The 28th US President Drank An Absurd Egg Concoction For Breakfast

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and President Woodrow Wilson took that to heart — so much so that his physician reportedly prescribed a mixture of two raw eggs and Concord grape juice for him to consume every morning. Wilson served two terms in the White House from 1913 to 1921, famously overseeing the United States through World War I. Part of his legacy includes his somewhat nonchalant attitude toward food. The White House doctor was constantly concerned about Wilson's weight, and thus created this concoction to help increase it.

The drink itself is easy to recreate at home. Simply fill half of a tall glass with grape juice and mix in two raw eggs. Make sure it's well incorporated, and you'll end up with a deceptively pretty beverage. At first glance, this OG protein shake resembles a lavender smoothie, thanks to the creaminess the eggs provide. There are no reports as to whether Wilson actually enjoyed the drink, but he consumed it consistently enough that it became part of his legacy.

Not everything about President Wilson's diet was unusual; it was only this odd breakfast addition that truly stood out. In fact, this POTUS was something of a culinary visionary, employing the soon-to-be famous Chef Boyardee to cater his second wedding and future White House events. And Wilson wasn't the only president with interesting breakfast habits. John Adams' diary reveals that he drank a cup of hard apple cider practically every morning, while William Howard Taft apparently liked to start his day with a hearty steak. Yes, every morning. Adams wasn't trying to drown his sorrows — on the contrary, he simply enjoyed the taste and felt that the buzz provided a helpful start to his day.

The White House physicians regularly had their work cut out for them, especially with Taft, who was required to cut back on his steak habit due to obesity-related health issues. Wilson's eggy beverage was also purely on doctor's orders, as he shared a war-stress-induced lack of appetite similar to Ulysses S. Grant's during the Civil War. Grant, too, began to gain weight appropriately after assuming office, no doubt thanks to careful medical monitoring.