10 food combos only boomers and over-70s still think go together

Some food pairings are generational markers more than universal truths.

I was having lunch at my parents' house when my mother served cottage cheese with canned peaches on the side.

My kids looked at their plates like she'd served them an alien dish. "What is this?" my daughter asked, genuinely confused.

To my mother, this was a normal lunch. She grew up eating it. Her mother made it. It was a standard combination from her childhood that she'd never questioned.

But to my kids, raised on different food norms, it was bizarre.

Why would you put cottage cheese with fruit? Why canned peaches specifically? The combination made no sense to them.

That moment made me realize how many food pairings are specific to boomer and older generations.

Combinations that seemed normal and even popular decades ago but have largely disappeared from younger people's plates. Not because they're terrible, but because food culture has changed.

Here are ten food combinations that boomers and over-70s still think go together but make younger generations scratch their heads.

1. Cottage cheese and canned fruit

This is the quintessential boomer diet lunch. Cottage cheese served with canned peaches, pears, or fruit cocktail. Often on a lettuce leaf for presentation.

This combination came from mid-century diet culture when cottage cheese was considered the ultimate diet food. The fruit made it feel less depressing. Canned fruit was convenient and shelf-stable, always available.

Boomers and older folks still eat this regularly and see nothing odd about it. But younger people find it strange. The texture of cottage cheese with syrupy canned fruit doesn't appeal to palates raised on fresh fruit and different protein sources.

My mother eats this for lunch at least twice a week. To her, it's light, healthy, and satisfying. To my kids, it's incomprehensible.

2. Jello salad with vegetables or meat

Jello salads were huge in the 1950s and 60s. Gelatin mixed with vegetables, fruit, or sometimes even meat or seafood. Served as a side dish or salad at dinners and potlucks.

There were endless variations. Lime jello with cottage cheese and pineapple. Orange jello with shredded carrots. Tomato aspic with vegetables. These were considered elegant and appropriate for company.

Boomers and older generations still make these for holidays and gatherings. But younger people are horrified. The concept of savory gelatin seems fundamentally wrong. Why would you put vegetables in jello?

My grandmother brings jello salad to every family gathering. The older relatives eat it happily. Everyone under 50 politely declines.

3. Canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise on white bread

Tuna salad sandwiches still exist, but the specific boomer version is distinct. Canned tuna, lots of mayonnaise, on soft white bread. That's it. No vegetables, no seasoning beyond salt, no variety in bread.

This was a standard lunch for decades. Easy, cheap, filling. The combination of bland canned tuna, heavy mayo, and squishy white bread was considered normal and satisfying.

Younger generations still eat tuna, but they add celery, onions, pickles, different seasonings. They use whole grain bread or wraps. The plain tuna-mayo-white bread combination feels dated and uninspired.

My father still makes tuna sandwiches this exact way. He's baffled when I add vegetables or use different bread. To him, that's not how tuna sandwiches work.

4. Liver and onions

Liver was a regular dinner in boomer childhoods. Usually beef or calf liver, fried with onions, served with mashed potatoes.

This was considered nutritious and economical. Liver is high in iron and vitamins. Onions made it more palatable. It was just what you ate sometimes.

Now liver has almost completely disappeared from most people's diets. The strong flavor, the texture, the whole concept is unappealing to younger generations who have more food options.

Boomers and older folks still occasionally eat liver and insist it's delicious when prepared right. But convincing anyone under 60 to try it is nearly impossible.

5. Iceberg lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing

The wedge salad was peak sophistication in mid-century America. A quarter of an iceberg lettuce head, smothered in blue cheese dressing, maybe with bacon bits and tomatoes.

This was a steakhouse standard and a nice dinner party offering. The iceberg lettuce was crisp and fresh-tasting. The blue cheese dressing made it feel indulgent.

Now iceberg lettuce is considered the least nutritious, least interesting option. Wedge salads still exist in old-school steakhouses, but younger diners choose mixed greens with vinaigrettes.

My parents order wedge salads whenever they're available. They genuinely prefer them to more complex salads with diverse greens. To them, it's classic and perfect.

