Plenty of food trends have wafted in and out of kitchens over the decades, with some foods becoming a staple spanning across generations while others simply disappear into the abyss to join the ever-growing pile of rejected dishes. However, in an age where every second person seems to suffer from some kind of intolerance, popular meals today are completely different to what they were in the past.

These days avocado on toast and kale smoothies are taking reign in the food world, which is a far cry from the plain-old canned meats and frozen meals that were popular when Baby Boomers were growing up. It’s safe to say younger generations happily chowing down on their preservative-free, gluten-free and sugar-free dishes wouldn’t dare go near half of the foods that were served up in those days.

Canned meat

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Although you might not be a fan of the flavour, you simply can’t deny the convenience of buying meat in a can. Simply peal back the metal lid and there you have it! A chunk of, what may or may not be, ham ready to be popped right on your sandwich.

Offal

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While young people today still enjoy a good, juicy steak or a well-seasoned chicken thigh – they might be less inclined to show the same excitement when trying lamb brains or beef tongue. But, if there’s one thing the ’60s were, it was resourceful. Why would you throw out a perfectly good chicken liver when you could make it into a lovely meat pate? Or get rid of the veal’s kidney when you could fry it up for a quick savoury snack? How wasteful!

Milk by the glass

Today, you might catch the odd person sipping on a glass of milk after their dinner or alongside a sweet treat, but most of the time, this long-standing tradition of sculling a glass of milk is long gone. With lactose intolerance sweeping the younger generation, most wouldn’t be able to stomach the calcium-packed glass.

TV dinners

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In a time when microwaves and TVs were fresh on the scene, dinner made a significant move from the tradition of the dining room table to the new and modern couch in front of the TV. This factor, paired with women heading back into the workforce, meant dinners were made quick and easy. Simply a tray full of the basics (generally steak and three veg) that was easy to carry to the couch and enjoy in front of the nightly news was all you needed.

Instant mashed potato

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After the war, there was no longer time to spend hours in the kitchen perfecting each meal, so instant fixes were created to help out. While it’s far from the same taste, with a bit of boiling water, this powder became a pretty good mash substitute for those in a time crunch.

Trifle

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Although this classic dessert isn’t completely lost on younger generations – it’s definitely not as popular as it once was. Back when jelly was all the rage and it seemed appropriate to add it to absolutely everything you could, the trifle was one of its many victims. Along with tinned fruits, whipped cream and custard – its safe to say this dish is now quintessentially outdated.

What were your favourite meals of the past? Do you still eat any of these today?