I love mayonnaise sandwiches :-)

I don't really avoid anything but some things I don't make, like tuna casserole- but only because DH doesn't like tuna.

I love everything on your list, lol.

Canned spinach, margarine and boxed pasta (Pasta Roni). I thought I didn't like a lot of other things until I learned to cook them properly, like Brussels sprouts. We ate a lot of processed/canned food and I try to avoid those types now.

Since I was never forced to eat anything I didn't like as a child my memories of childhood staples are fondly missed. Red's Tamales, Campbell's soups back when they had flavor, Morton's Mac and Cheese, and most of all all the great breads you could buy most anywhere.

Canned potatoes

Cheez Whiz

Dream Whip

Swansons Frozen dinners. I did think they were a real treat at one time, maybe about age 8 ;0)

Rolled turkey roasts

Fried steak

Bologna

Canned succotash

Liver

Instant pudding

Frogged, I can't find puffed wheat or puffed rice any more. I don't eat cold cereal very often - DH will sometimes have a bowl of raisin bran or cheerios - but I wanted puffed rice several months ago and no stores seem to carry it any longer. I asked a shelf stocker in Top Foods one day and he didn't even know what I was referring to (too young ;0)) - pointed me to the rice cakes.

Bologna. It was the only lunch meat that ever appeared when I was a child.

I,love canned potatoes, fried or oven roasted.

I was forced to eat liver. Never touched it as an adult.

Liver and onions. A favorite of my dads. I never ate it. My husband liked it So I would cook it once in a while but I had something else.

vienna sausage

Most canned things especially meals in a can. How I liked Chef Boyardee so much back then is beyond me. I also avoid most fast food places these days except for Taco Bell. I have a weakness for their stuff and going there now and then is a real treat. Soda is another. I used to love Pepsi, but I can't remember the last time I had one.

I was never forced to eat anything I didn't like....although my dad was very disappointed that he couldn't get me to drink milk, which he thought was the perfect food........and it is.....for calves. ;) I was a very picky eater. I would eat meat, fruit, and a few vegetables like green beans, corn, and mashed potatoes, but I didn't like beans...which were a staple at our house. So my mother kept a few things on hand that I liked...Swanson tv dinners, chicken fricassee in a can, chow mein in a can, campbell's chicken noodle soup and chicken and rice. I don't eat any of those things any more. I do like beans...if I cook them.

Those of you who had better childhoods than mine are very lucky.

Oddly, I really craved canned spaghetti and Tang when pregnant. I don't now, but it's really interesting to me how food is SO strongly tied to both good and bad memories.

We hardly ever ate anything that came in a can except Lindy’s English peas. And my dad ate sardines once in a while. Later I can recall my mother would occasionally open a can of green beans if we ran out of fresh canned ones or from the freezer. We also tried canned soups but they truly were different then. As a result, I can’t stand bologna, lunch meat, and most anything like canned spaghetti, ravioli or anything made with canned soups. I can tolerate canned beans or corn cooked in a stew or soup but not on their own.

My tastes have changed and I've certainly have been exposed to more foods, but if I ate it then I'd probably still eat it now if it were available.

Canned salmon croquettes.

Canned tuna

Progresso canned soup

Doritos

I still like the way my mom made baked chicken, macaroni and cheese and a couple of after holiday casseroles but the rest hasn't been eaten here. Ever. Canned dinners, soups and vegetables. Frozen vegetables. Sandwiches on white bread with the thinnest scraping of the cheapest margarine possible. Dry cereal. I haven't bought hamburger or hot dogs for years if not decades.

When we got a bit more money we got to eat Kraft Mac and Cheese, frozen TV dinners and meat pies, lamb/pork chops and rib steak. Loved the steak and lamb and might eat them a couple times a year but that's about it. Come to think of it I never even eat baked potatoes and I adored them then and now!

I liked some fine and I certainly ate it all or I'd have gone hungry.

Like many others here, we were limited to canned vegetables, canned soups, white bread and cheap cuts of meat. I can’t think of anything that I ate as a child that I eat today.

Twinkies. At one time, I thought they were fabulous. I cannot imagine why as my mother made incredible desserts!

