Did people really eat that? Some vintage recipe advertisements will make you wonder what they were thinking.
There were a lot of developments in food in the 1950’s. Convenience products like canned soup, tuna and vegetables became very popular. It was a time of Jell-O molds, casseroles, mayonnaise, and deviled eggs. There were a lot of interesting and surprising combinations of ingredients and people seemed to like to shape their food into rings and loaves. Brands such as Crisco, Spam, Kraft, Del Monte, and Best Foods took out full page advertisements in popular magazines and featured recipes using their products, touting their convenience and great taste. Many of these vintage recipe advertisements look downright unappetizing, and sometimes laughable, to us now. Take a look at this selection of ads, maybe you’ll find something to cook for dinner tonight!
This 1956 ad boasted that everything came from cans. Perhaps delicious is not the right word.
Classic Jell-O mold advertisement from 1954. Combining fruits, vegetables and meats seemed to be common at the time.
1956 Del Monte corn ad for yet another dish molded into a round shape.
Veg All thought this 1954 recipe for burger patties nestled in canned vegetables was both economical and nutritious.
1950 ad for Chicken of the Sea. This version of tuna casserole was made in layers and molded into a loaf shape, of course.
This 1950 recipe for chocolate cake sounds good but it’s too bad that Gold Medal didn’t use a better picture.
Even in 1955 people probably didn’t think this looked appetizing.
Dinner in Denver at Gunther Toody’s. Always delicious, affordable, and a great idea!