The U.S. Presidents All Ate Really Weird Foods

Teddy Roosevelt was a determined guy, and when it came to dinnertime, he made sure that his favorite comfort foods were a priority. Pigs in blankets, turtle soup and fried chicken smothered in white gravy kept him running—that and plenty of coffee, sweetened with as many as seven lumps of sugar!

We can appreciate FDR's no-frills eating habits—who doesn't like a gooey grilled cheese sandwich or plate of scrambled eggs? Best of all, he had the nerve to serve hot dogs to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on a visit to the U.S.

Born in Brookline, MA, JFK was a New Englander to the core. His go-tos included classics like baked beans, corn muffins, fish on Fridays (like a good Catholic boy) and, of course, chunky New England clam chowder.

This Texan prez loved home-state favorites like black-eyed peas and hosted a mean barbecue—he was the first to have a cookout at the White House. His weakness was Fresca, however, and he even had a soda dispenser installed in the Oval Office to feed his habit.

Whether Nixon sticking to a strict regimen of diet foods or just really liked cottage cheese, we're not sure. But he was known to eat the stuff regularly with fresh fruit like pineapple, and even with a squirt of ketchup on top (cringe). 

Home-cooked classics could always be found on the dinner table when this Nebraska-born president was in office. Juicy pot roast and red cabbage were regulars, always followed by desserts like butter pecan ice cream or German apple pancakes.

According to his wife, Jimmy Carter was the one in charge of breakfast at home, which consisted of grits, cheese, eggs and coffee. Their dog was even named Grits after his beloved hominy, which could also be served for dinner with pork chops, red-eye gravy and collard greens.

This Republican gentleman was known to chow down on mac and cheese and meatloaf at mealtime, but he's remembered more for his sweet tooth. Jelly beans, monkey bread and chocolate cake were a few of his vices, and he could never get enough of his wife Nancy's fudge brownies.

The Bush family kept things pretty low-key for the White House chef, with simple requests like eggs, hot dogs and beef jerky. The one constant was that everything, even pork rinds, were covered with Tabasco or kicked up with some sort of hot sauce.

Back in the day, Bill was known to dig into McDonald's hamburgers, but following an emergency heart surgery in 2010 he decided to go vegan, and hasn't looked back. He's off dairy and opts for items like cheese-free lasagna and chili enchiladas made with meat substitute to stay healthy.

Tex-Mex was the name of the game when George Dubbya was in charge, which meant lots of huevos rancheros at the White House. He also tucked into beef tenderloin, grilled cheese sandwiches and—and interesting invention—cheeseburger pizza.

Who knew that Obama could cook? He has a family recipe for chili in his back pocket that he's been whipping up since college, but when he's out and about, Ben's Chili Bowl is his go-to in D.C. He's also got a soft spot for snacks like nachos with guacamole, popcorn, and trail mix.

The Donald's views and values tend to stir up controversy, and his diet would certainly rile up a nutritionist or two. Though he claims to have lost 15 pounds on the campaign trail, there's also plenty of photo evidence proving that Trump is a fast food fanatic. Burgers, fries, pasta, eggs and bacon are some of his favorites, and he'll never stop singing the praises of Trump Steaks—his own brand which sold at The Sharper Image and QVC for years.