Canned corned beef.

Jello, spam, and everything on Morz8's list. Loved them all when I was growing up, but I just don't buy much processed food any more...

Oh, and Jiffy cornbread mix.

The only thing I ever ate from a can when I was a kid was Campbell's soup which I don't eat anymore. I eat nothing from a can but my cats and dogs do. My mother was a cook from scratch and so I had the greatest food I ever have had since that time.

Butter. Campbells Soup. Steakums. Twinkies. Ring-Dings. Meat. Fried Chicken.

Liver. And canned vegetables of any kind, except tomatoes.

Other things we ate, but I don't actively avoid. Haven't had Jello in years, or canned soup.

You can buy canned spaghetti??

Canned spaghetti? Of course.

It's fun to read all of your many different tastes and experiences. My mother's culinary abilities were very limited, but mostly pretty wholesome. Brought up in the 50s and 60s, we had cabinets full of canned soups, spaghetti-Os, jello, and cake mixes.

But she provided us with balanced meals, always with something green on our plates, always. I'm forever grateful to her for instilling that in me. Our meals were basically wholesome. We didn't have much money, and sometimes had to use a microscope to find any meat which was fine.

We planted a very big garden every year, and thanks to dad we were all introduced to a wide variety of vegetables that we enjoyed raw, steamed, or canned. I still like raw turnips.

What I have not used since I left home are canned soups, most canned veggies, canned spaghetti, jello, or cake mixes.

rarely had boxed mac & cheese and it was NEVER the whole meal... always a side. we would make "real" M&C if even just from Velveeta & milk.

Velveeta made the perfect grilled cheese sandwiches to go with Campbell's tomato soup. my grandmother always made it with milk instead of water.

"Chinese food" was Chung King. one large can with sad veggies in a sauce. another can (never enough) of crispy noodles.

i totally realize that it's not "real" ravioli, but i always have a can or 2 of The Chef's stuff on a shelf.

my dad liked sardines in mustard. they were always just too TOO fishy for me, even though i liked mustard. MANY years later, tried them again... maybe it was childhood taste buds that didn't like them... NAH, still just way too fishy. wish i liked them cuz would be good for a snack to have on hand.

NEVER had Vienna sausages growing up. bought a can, just out of curiosity. couldn't even eat one... creepy texture.

never had Spam growing up. once i tried it... knew it would be a guilty pleasure... even the low-sodium type is not something i should eat on a regular basis.

we had Miracle Whip... once i tasted REAL mayo... not a chance of going back.

had Log Cabin syrup for pancakes, waffles and French toast. once i tasted REAL maple syrup... never anything else.

Cooked endive. I'll eat it raw. There is a Dutch dish where you shred the endive and soak it in an oil and vinegar mix then strain and mash into potatoes. It's delicious. But then they also cook the endive like you would spinach and sometimes they put this gross white cream sauce on it and I had to eat it. HAD to. I gagged it down. I would be crying with tears and snot running down my face but I had to eat it. There is NO way anyone could ever make me eat it as an adult. Nope. Nada. Never. No way!

Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. Yuk! Liver & onions. Double Yuk! Scrambled eggs with left over ham from Sunday dinner...sooo Yuk!

Canned vegetables, except for creamed corn used in corn casserole; canned corned beef (my stepfather loved it; I didn't know about "real" corned beef until I was a teenager); Spam (although I'm sure I'll have some in Hawaii in a couple of weeks); Salmon cakes made from canned salmon; potted meat and Vienna sausages (my mom still likes these); Miracle Whip (my grandmother used it, mom was and still is Hellmann's only); Cool Whip; pickled beets of any kind; Ellios pizza; Cheese Wiz.

Never had Kraft Mac and Cheese. Fussy about my cold cuts/hot dogs (Dietz and Watson brand is preferred and hard to find in these parts) and meat used in cheesesteaks (no Steakum). I'll still eat Jell'O & Jell'O pudding, Campbell's Tomato Soup, Chef Boyardee (good for fast lunch at work), Jiffy cornbread mix, TastyKakes (although most of the recipes have changed).

