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Lacey Muszynski is a staff writer at Cheapism covering food, travel, and more. She has over 15 years of writing and editing experience, and her restaurant reviews and recipes have previously appeared in Serious Eats, Thrillist, and countless publications in her home state of Wisconsin.
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Eating the POTUS Way
Everyone has guilty pleasure foods ranging from fast food burgersto ice creamand beyond. Well, President Donald Trump enjoys those foods too, which may be one of the most relatable aspects of the billionaire president. Not only does he feast on KFC, mac and cheese, and Oreos, he often turns those guilty pleasure indulgences into everyday foods. To eat like Trump, skip the vegetables and munch through this list.
McDonald's
Trump is a germophobe, so he prefers to eat at fast food restaurants, which he believes prioritize consistent cleanliness. One of his favorite spots is McDonald's, and he gravitates toward the fish fillet and Big Macs. He even appeared in a McDonald's TV commercial in 2002.
KFC
In 2016, Trump posted a photo of himself on Twitter enjoying a bucket of fried chickenand what appears to be containers of mashed potatoes and gravy from KFC. Hopefully he was sharing that large meal with others on his private jet, though we can't blame him if he's a fan of leftovers.
Taco Bowls
One of Trump's most memorable tweetscame about because of his apparent love of taco bowls. The heavy Tex-Mex dish is still available on the menu at Trump Tower Grill, and comes with seasoned beef, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream and cheese.
Diet co*ke
President Trump has a complicated relationship with Diet co*ke. In 2012, he tweeted that he's never seen a thin person drinking Diet co*ke, calling it "garbage." Yet, he does drink it, if the bottle next to his chair at the G20 Summit is any indication. Timeeven claimed Trump has a little red button on his desk in the Oval Office that will send a butler with a co*ke or Diet co*ke.
Well-Done Steak
According to one of Trump's butlers at Mar-a-Lago, Trump prefers to eat his steaks well-done. As someone who sold his own brand of steaks, he might be expected to enjoy them with at least a bit of pink, but that's not the case.
Meatloaf
One of Trump's favorite foods is meatloaf, which his mother made when he was young -- and her meatloaf recipe is now the basis for a dish at the Trump Grill. He even persuaded Chris Christie to order meatloaf when they dined together at the White House.
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Ketchup
To go along with both his meatloaf and steak dinners, Trump prefers ketchup as a condiment. That's not unusual as a topping for meatloaf, but the topic of ketchup on an expensive steak has brought about a surprising amount of controversy, according to Forbes.
Burger King
Considering his love for fast food, it's no surprise that Trump has an affinity for Burger King. He even ate it on his private jetafter his driver picked up the meal in a drive-thru.
Famous Famiglia Pizza
When Sarah Palin was in New York City in 2011, she went out for pizza with Trumpto chain restaurant Famous Famiglia. They ordered cheese and pepperoni pizza and ate it with a fork and knife.
Deep Fried Macaroni and Cheese
Trump made a stop at the Red Arrow Diner in New Hampshire in early 2016 after a campaign rally. He ordered his (perhaps) usual burger and fries, along with a ball of deep fried mac and cheese. He got heckled by another customer there, but at least he had what sounds like a great meal.
Pizza Hut
Trump made a commercial for Pizza Hutwith his then-wife Ivana about how they eat Pizza Hut's stuffed crust pizza crust first. Apparently he's since changed his habits when it comes to crust -- or it was a marketing gimmick.
Trump Tower Grill
One spot where it's possible to eat exactly like Trump is the restaurant inside Trump Tower in New York City, Trump Tower Grill. Trump often orders from the restaurant when he's in the building, though it currently only has a 2-star rating on Yelp.
Vanilla Ice Cream
The employees of the White House know Trump's personal dining preferences, according to Time. A typical day includes bringing Trump two scoops of vanilla ice cream with his pie, while other diners at the table only receive one scoop.
Thousand Island Dressing
Trump prefers Thousand Island dressing to vinaigrette, according to Time. While Trump's dinner guests are served vinaigrette, the president gets a creamy dressing with his salad.
Wendy's
Fast food and Trump's private jet seem to go hand in hand. When Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. flew on Trump's jet after a campaign event, Trump served Wendy's hamburgers, according to The Washington Post.
Maine Lobster
A newly elected president's Inauguration Day menu always garners a lot of attention, as it's one of the first choices a new POTUS gets to make. For his inaugural luncheon, Trump chose fancy classics like Maine lobster, steak, and souffle.
Chocolate
During his inaugural luncheon, Trump's love of chocolate was apparent. It appeared in two dishes: as a sauce on the steak and in the chocolate souffle dessert. Trump also dined on chocolate cake with Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling it the "most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you've ever seen." He also is said to prefer See's candy.
Spaghetti
According to Trump, Melania makes a mean spaghetti and meat sauce. He praises her ability in the kitchen, calling her a "good cook," though she may not be cooking much in the White House.
Oreos
Jackson Hole Burgers
President Trump's love of burgers is clear, but he doesn't only eat them at fast-food spots. Trump is—or was—a regular at Jackson Hole Burgers, a casual restaurant with locations in NYC. They serve thick, 7-ounce burgers and four types of french fries.
Bacon and Eggs
Though the president is not a big fan of breakfast, he likes to indulge in bacon and eggs. His doctor might not like that, but who is going to stop the president from eating bacon?
Cereal
For a lighter breakfast, President Trump told Fox News he enjoys cereal like corn flakes and Raisin Bran. Whatever the type, it has to be "right out of the fields of Iowa."
Anything Eaten With a Knife and Fork
Perhaps thanks to his germophobia, Trump prefers to eat almost everything with a knife and fork. That includes things that are pretty difficult or unusual to eat with anything but a pair of hands, like KFC and pizza. It's made him the target of ridicule on his favorite social media outlet, Twitter.
21 Club
A legendary New York restaurant, 21 Club has been visited by every sitting president since FDR, with the exception of Barack Obama and George W. Bush, though Bush did eat there when he was governor of Texas, according to Fox News. Trump famously ditched the press and had dinner there with his family in November 2016, shortly after being elected president. A native New Yorker, Trump reportedly has been eating there since he was a youngster. Diners who want to eat there will have to be patient. Harsh temperatures in January caused pipes to rupture, closing the storied eatery for repairs until mid-March.
Staying Booze-Free
If you really want to dine like President Trump, there’s one thing you’ll need to omit from the menu: alcohol. Even though he once had his name on a brand of vodka and gave a winery to his son, Eric, the president often points out that he doesn’t drink or smoke and has advised his children against drinking and smoking, citing the loss of his brother, Fred, who died an alcoholic at age 43.
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