Ever walk into your parents’ kitchen and witness something that made you stop dead in your tracks?
Maybe it was a casserole with crushed potato chips on top. Or a salad suspended in fluorescent green Jello. Whatever it was, you probably thought, “There’s no way people actually eat this.”
But here’s the thing: they do. And they love it.
Growing up, I remember visiting my grandmother and watching her prepare what she called “dinner.” The combinations she threw together seemed absolutely wild to my young mind, but she swore by them. Years later, when I started volunteering at farmers’ markets and chatting with older folks about their favorite recipes, I realized these weren’t just my grandmother’s quirks. These were generational staples.
So let’s take a walk down memory lane and explore the food combinations that Boomers still defend with their whole chest, even as the rest of us look on in horror.
1. Jello salad with vegetables
Picture this: bright green lime Jello, but instead of being a simple dessert, it’s studded with shredded carrots, celery, and sometimes even cabbage.
Sounds like a nightmare, right?
But for Boomers, this was a legitimate side dish at holiday dinners. The texture alone is enough to make younger generations shudder. We’re talking about the clash between jiggly gelatin and crunchy vegetables, all competing for space in your mouth at once.
The appeal? According to my aunt, it was “refreshing and festive.” To everyone under 40, it’s a crime against both salads and desserts.
2. Cottage cheese and canned fruit
Open any Boomer’s fridge and there’s a good chance you’ll find cottage cheese sitting next to a can of pears or peaches.
This combination was a diet staple back in the day. The theory was that it was healthy, light, and satisfying. What it actually is? Lumpy dairy mixed with syrupy fruit that somehow makes both components worse.
I tried this once at a family reunion because my mom insisted it was “actually really good.” It wasn’t. The temperature contrast between cold cottage cheese and room-temperature canned fruit creates this weird sensation that your taste buds just can’t reconcile.
But Boomers will tell you it’s a perfectly reasonable lunch. They might even add a lettuce leaf underneath and call it fancy.
3. Tuna casserole with crushed potato chips
There’s something deeply unsettling about opening a can of tuna, mixing it with cream of mushroom soup, dumping it over noodles, and then topping the whole thing with crushed potato chips before baking it.
Yet this was considered a weeknight staple.
The logic was simple: it was cheap, filling, and used ingredients you probably already had in your pantry. But the execution? Let’s just say the soggy chips mixed with fishy, creamy pasta isn’t exactly what modern food bloggers are posting on Instagram.
These types of casseroles represented the pinnacle of convenience cooking in mid-century America.
Convenience, yes. Appetizing to younger generations? Not so much.
4. Mayonnaise on everything
If you grew up in a Boomer household, you know that mayonnaise was basically a food group.
Sandwiches? Mayo. Salads? Mayo-based dressing. Vegetables? Mix them with mayo and call it a salad. Some Boomers even put mayo on hot dogs, which is where a lot of us draw the line.
The obsession with mayonnaise goes beyond just using it as a condiment. We’re talking about entire dishes built around it. Potato salad drowning in mayo. Macaroni salad that’s more mayo than macaroni. Deviled eggs that are basically mayo delivery vehicles.
Younger generations have moved on to aiolis, sriracha mayo, and other “elevated” versions.
But classic Boomers? They’re still reaching for that jar of Hellmann’s without a second thought.
5. Spam and pretty much anything
Spam has a complicated legacy, but Boomers remember it fondly.
Whether it was fried Spam with eggs, Spam sandwiches, or even Spam casseroles, this canned meat product was everywhere. It was shelf-stable, affordable, and endlessly versatile, which made it perfect for families trying to stretch their grocery budgets.
But here’s what horrifies younger people: the texture. That slightly slimy, overly salty, mystery-meat quality just doesn’t sit right with those of us who grew up with more fresh food options.
I once asked my dad why anyone would choose Spam when there are so many other protein options available now. His response? “It reminds me of home.” Fair enough, but I’ll pass.
6. Liver and onions
This one might be the most controversial on the list.
Liver and onions was a regular dinner option for many Boomer families. The idea was that liver was nutritious, packed with iron, and good for you. All of that is technically true. But none of it makes the taste or texture any less off-putting.
The metallic flavor, the weird grainy texture, the way it smells while cooking. Everything about liver and onions feels like an endurance test rather than a meal.
Even some chefs who love offal struggle with liver’s intense flavor. If professional chefs find it challenging, imagine how the average person under 40 feels about it.
Yet Boomers still insist it’s delicious when prepared correctly. We’ll have to take their word for it.
7. Ambrosia salad
Let’s be clear: this is not a salad in any recognizable sense.
Ambrosia salad is a mixture of canned fruit cocktail, mini marshmallows, shredded coconut, and Cool Whip. Sometimes sour cream or cottage cheese gets thrown in for good measure. It’s sweet, it’s creamy, and it’s aggressively artificial tasting.
This was a holiday table staple, sitting right next to the green bean casserole and mashed potatoes like it belonged there. But calling it a salad feels like false advertising. It’s basically a dessert pretending to be a side dish.
When I mentioned this to a friend recently, she said her grandmother still brings it to every family gathering. “We all pretend to enjoy it,” she admitted. “But really, we’re just being polite.”
8. Bologna sandwiches with butter
White bread. Bologna. Butter. That’s it.
No lettuce, no tomato, no mustard or mayo. Just straight butter and processed meat pressed between two slices of squishy white bread.
This was considered a legitimate lunch, and many Boomers have fond memories of eating these sandwiches as kids. But when you describe it to someone under 40, they usually make a face.
The concept of buttering bread for a cold sandwich just feels wrong to younger generations. We understand butter on a grilled cheese or a hot sandwich. But cold butter sitting between cold bologna? That’s a texture nightmare.
Still, Boomers defend it fiercely. My uncle insists it’s the perfect simple meal, and nothing I say will convince him otherwise.
9. Prune juice as a beverage of choice
This one isn’t technically a food combination, but it deserves a spot on this list.
Boomers drink prune juice. Not occasionally or medicinally, but as a regular beverage choice. They’ll pour themselves a glass in the morning like it’s orange juice and genuinely enjoy it.
According to research published in “Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics,” prunes and prune juice have “well-documented digestive benefits that made them popular among older generations.” So yes, there are legitimate health reasons for the choice.
But that doesn’t make it any less baffling to younger people who see prune juice as something you drink only when absolutely necessary. The thick consistency, the dark color, the intensely sweet taste. It’s just not appealing to those of us who grew up with smoothies and cold-pressed juices.
Yet walk into any Boomer’s pantry and there’s probably a bottle of prune juice sitting proudly next to the coffee and tea.
Final thoughts
Food is deeply personal, isn’t it?
These combinations might seem strange or even horrifying to younger generations, but they represent comfort, nostalgia, and home to the Boomers who grew up with them.
Every generation has its food quirks. In 40 years, our kids will probably look at our avocado toast obsession or our oat milk lattes and wonder what we were thinking.
So maybe we can cut Boomers some slack for their Jello salads and Spam casseroles. They’re not trying to torture us. They’re just eating the foods that remind them of simpler times.
That said, if someone offers you cottage cheese with canned pears, you have my permission to politely decline.
What’s Your Plant-Powered Archetype?
Ever wonder what your everyday habits say about your deeper purpose—and how they ripple out to impact the planet?
This 90-second quiz reveals the plant-powered role you’re here to play, and the tiny shift that makes it even more powerful.
12 fun questions. Instant results. Surprisingly accurate.
Dining and Cooking