My experience is somewhat reversed......I can't think of many things I ate as a child that I avoid now but a lot that I avoided then but love now!!

Despite learning how rather late in life, my mom was a decent cook. And we had a big garden and lots of fruit trees and berries so lots of fresh or canned produce and jams, jellies, pickles and condiments. I don't remember eating much prepared canned food but I'm sure any soups were Campbell's - I can't remember my mom making any sort of soup herself. And all baking, such as it was, was from scratch or purchased at a bakery....no mixes.

When growing up I wouldn't touch baked ham, Brussel sprouts or Yorkshire pudding. How you can you eat a "pudding" with meat?? (a bit of a British/American culture clash!!) It wasn't until I was older that I determined that this was a savory and not a sweet, dessert-type pudding and have regretted ever since all those times I passed this delicious treat by!!

Mom would sometimes make steamed puddings for Sunday dinner dessert - Lyle's Golden Syrup pudding sticks in my mind - but these are pretty heavy and not much to my taste anymore, so I guess that is something I no longer eat.........can't remember the last time I had one........I was maybe 10 or 12. Except for Christmas plum pudding :-)

I do remember one thing she made when we were growing up that I haven't had since. Nor would I want to. It was chopped up hotdog wieners in a sweet tomato sauce. Nasty!! Didn't like it then either!!

Spaghetti

Broiled round steak w/ tons of garlic salt(Dad fixed this every Monday)

Campbells Veg. beef soup

Soft boiled eggs

Spam w/ cloves, brushed w/ mustard( It was an "easy" meal for mom to fix)

Capt. Crunch cereal

Margarine

Milk(we didn't have snacks in the house, everyone except me was dieting. If I was hungry mom poured a glass of milk)

you can tell we were poor. Instant mashed potatoes and PBJ. I hate PBJ as much as others like it.

Oh, does this bring back memories! I'd say: Tang for breakfast, fried Spam, and Wonder Bread (white of course!) with margarine.

Almost forgot: Velveeta cheese!

Fish sticks. Somehow they tasted great as a kid, and ugh ... last thing I'd choose now.

Only for health reasons - like Ramen noodles or anything with hydrogenated vegetable oil. Or political reasons - like anything from Nestle. Which makes me sad, because once in a while a coffee crisp or kitkat hits the spot LOL. In the US I think kitkat is Hershey, but they don't taste the same.

Although, baked chicken pieces with Mrs. Dash seasoning would make me gag, we ate them so often (diets, you know).

Dances.

My mother did tend to overcook some things. I don't cook things like pork chops,liver and lamb like people did in the past. I like my vegetables crisper also. DH still prefers them soft.

This thread brought back memories of a dish I haven't thought of in years. My mother used to make a dessert called Glorifed Rice. It was cooked white rice combined with canned fruit cocktail. I just looked it up & it is a traditional midwest, Scandinavian dish. In my opinion it was dreadful.

My mom is a great baker but always was a horrible cook. She never salted anything and burnt nearly everything. So I don't eat much as far as family recipes, but there are a few treasures from my grandmother that when cooked properly are the best. Some things I remember that I refuse to go near now are beets, canned carrots, meatloaf, any kind of stew,and I don't drink milk. That all we were allowed at mealtimes and i hated it.

Liver & Onions

Sauerkraut & Weiners

Blaaahhhhhcckkkkkkk!

My Mom would cook liver & onions, and serve with mashed potatoes. I'd cut up a bite cover it w/the potatoes and swallow it whole. Couldn't stand the smell, the taste OR the texture. And I STILL can't stand the smell!!!!!!

I guess there's a lot that I used to eat when I was a kid, that I don't eat anymore. I thought of these things, but I'm sure there's more:

Deviled ham (made into a sandwich spread), Vienna sausages, canned vegetables (we often had canned green beans, canned corn and creamed corn), fried steak, fried potatoes (made in a cast iron skillet), mashed instant potatoes, boxed cereals, American cheese (we used to always have the kind that came as a package of individually wrapped slices), campbell's soups, clam dip (for potato chips), canned tuna/tuna sandwiches, bologna, margarine and jelly sandwiches on white bread, cubed steak, instant breakfast, ovaltine, tang, country time lemonade, whole milk, tv dinners (they used to come in aluminum foil and you'd bake them in the oven), bagel dogs, hot dog sandwiches (cooked hot dogs split open and put on white bread with ketchup), and white bread.

