50s

In the 1950s, food consumption patterns began to be affected by research into how dietary patterns can
affect diseases.
In 1950, an American doctor, John Gofman, suggested that blood cholesterol was to blame for a rise in
heart disease. It was supported by an unusual study that came about because of theKorean War.
Pathologists were sent to Korea to learn about war wounds by dissecting the bodies of soldiers who died.
They found alarming evidence of fatty deposits in the arteries in 35 percent of these young men.
Speech
Backyard barbeques
o After WWII, many returning GIs married and settled into the suburbs during the white flight.
Soon a house with a backyard became one of the symbols of American middle-class status. And
the best way to invite friends over and show of your backyard? Of course was barbequing! Some
of the most cooked foods of the 1950s is extremely similarly to whats eaten now such as grilled
steaks, buttertoasted corn, fried inions, salads, and apple pie.
Baby Boom
o Along with soldiers coming home, many families began having children leading to the 50s being
known as the baby boom era. With the baby boom came the need to move out of overcrowded
cities and into suburbs which came to be known as Levittowns. Along with the rapid growth of
concentrated suburbs and the new system of credit cards, malls were then built near these
suburbs leading to numerous fast food restaurants built in these shopping centers.
Suburbs
o The 50s also represented a new culture centered around the family. Women were now expected
to marry, have children, and stay home to clean and cook. The idea created was that women
could show their love for their families through cooking. This was epitomized in Betty Crockers
1950 Picture Cookbook allowing women to fulfill their husbands every wish of perfect meals. One
of the all-time best-selling books in the world, this cookbook also standardized famous recipes
such as sponge cakes, casseroles, and fried chicken.
o Many 1950 tv shows such as I Love Lucy or Leave it to Beaver which focused on creating the
perfect family and ideal mother contributed strongly to the increasing sales of Betty Crockers
cookbook. This emphasized the growing expectations for women to prepare wonderfully perfect
meals when their husbands came home from work.
Technology
o Besides tv shows, the television advertising played a huge role in 1950s food culture. Since
everyone desired the feeling of prosperity and opulence, whatever was advertised as the new
and upcoming thing was quickly sold to most middle-class families. This was seen through the
first TV dinners invented by Swanson in 1953, which sold more than 10 mllion dinners in its first
year of production. Especially with the innovation of colored tv, The tv dinner also became
popular because it allowed women to create a healthy delicious meal in just a few minutes. By
1953, over 33 million families owned fridge/freezers additionally contributing to the great success
of frozen TV Dinners. In 1955, Tappans new home-friendly microwave oven became hugely
successful as it created an easy way for women to quickly prepare meals for the family. tv
Innovation of Roads

o Not only contributing to the white flight. The upsurge of building highways also led to Americas all-too
famous fast food franchise. And Increase of more than 200%, automobile sales increased from 25 million
in 1950 to 67 million in 1958. This led to a need for drive- in restaurants and quick service.
o In 1955, McDonalds opened along routh 66 in san bernadino, cali, and in just 3 yeears had sold its 100
millionth hamburger.
o Burger King, which opened in 1954 now has more than 11,220 franchise outlets in 61 countries.
o In the early 1950s colonel Harland sanders found out the route for interstate 75 would bypass his
restaurant in Kentucky. Instead he decided to pick up and move. The colonel sold his recpe for fried
chicken to pete harmon who opened up the first KFC in 1952.
o Soon this franchise model was quickly adapted to other types of food including pizza. Up until the early
50s, pizza had been a regional dish concentrated in Italian immigrant neighborhoods in new York &
Chicago. In 1958 however dan and frank carney opened up the first pizza hut in Wichita Kansas. It was so
successful they began franchising restaurants quickly.

Causes:
o Baby boom need for inexpensive and mass production of food
Construction of national high way systems roadside diners