Food preferences come and go, and as generations age and leave us, some foods see vast declines in popularity. They may never go away entirely, but you won’t see them nearly as much on menus and grocery stores. What foods are disappearing as the Boomers and older people are leaving us?
Liver and Onions
Boomers inherited this meal from their parents and fed it to their own children. Not many of them ever liked it, and they pass on it as adults.
Frog Legs
There was a period when seeing these on the menu wasn't uncommon. People said they tasted like chicken, and they did, but they never really caught on.
Hamburger Helper
During the '70s and into the '80s, this was a really popular noodle dish that you added ground beef and hot water. It’s still around but not nearly as popular as before.
TV Dinners
The original “real” TV dinners came in aluminum trays that you heated up in ovens. Plastic microwaveable trays are common now, and you rarely see the originals anymore.
Canned Corned Beef Hash
Maybe you remember your dad or grandfather frying up a pan of this for lunch on weekends. There’s more of a preference for fresher, healthier lunches these days.
Candies with Fruit Wrappers
Remember those wrapped candies with strawberry and other fruit designs on them that your grandparents always seemed to have? You don’t see them so much anymore except maybe around Christmas.
Fruitcake
Boomers and their elders have/had a thing for fruitcake. Just about everyone else pretended to be happy to receive one. Fruitcakes might have been the start of regifting.
Salad with Iceberg Lettuce
You’ll probably always be able to buy iceberg lettuce for your homemade salads. However, there’s a clear trend in restaurants to go with romaine or mixed greens; both are more nutritious and have more flavor.
Casseroles
Some would say “one-pot meals” is a newer, fancier casserole term. Still, traditional casserole recipes aren’t so popular anymore, maybe because parents usually made them badly.
Boiled Vegetables
Boiling vegetables is an easy way to prepare them, but the taste is bland and often watery. Steaming, roasting, and sauteeing them surpass the boiling method.
Moon Pies
Graham crackers, marshmallow filling, and a flavored coating made this once-hugely-popular snack. The company is going for a comeback, having switched from high-fructose corn syrup with sugar and ditching preservatives and artificial colors and flavors.
Circus Peanuts
Many people still like these peanut-shaped marshmallow candies, but their 60s heyday seems well behind them. There are still a few companies that make them, though.
Salisbury Steak
Boomers were raised by a generation that had to live frugally, and Salisbury steak was an inexpensive, simple dinner. It’s still on menus and stores, but younger people tend not to be interested in it.
Open-Faced Turkey and Gravy Sandwiches
A couple of slices of bread with a turkey slice and gray poured on top were once common menu items. Now, they’re rare except in mom-and-pop diners.
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