I'm like some of you -- yes I've given up some childhood foods, but for health rather than taste reasons. Things I'd eat more often if they weren't so laden with salt, HFCS, and/or preservatives include liverwurst, hot dogs, canned soups, Chef Boyardee pastas, and that sooooo yummy canned corned beef hash.

"Goulash" (what my mom called goulash) and stew-type foods. She wasn't the best cook (bless her, neither am I) and these things grossed me out. I have learned to appreciate well-cooked foot but cannot abide mixed up food to this day.

It was spaghetti from scratch not a can, sometimes with chili usually with big chunks of carrots celery and onion, jarred sauce. It wasn't that it tasted bad, we just had it so often that never want it again. Now something that I hated then and hate now and will die still hating bone in pork chops and boiled potatoes yuck. We had boiled potatoes a lot so I ate lots of ketchup really gross. Canned ravioli, pop tarts, are also things I don't like anymore. Interesting to hear all the loves and hates.

Glorified Rice sounds absolutely nauseating.

I had forgotten about Deviled ham. I liked it well enough, but certainly haven't had it in decades. My other will-never-cross-my-threshold item was canned creamed corn. The stuff made me gag. She always had it with pork and apple sauce and I had to mix it all together to force it down.

We ate everything on the plate, no matter what. You sat at the table until you were done, if it took until bed time. Surprisingly, I'm not a picky eater.

"Glorified Rice sounds absolutely nauseating."

I'm with ya on that one!! And while I know others seem to think it is absolutely delish, the pineapple casserole discussed on another thread sounds equally revolting to me.

I also had forgotten about the deviled ham - I remember that being a staple for luncheon sandwiches for my mom's bridge club. Haven't had that in forever either. And count me in with the boiled potatoes - unless slathered in melted butter and salt and pepper, they are like eating cardboard........no taste whatsoever! I eat and enjoy potatoes fixed any other way - just not boiled.

Chop Suey. Yuck. I still avoid soy sauce. It’s hard to make some dishes without soy sauce.

I remember the canned corned beef. My Mom used to make sandwiches with it that I took to school. I called them “dog food sandwiches” and I wouldn’t eat them.

Remember “shake-a-puddin“? I used to love making pudding at lunch; now it sounds so gross. (I went to a private school with no cafeteria service other than milk.)

Now spaghetti (with homemade meat sauce) is still my favorite thing to eat. Chunks of fresh tomatoes and mushrooms, sweet onions, lots of 93/7 ground beef, a touch of sugar, topped with cellulose-free parmesan or asiago cheese, served with homemade potato bread toasted with butter and grated cheese, served in a big noodle bowl. It’s heaven!

Oh, yes, those deviled ham sandwiches were a luncheon staple. You'd make sandwiches with it, on white bread, and cut off the crusts and cut the sandwiches into little triangles. We would often make an assortment of these little crustless sandwiches...things like Deviled ham, egg salad, chicken salad, ones with cream cheese, and sometimes tuna salad. I remember helping my mom make them on many occasions. I liked them and I'd eat them today (except for the tuna ones) if someone made them for me. :-)

There was always punch to go with those luncheons and I wish I remembered the recipe. It had pineapple juice, and some other juices, and sparking water (or ginger ale?). I haven't had it since I was a kid and my parents did a lot of entertaining.

Do you remember when pudding came in a can? I used to love getting that stuff in my lunches. Ding dongs were another favorite treat. Oh, what about those individual fruit or chocolate pies you could buy that were wrapped in paper? Hostess cupcakes too.

Our Glorified Rice called for crushed pineapple instead of fruit cocktail, a packet of cherry jello, cool whip, and pecans. Only one cup of cooked instant rice and it stayed in the fridge overnight to absorb the flavors. My sister had to make it for her son at Thanksgiving, lol.