Presidents Have Their Favorite Foods, Too! Quiz

Answer: Macaroni and cheese

Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd President of the US. When he went to France and Italy he discovered macaroni and cheese and it became his favorite food. He returned to America and got people to try it. He even had a macaroni machine put in at his house!

Little macaroni noodles are made of dough and are are pushed through a machine that makes the dough into a tube that looks like a hose. The tube is then cut into bites that make little, curved shapes. The macaroni is then boiled in water and then, after it is drained, a delicious cheesy sauce is poured over it and mixed all together. It is very popular today with kids and grown-ups and we can all thank Thomas Jefferson!

Answer: Steak

William Taft was the 27th President of the U.S. He loved to eat all kinds of food but steak was his favorite. He would eat it every day and even started with a giant piece of steak for breakfast!

Steaks are what comes from a grown cow. The meat can be made into many different kinds of steaks and can be cut into different sizes. Steaks can then be put on a grill or on a stove or in an oven. Some people like to eat their steaks with not much cooking done to them (called "rare") and others like it cooked all the way through (called "well done").

President Taft liked a 12 ounce steak, about the size of the palms of four grown-ups' hands! He also liked it with a big piece of butter on top of it.

Answer: Fudge

Eisenhower was the 34th President of the US. He always enjoyed anything sweet and his favorite was fudge. When his wife made it, he said it was so good he called it "Million Dollar Fudge" and people across the country made the recipe.

Fudge is made in a big pot on the stove. It starts with sugar, butter and some milk. Then it keeps getting mixed until it is thick and gooey. Then chocolate is added and it is cooled down and cut into squares. It is very sweet and is a great treat for many people.

President Eisenhower liked it so much that the recipe is now in a special library!

Answer: Grits

Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the US and he great up in Georgia, which is in the southern part of the country. So his favorite food was something he remembered as a little boy. He loved to have grits every morning and he would put cheese on top of it.

Grits are tiny little pieces of dried corn that have been ground up into a coarse meal, almost like sand. They are then cooked in water or milk until they get soft and soak up all the liquid. This makes them soft and warm and creamy. But they do not have much flavor, so people put things on top of it like butter, salt, cheese, or sugar.

President Carter liked the food so much that he named his puppy dog "Grits"!

Answer: Jelly Beans

Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the US and was known for loving jelly beans. He always kept some on his desk and had them all through the White House so that people could try the different flavors.

To make the candy, a hot liquid full of sugar and corn syrup and water gets flavoring and coloring added to make the beans distinct. Then they are put into little molds to give them a small shape and when they are cool they go into a sugar shower. The stay there until they have a firm outer shell. They are polished up to be pretty.

President Reagan loved to get his jelly beans from a company called "Jelly Belly" and they even made a special blueberry jelly bean just for him!

Answer: False

James Madison was the 4th President of the US and he and his wife, Dolley, loved ice cream. They liked it so much that they had a special building outside their home to hold the ice to make the treat. They served it at dinners to people from all over the world.

In order to make it, milk and cream and sugar are mixed together with flavorings. Then it is put into a special machine and it is stirred over and over until it is frozen. The stirring stops it from being hard like ice and makes sure it is smooth and creamy.

Ice cream can come in many, many flavors! President Madison liked a strawberry flavor. His wife's favorite was oyster or asparagus! We do not see that in the stores much today.

Answer: Broccoli

Barack Obama was the 44th President of the US and when he was asked what his favorite food was, he said he liked burgers and fries but his favorite of all was broccoli. He said he liked it on the grill or cooked in a pan.

Broccoli is a vegtable that is grown from a tiny seed put into the ground. Then it is given water and the sun shines on it to help it grow. It keeps getting taller until it has a big broccoli "head" that is wide and green. Then it is cut and ready to be served. Broccoli can be eaten raw and dipped into sauces. It can go into a salad. It can be boiled or grilled and it can be covered with different things like cheese sauce or butter.

President Obama said that he likes broccoli not just because it tastes so good but that it is good for people's bodies. It is full of calcium and fiber and some vitamins.

Answer: Pig

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the US and he loved to eat bacon with many of his meals. Bacon reminded him of all the times he ate food on the farm where he grew up. He liked it very simple with nothing added to it and said it was "hearty" and filled him up.

Bacon is made from pigs. Farmers take a special part of the pig's meat and use a little salt and smoke to make it taste really good. They cut it into little strips so that when it is cooked in a pan it turns crispy and crunchy. Bacon can be eaten by itself or it can go into many recipes. It is also part of a popular sandwich called a "BLT" which stands for bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

When President Lincoln ate it, bacon was a little different from the way we know it today. It was still from the pig, but it was bigger and thicker and saltier. It could last a long time without cooking.

Answer: Sweet potato

Hervert Hoover was the 31st President of the US and he loved the food at holiday times. His favorite was a dish his wife made called a sweet potato casserole. He loved eating it at Thanksgiving.

Sweet potatoes are a type of root vegetable that grows under the dirt and they are dug up when they are ready. To make a casserole, the sweet potato is washed and peeled and cut up into pieces and boiled. Then they are mashed and mixed with butter, nutmeg, salt, cream, and crunchy walnuts. Finally, some marshmallows are put on top and it all goes into the oven until it is hot and bubbly and gooey.

President Hoover said that even though the country was going through a tough time and many people were struggling for money, the sweet potato casserole made him feel happy again and reminded him of when he was a little boy.

Answer: Apple

John Adams was the 2nd President of the US and he liked many different kinds of food. His favorite, though, was a dessert that his wife made called a pandowdy. He grew up eating apples so that was his favorite flavor of this dessert also.

To make this, apples are peeled, sliced, and baked with sugar and spices like cinnamon. Then a crust is just sprinkled over it. During baking in the oven, the crust is pressed down into the filling which makes the apple juice squirt up and become sugary. It is usually served warm and sometimes with some ice cream!

President Adams said he got tired of eating big, fancy meals when he was traveling and this dessert was simple and delicious. When he helped create the country, he ate this dish on Independence Days afterward!