Chef of Staff: 15 Strange Foods Served at the White House

It's hard to imagine what a president does all day. What time do they wake up? What does their day-to-day look like? How many decisions do they need to make a day?

These questions are difficult to answer, but have you ever wondered about their food? Presidents are humans. They need to eat and have their own interests and likes. Some, though, are stranger than others.

For this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo consulted historical websites and government sources that report on what each president ate during their presidency. Click through the slideshow for 15 strange foods served at the White House. A few of these don't seem strange at first, but context is everything.

Macaroni and cheese isn't weird or strange. It's actually one of the most American dishes to be made. Still, it's worth a mention as Thomas Jefferson brought this dish to the White House during a state dinner after visiting Paris and falling in love with the cheesy pasta.

Cheese is just too good to ignore. Again, not a weird thing alone, but with context, it's strange. And funny. Andrew Jackson was gifted a large wheel of cheese that weighed about 1,400 pounds by a New York farmer. It was kept at the White House for about a year before Jackson threw an open party to try the cheese. Apparently, in two hours, it was gone.

Sometimes, we've got to give it to the First Ladies of the White House. Dolley Madison loved to host dinners and banquets. She served many dishes, but was known for her love of ice cream. Nearly every meal ended with ice cream, specifically strawberry ice cream.

Have you heard of the Hoppin' John? It's a southern dish loaded with rice, black-eyed peas, and pork. While it's not a common dish for us all, according to some reports, it was Andrew Johnson's favorite dish.

Even while having access to many different types of food and protein, President Garfield, who was only the president for a year, loved squirrel soup. It was part of his childhood, and he took it with him to the White House.

Lobster at the White House doesn't sound strange, but would you eat it in a salad? It's a mixture not many of us would try, but it was a common dish William McKinley ate. He also loved boiled fish.

Don't gag, but for the longest, doctors would prescribe patients to drink raw eggs mixed with grape juice to regain strength and weight. This included Woodrow Wilson, who drank this mixture daily after getting sick in 1918.

There is nothing wrong with eating roast beef. Roast beef sandwiches are delicious. But can you picture a president, specifically President Calvin Coolidge, casually snacking on sliced roast beef? For some reason, it's funny.

Cottage cheese is a great protein, but it's definitely an acquired taste. The texture isn't for everyone. President Nixon, though, loved it. He used to eat it in the White House with pineapple and milk. Would you try it? That was his last meal while in office. He was also known to eat cottage cheese with ketchup in the mornings.

Fish chowder isn't bad, but it's also not a common dish. You have to search to find a place that sells it, unless you're in the northeast. Well, it was one of John F. Kennedy's preferred dishes while in office. Other online reports say he also constantly ate ice cream with fudge.

It's hard to picture a president eating candy or having it openly on his desk. Ronald Reagan did this, though, with jellybeans. He had a theory about jellybeans, too, stating you could tell a lot about someone by how they eat jellybeans. He first started eating these candies to quit smoking. His favorite flavor was licorice.

One of the weirdest food combinations has to be a cup of coffee with a vinegar-soaked cucumber. Ulysses S. Grant ate this for breakfast nearly every day. He wasn't a big eater and preferred a quick and light breakfast.

Nearing the end of our list is something very different. Can you imagine a president eating pizza every day? What about a pizza with cheeseburger ingredients? Apparently, George W. Bush loved homemade cheeseburger pizzas for dinner.

As a sweet treat, President Barack Obama would go for Fran's Smoked Salt Caramels. It's his favorite type of chocolate as it melts in your mouth. While not inherently strange, it's very specific.

What's more American than fast food? While not the weirdest thing, it's sometimes strange to see a president eating fast food. While President Donald Trump is especially well-known for his love of McDonald's and burgers in general, he isn't the only one. President Bill Clinton also loved McDonald's, although he cut down his fast food after a major health scare.