These horrifying concoctions made it onto every dinner table, and Boomer kids had to clean their plates before leaving the table.

If you grew up in the ’60s, you know firsthand how strict dinnertime could be. Parents ran the table like drill sergeants, and leaving food behind wasn’t just frowned upon—it was practically a punishable offense. The rule was simple: clean your plate, or you weren’t going anywhere, especially not to the dessert table. For many Boomer kids, this nightly ritual became a test of willpower and endurance, as the food that landed on those plates was often the stuff of childhood nightmares.












