FOOD NEWS
The Reason FDR Was Forced To Eat Sweetbreads Six Days A Week
BY AUTUMN SWIERS
During the Great Depression, sweetbreads were eaten as meat prices rose, and Eleanor Roosevelt made sure that the White House ate just like the people it served.
Sweetbreads specifically refer to the thymus gland or pancreas of cows, lambs, and pigs. Like the masses during this time, FDR was eating sweetbreads an alleged six times a week.
Eleanor Roosevelt liked to serve sweetbreads at the White House, along with other largely inedible dishes like spaghetti with boiled carrots, gelatin salads, and cold mutton.
This way, Eleanor Roosevelt allowed the White House to act as a model for budget-friendly cooking, creating full meals for no more than seven and a half cents per serving.