10 Sandwiches That Showed Even US Presidents Crave Comfort Food

U.S. presidents are normally known for their political work, for better or for worse, rather than what they're eating. But they're people too, and they usually eat three square meals a day. Throughout history, people have been fascinated by everything about political leaders so there's plenty of information about what they chow down on. There are some famous sandwiches loved by world leaders, proving that even U.S. presidents crave comfort food.

From sandwiches that were known favorites of particular presidents to occasions when sandwiches became part of history, there's more to learn about this topic than you might imagine. You have the presidents that ate the same sandwich every day for lunch to those that enjoyed a particular sandwich on election night, and those who were photographed repeatedly eating the same indulgent options despite talking about their commitment to healthy eating.

Whether you're interested in food history, a fan of presidents throughout history, or you just love sandwiches, there's something for you here. You're about to learn some of the favorite sandwiches of U.S presidents that show they love comfort food just as much as the next guy.

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States, serving two terms from 1913 until 1921. History tells us that Wilson's diet was of concern to the White House physicians because he didn't gain weight easily. What we know about his sandwich preferences is that they were healthier than a lot of other options on this list.

Wilson was known to be a fan of chicken salad, which he probably ate without bread at times. This was something that he commonly requested at lunchtime. However, according to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum, he also ate chicken salad sandwiches. Wilson liked golfing and his cook would often make him several chicken salad sandwiches and a pot of coffee in the morning, which she would leave outside his room so he could pick them up and head to the green when he was ready. So, chicken salad sandwiches fueled his leisure time as well as his work.

When he wasn't chowing down on chicken salad at lunchtime, his tastes could be more unusual. For instance, for breakfast, he usually ate two raw eggs in grape juice. That's not one we want to bring back into rotation. It's best we leave the favorite breakfasts of U.S. presidents alone.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was U.S. president from 1933 until his death 12 years later in 1945. He's the longest serving president of the United States and the only one who served more than two terms. He led the country through the Great Depression and World War II, so it's no wonder his favorite sandwich was heavy on the comfort: grilled cheese.

Grilled cheese was his favorite sandwich and something that he requested often. Some sources suggest that he regularly ate grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup: a classic combo if ever there was one. Roosevelt was also a fan of hot dogs, which are arguably sandwiches, too. Other favorite dishes of the 32nd president include fruit cake, scrambled eggs, and fish chowder — though presumably not all at the same time.

Want to follow in FDR's footsteps? You've probably got more of a chance of making a great sandwich than becoming president, and it's the tastier option. Our recipe for the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich will land you with a meal fit for a president.

Harry S. Truman became the president of the United States in 1945 and won a second term in 1948. But ahead of his second-term election, he was the underdog and it looked unlikely he would win. His opposition Thomas Dewey was the frontrunner, as President Truman surely had some big feelings about this. So, on the afternoon of election day that year, he snuck away from home and made his way to The Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. He ordered a ham and cheese sandwich to his room (room 300, if you're a stickler for details), and ate it before getting an early night.

He clearly wasn't completely sold on the fact that he wouldn't win, so he told his Secret Service agents to wake him up if anything important happened. It seems that the tides turned, as he was woken up at 4 a.m. by his Secret Service employees who said that it looked likely he was about to win. This makes it one of the most notable sandwiches in presidential history. And certainly proof that President Truman needed some good old-fashioned comfort food on that night.

Despite only serving from 1961 unless his assassination in 1963, John F. Kennedy remains one of the most iconic American presidents. People are fascinated with him to this day, including what he liked to eat. We know quite a lot about what President Kennedy liked, including that he was a regular sandwich eater.

JFK had the same lunch most days: soup, a sandwich, and fruit. It's not clear what sandwiches he regularly asked for, but he always liked to eat them with soup at lunchtime. In fact, he was a particular fan of soup, with New England Fish Chowder being one of his favorites.

But it wasn't all soup and sandwiches all the time. At breakfast, President Kennedy often asked for poached eggs on toast and bacon, broiled until crispy, washed down with coffee and orange juice. Favorite dinner items included steak, lamb chops, mashed potatoes, and baked beans, so it seems he was a comfort food kind of guy. Although, he was said to be a small eater and sometimes needed to be reminded that it was dinner time, so food wasn't necessarily the biggest part of his life.

After John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson became president of the United States. He served from 1963 until 1969, winning a term after taking over the role from previously being vice president under JFK. Replacing such a beloved president was a hard act to follow, so you can understand why President Johnson would need some serious comfort food. His sandwich of choice was chipped beef on toast. And if you're thinking right now that is not a sandwich, we would like to posit that this is actually an open-faced sandwich.

The bigger question for some of you might be, what is chipped beef on toast? Well, this is a dish consisting of dried salted beef cooked in a white sauce and then served on toasted bread. It was once a popular dish in the military, as it could be made with predominantly dried ingredients. Lyndon B. Johnson used to serve in the Navy, which is probably where he first got a taste for this dish.

When he was at home, his sandwiches may have been made with fresh homemade bread. This has been noted by the Lyndon B. Johnson Library as something that was commonly served to guests at his ranch, alongside homemade peach preserves and eggs at breakfast.