6. Spam fried and served with eggs

Spam was a staple in boomer households. Fried spam with eggs for breakfast was normal. Spam sandwiches, spam and rice, spam in casseroles.

This came from Spam's prominence during and after World War II. It was shelf-stable, affordable, and versatile. Multiple generations grew up eating it regularly.

Now Spam is either a joke or a nostalgic novelty. Most younger people have never eaten it and have no desire to try. The concept of canned, processed meat fried for breakfast is unappealing.

My mother occasionally serves fried spam when my dad visits. He loves it. Everyone else treats it like a historical artifact.

7. Tomato aspic

Tomato aspic is savory tomato-flavored gelatin, often with vegetables suspended in it. It was a common side dish and party food in the mid-20th century.

The appeal was partly visual. The clear red gelatin with vegetables inside looked fancy and showed effort. It was cold and refreshing in summer.

Now it's almost extinct. The concept of savory gelatin is fundamentally off-putting to modern palates. Why would you gelatinize tomato juice? Why?

My grandmother made tomato aspic for every holiday until she was physically unable to. She genuinely loved it. No one under 60 would touch it.

8. Creamed chipped beef on toast

Known as "SOS" (shit on a shingle) in military contexts, this was a common breakfast and budget meal. Dried beef in cream sauce over toast.

This originated as military food but became a home staple. It was cheap, filling, and used shelf-stable ingredients. Boomers grew up eating it regularly.

Now it's virtually disappeared except in some diners and military contexts. The combination of dried beef in cream sauce doesn't appeal to modern tastes. It looks and sounds unappetizing.

Older folks still occasionally make it and get nostalgic about it. But convincing younger people to try it is challenging.

9. Ambrosia salad

Ambrosia salad is a dessert "salad" made with canned fruit cocktail, miniature marshmallows, coconut, and sour cream or whipped cream. Sometimes with maraschino cherries and nuts.

This was standard at potlucks, holidays, and church gatherings. It was sweet, colorful, and easy to make in large quantities. The combination of textures and flavors was considered pleasant and festive.

Younger generations find it bizarre. Why is it called a salad when it's clearly dessert? Why so many canned ingredients? Why marshmallows with fruit?

Every boomer potluck still has someone who brings ambrosia. The older folks eat it happily. Everyone else passes.

10. Pineapple upside-down cake as a dinner dessert

Pineapple upside-down cake was the fancy dessert of the mid-20th century. Canned pineapple rings with maraschino cherries baked into a caramelized topping.

This represented using convenient canned ingredients to create something special. The presentation was impressive when you flipped the cake over. It was appropriately sweet and festive for company.

Now it's considered dated and overly sweet. The reliance on canned fruit and the artificial cherry flavor don't match current preferences for fresh ingredients and more sophisticated desserts.

Older folks still make pineapple upside-down cake for special occasions and think it's wonderful. Younger people find it cloyingly sweet and prefer other desserts.

Why these combinations matter

These food pairings are cultural artifacts. They tell us about post-war convenience culture, depression-era resourcefulness, and changing ideas about what makes food appealing.

Many of these combinations arose from limited food availability. Canned goods were modern conveniences. Gelatin was impressive. Organ meats were economical nutrition. These pairings made sense in their time.

But food culture has changed dramatically. We have access to fresh ingredients year-round. We have different ideas about health and nutrition. Our palates have been exposed to more diverse flavors and cuisines.

These old combinations persist among boomers and older generations because they're tied to memory and nostalgia. They taste like childhood, like home, like simpler times. The flavors themselves might not be objectively great, but the associations make them meaningful.

Younger generations don't have those associations. These combinations are just weird food pairings that don't match current tastes or values.

I don't judge my parents for still enjoying these foods. They're part of their history. But I also understand why my kids find them strange. Food culture evolves, and these combinations are slowly fading as the generations that grew up with them age.

In another few decades, many of these pairings will be historical curiosities. Things people ate in the mid-20th century that seem incomprehensible to future generations. They'll tell stories about different times, different values, and different ideas about what makes food good.