Weird Foods People Ate During the Depression

The Great Depression was responsible for many changes and sacrifices, some of which translated directly to what was served on dinner tables at the time.

Because money was tight and most people could barely afford to eat, they had to get creative, and things got a bit strange in the kitchen. Here is a closer look at seven weird foods that people ate during the Great Depression.

1. Peanut butter-stuffed onion. It is hard to imagine peanut butter with anything but jelly, but during the Great Depression baked onions stuffed with peanut butter became the go-to meal because it was such a cost-saver, according to Ranker.
2. Dandelion salad. When there is no food in the fridge, foraging can be a reasonable backup plan, as was the case during the Great Depression, when families took to their backyards in search of edible greens. Dandelions and other weeds soon made their way onto dinner tables and although this may seem like a weird food to eat, dandelion salad remains a popular food in many cultures today, Off The Grid News noted.
3. Cabbage and dumplings. On their own, these two foods can make a delicious meal but combine them and you have another weird food that people ate during the Great Depression. The dish was made with fried cabbage and onions, which were then paired with simple homemade dumplings, according to SoYummy.
4. Ketchup, mayonnaise or onion sandwiches. In an attempt to add some flavor to plain bread, people would slap either ketchup or mayonnaise onto two slices to make a sandwich. The last resort? Onion sandwiches, the Homestead Survival Site said.
5. Spaghetti with boiled carrots and white sauce. When it came to economical meal options during the Great Depression, Eleanor Roosevelt had a few ideas. Her "casserole" of boiled carrots accompanied by a white sauce of milk, flour, salt and butter may not have been her greatest recipe.
6. Vinegar pie. Without fruit to bake with, many people turned to vinegar, which was added to a mixture of spices then used to create pie, according to Off The Grid News.
7. Peanut butter and mayo sandwich. Another weird food that people ate during the Great Depression was the peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich, SoYummy noted. Both items were household staples so it made sense to try and combine them. How it tasted is up for debate.

• 7 Foods You Can Eat as Much as You Want
• What to Eat and When to Eat It to Stay Healthy