Richard Nixon was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. His presidency is usually summed up with talk of Watergate rather than what he ordered for lunch, but like every commander-in-chief, he had to eat. And when it came to sandwiches, there's a great story to tell about a barbecued buffalo sandwich.

In 1960, Nixon was on the presidential election campaign trail up against John F. Kennedy. As most know, he didn't win that time around but he gave his best. Being out on the campaign trail is trying to win over the hearts and minds of local people. So this is why Nixon ended up in Sullivan, Illinois, where he gave a speech in the local park and was invited for lunch. He was given a barbecued buffalo sandwich, the meat of which came from a local herd of bison.

Nixon ate half the sandwich before getting up to attend to some business. Luckily, local teen and Boy Scout Steve Jenne was around to watch over it. Eventually, he realized Nixon wasn't coming back, so he wrapped up the sandwich and took it home himself. This detail would have been totally unknown if it wasn't for the fact that Jenne kept the sandwich in his freezer and wasn't shy about that fact. He took it on "The Tonight Show" in the 1980s and continued to talk about it into the 2000s.

Sometimes comfort food is the simplest of dishes. It might be something that you enjoyed growing up or that brings back memories of less complicated times. In the case of Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States, he liked a basic cheese sandwich. Sure, it's not the most elaborate of meals or something that you might expect a president to eat, but them's the breaks.

According to an article in the New York Times, Gloria Spann, Jimmy Carter's sister, said "cheese sandwiches were Jimmy's favorite growing up." President Carter was a cheese fan in general, with his favorite being a basic sharp cheddar. So, perhaps that's what was usually found in Carter's cheese sandwiches. Then again, he was said to enjoy eating almost any cheese, except Swiss cheese, as he was allergic to it.

Rosalynn Carter, the then-first-lady, said that one of the president's favorite foods was a cheese ring she would make with mayonnaise, grated nuts, and grated onion. But former President Jimmy Carter's favorite food is a Southern classic: grits. In fact, his daughter Amy said that Carter would often make grits for breakfast, breaking some eggs into them, and adding cheese.

Bill Clinton was the 42nd U.S. President, serving two terms from 1993 to 2001. His tenure as president was filled with scandal, but probably the most wholesome thing about him was his love of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. This is the kind of sandwich you'd expect a five-year-old to request. It was also the favorite sandwich of Elvis Presley, who liked his fried in butter until crisp.

According to a former White House chef, another of Bill Clinton's favorite foods was a fried chicken sandwich. This is one of his top comfort food dishes, but he wouldn't always get to eat it as much as he wanted for health reasons. And, Bill Clinton went vegan some years ago for health reasons, after struggling with symptoms of heart disease. So, these days, fried chicken sandwiches are off the menu, though peanut butter and banana ones are still an option.

Other former favorites of the former president include tuna salad sandwiches, which were made to a recipe using hard-boiled eggs. He also liked shortbread, particularly the Walker's brand, which he discovered while studying at the University of Oxford. While there are vegan alternatives to all of these, if he's vegan for health reasons, he's probably sticking more to whole grains, veggies, and pulses.

After Bill Clinton came George W. Bush. And, while peanut butter and banana was off the menu, peanut butter and jelly took its place. That's right, George Bush Jr.'s favorite sandwich was none other than a humble PB&J. This came out when Bush agreed to go on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during the election campaign. Oprah had previously shied away from political interviews, but decided to interview the two main contenders that year.

During the interview, it was revealed that peanut butter and jelly on white bread was George W. Bush's favorite. While it wasn't just the sandwich that caught people's attention, the interview humanized Bush to the American public and it's often cited as a turning point, where his ratings in the polls started to rise.

But, this isn't the start and end of Bush's favorite foods. After being voted President Elect, he ordered catering from Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que. And we're sure this will have led to some burgers and other barbecue sandwiches being enjoyed. It's said that food wasn't a major priority for the Bushes during their time in the White House, but the president did have some lunchtime favorites. He liked BLT sandwiches and grilled cheese made with white bread and Kraft singles. Not the most refined palate, but to each their own.

Barack Obama's diet was a bit of an enigma during his time in the White House. On one hand, he did a lot of talking about maintaining a healthy diet, but on the other hand, the man really liked cheeseburgers. We mean, really liked them. He was often seen going out for burgers, with everyone from Vice President Joe Biden to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

He's been spotted at Shake Shack, Five Guys, Ray's Hell Burger, Good Stuff Eatery, and OMG! Burgers to name but a few. All while asserting that broccoli is his favorite food. But, in a world where food is political, it's not hard to understand why President Obama may have said one thing and eaten another (a whole load of cheeseburgers).

What Barack Obama eats — or ate during his presidential terms — is varied. He often ate a breakfast of eggs, potatoes, and wheat toast. But no coffee, as he tried to avoid consuming too much caffeine. Chili was among his top dishes, and there was even a presidential chili recipe made public by First Lady Michelle Obama. But, when comfort food was on the menu, nothing beat Obama's number one sandwich: the cheeseburger.