to take a toll on Taft's health, with the president suffering noticeable difficulty breathing.
This love affair with food could not last forever. A 1911 diary entry from Elizabeth Jaffrey noted that Taft's weight had ballooned to over 300 pounds. As a result, it was high time for a diet. Taft reduced the amount of steak he consumed, eating 6-ounce steaks over 12-ounce cuts.
This was not Taft's first time dieting, however. Weight concerns were a long-running issue in his presidency. He reached out to a physician prior to taking office for weight loss advice. The doctor prescribed a diet plan consisting of lean meats, sugar-free tea and coffee, fruit, and green vegetables. Taft's weight fluctuated throughout his term. He would often lose up to 60 pounds only to gain some weight back after straying from his strict diet plan.