My Baby Boomer Dad Said He Despised Eating These 9 Things

My baby boomer dad is dishing all the childhood things he “despised eating.” While many of the dishes from his youth were favorites, a few were a genuine struggle for him to finish.

These foods specific textures and flavors simply didn’t appeal to him as a kid. If you grew up in a household with a “clean your plate” rule, you probably remember the dread of seeing certain things on the menu. What were your least favorite foods growing up?

1. Liver and Onions

Pan fried liver served with onions is a dish people loved or hated. My dad fell into the “hated this dish” category. He said luckily his parents never made this dish, but if he went to his friends houses for dinner, he had no choice but to eat this.

2. Waldorf Salad

A mixture of apples, celery, and walnuts tossed in a heavy mayonnaise dressing was the standard side dish for holiday dinners. While it was intended to be a refreshing fruit salad, the combination of crunchy and creamy textures never sat right with him.

He still jokes about how he would carefully pick out the grapes and leave the rest of the bowl untouched.

3. Salmon Patties

These fried cakes were made from canned salmon and often contained small bits of softened bone and skin. While they were an affordable way to serve seafood, the strong fishy smell while they were cooking was overwhelming.

My dad says the greasy texture and heavy breading made this a meal he dreaded seeing on Friday nights.

4. Lime Green Jello Mold (With Veggies)

This wobbling gelatin mold featured lime flavors mixed with unexpected ingredients like cottage cheese, and celery.

In his house sometimes it was even combined with onion or shredded cabbage. He wasn’t sure if that was a common combo for everyone, but in his house they had it with onions and cabbage. (Let us know if you ever had this growing up.)

My dad says the strange mix of sweet lime and savory vegetables was a texture he could never get used to.

5. Boiled Brussels Sprouts

Most vegetables in his childhood home were boiled until they lost their color and became incredibly soft.

My dad mentions that it took him decades to realize that Brussels sprouts could actually taste good when roasted instead.

6. Tapioca Pudding

Small gelatinous pearls suspended in a vanilla custard created a lumpy dessert that many kids nicknamed fish eyes.

Even though the flavor was sweet, the unique and bumpy consistency was a major turnoff for him at the end of a meal. He always preferred a simple scoop of ice cream over this.

7. Creamed Peas on Toast

This budget friendly meal consisted of canned peas stirred into a thick white flour sauce and poured over white bread. My dad remembers the texture being incredibly mushy.

He says this was a common way to fill up the family on a small budget, but it was a dish he truly dreaded seeing on his plate.

8. Canned Beets

Slices of beets pulled straight from a tin were a frequent side dish that often bled purple juice into everything else on the plate.

My dad recalls trying to hide the cold slices under his mashed potatoes to avoid eating them.

9. Chipped Beef on Toast

This salty dish consisted of dried beef rehydrated in a thick white gravy and served over toasted bread. His parents didn’t serve this much since my grandpa had it so much in the military. He said he wasn’t a fan when he had it at other people’s houses.

These are just my baby boomer dad’s opinions on the foods he grew up with, and everyone’s tastes are different and change as we get older.

If you’re a baby boomer, we want to hear from you.

Did you like or dislike any of these foods on the list growing up? Do you still eat them now? Drop a comment and let us know!