The Bizarre Breakfast Combination Richard Nixon Loved: Cottage Cheese and Ketchup
Richard Nixon often began his day with a bowl of cottage cheese topped with ketchup. He admitted to eating it during his presidency, even though he disliked the taste of cottage cheese.
This unusual breakfast was discussed in press conferences, remembered by White House staff, and noted in archival records. It became part of his daily routine, and cotton cheese was still being served in the White House on the day he resigned in 1974.
A Habit That Started with His Grandmother
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The idea behind this strange combination came from his grandmother, who regularly ate cottage cheese with ketchup. Nixon began doing the same after his doctor recommended cottage cheese for weight control. He didn’t like the taste of it, so he followed his grandmother’s approach and used ketchup to mask the flavor.
The president acknowledged this publicly during a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health in 1969. He explained that he received letters from both the dairy and ketchup industries responding to his choice. Some encouraged it, while others questioned its nutritional value.
In that same speech, he pointed to his grandmother’s long life—she lived to be 93—as evidence that the combination couldn’t be too harmful. Though it seemed weird to many, Nixon treated it as a practical solution rather than a culinary preference.
Mixed Reports Inside the White House Kitchen
Accounts of Nixon’s food choices are sometimes conflicting, especially regarding this specific combination. White House chef Henry Hallett said he had never seen Nixon eat cottage cheese with ketchup during his time in the kitchen. However, longtime staffer Stephen Bull offered a different version. In a 2007 interview, Bull said Nixon ate the dish frequently, usually at lunch instead of breakfast.
The Nixon Presidential Library also documents the pairing. These contradictions are not uncommon, especially with habits that happen outside formal meals or state dinners.
Cottage Cheese Had a Moment in The 1970s
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Cottage cheese became widely popular in the 1970s. On average, Americans consumed about five pounds of cottage cheese in the 1970s. The Nixon family followed that trend closely. After moving into the White House, the First Lady requested cottage cheese. However, the staff discovered that none was available at the time, so they had to rush to find some.
From then on, the White House kitchen consistently kept it in stock. It appeared on food request lists and became a routine item for the First Family. Though Nixon’s use of ketchup made the combination more unique, cottage cheese alone was a very typical food in households at the time. Its reputation as a high-protein, low-fat food made it appealing for those trying to maintain or lose weight.