People Are Sharing "Poor People Foods" That Were Ruined By The Wealthy, And They're Not Wrong

"Fried chicken. Now, you got bougie chicken places charging $15 for three tenders, LMAO."

Many folks — myself included! — grew up with "cheap" meals that didn't break the bank. Nowadays, those same foods cost wayyy more.

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Well, Reddit user u/ilikethecold_65 recently posed the question, "What 'poor people food' was taken over by rich people?" And there were so many interesting answers! Here are some of the top-voted responses:

1. "Fajitas (skirt steak)."

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—u/phallicpressure

"Ugh, yes on the skirt steak. I can’t find it for less than $7.99/pound anymore. Often, it’s more than $10. I would love to make tacos, but this would have to be considered a 'fancy' night."

—u/mintinthebox

2. "Chicken wings. They used to be so cheap when I was a kid that we’d use them as crab bait when fishing off docks. Now, they’re stupid expensive for one of the worst parts of the chicken."

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—u/fritoprunewhip

"They were literally thrown out or used for stock because no one used to eat them. Up until 10 years ago, they used to have 10-cent wing night near my house. I miss it."

—u/iamjaydubs

"Upside: Now that wings are ridiculous, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (the stupid pricey thing about five years ago) are dirt cheap. I get them for $1.89/pound. Wings can go for $8.99 for a freaking POUND."

—u/Magpiewrites

3. "Brown bread. White flour used to be far harder to get, so white bread was expensive, and poors ate the brown. Once white was mass-produced, it switched. Poor people ate the white while rich folks got the healthy wholemeal."

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—u/Really_McNamington

"This is classic elitist behavior. Once something becomes too common, they move on just to be different. Even their beliefs and politics work like this."

—u/acvdk

4. "Quinoa."

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—u/Apprehensive_Can_503

"Came here to say this. It has harmed the economies of places that used to eat it and now sell it instead."

—u/Jellyfish2017

"Yep. And now they have expensive bags/dishes of half quinoa, half rice. THEY'RE CUTTING QUINOA LIKE DRUGS, LOL."

—u/chadhindsley

5. "Pho used to be cheaper until word got out."

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—u/OnionTruck

"Same as Bánh mì. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and historically, you’d be able to get them for $5–$7. Now, it’s common for anywhere from $11–$15."

—u/nearlyheadlessbick

6. "Avocado toast. My grandfather used to talk fondly about only being able to afford cassava bread and avocado in his youngster days, and now it’s a whole fancy thing."

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—u/aggibridges

"They have no shame charging over $10 for a slice with half of an avocado on it."

—u/CoBudemeRobit

7. "Tacos, honestly. I used to be able to get three tacos for, like, $5 downtown less than 10 years ago."

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—u/glitterpumps

"I went to a new taco restaurant once, ordered three tacos and a drink, and it was $20. I never went back. Gimme my cheap, authentic tacos!"

—u/strawberryshortycake

8. "Fish and chips. It's a hunk of white fish with a potato for a side. Minimal seasoning, fried in whatever oil you have around, and served on a piece of yesterday's newspaper. Twenty years ago, it cost $5; now, it costs $25."

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—u/HatfieldCW

9. "Southern food sold anywhere except for the South."

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—u/3-racoons-in-a-suit

"Came to say this. I moved out of the South and to the NW. Southern food had a big moment in the food scene, but it was expensive. Cheesy grits, red beans and rice, and fried okra are poor people food. I should not be asked to pay $15 for a small bowl of grits."

—u/any_name_left

10. "Fried chicken. Now, you got bougie chicken places charging $15 for three tenders, LMAO."

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—u/HummusAndMatzah

11. "Lobster was considered poor man’s food. It was so widely available but not as appealing as fish. It is essentially an overgrown insect that rich people way back in the day considered to be repulsive. It wasn’t until the invention of the railroad as well as clever sales tactics that the tide turned on the view of lobster as an upscale meal."

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—u/AveratV6

12. "Beef brisket comes to mind."

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—u/Rankorous

"BBQ in general has gone nuts."

—u/iamintheforest

13. "In parts of northern Europe, kale is one of the few veggies that withstands frost. So in winter, we'd have it boiled to death, mashed with potato and mustard, some meatballs on top (another cheap food), and a little pond for the gravy. A solid, filling meal for a few euros. Seems out of reach these days with the prices charged for it."

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—u/VotFijoel

14. "Oxtails for certain."

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—U/ilikethecold_65

"I tried to buy oxtails at the grocery store, and they were more expensive than a steak. WTF?"

—U/xain_the_idiot

15. "Crawfish has gotten a little wild the past decade or so."

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—u/dDogg32

"It's actually worth running a few traps and boiling them at home again."

—u/Me_Dave

16. And finally, "Food trucks."

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—u/AJTHolt

"Very true. There is a burger one in my area that serves almost $20 burgers. They're decent burgers but not $20 decent. Freaking wild."

—u/Meattyloaf

"Burgers in general, too. When I was growing up, burgers used to be the cheap food you get at the local shop/fast food joint. Nowadays, I see rich people eat huge, fancy burgers: wagyu, truffle, artisan bread, all that jazz."

—u/KoalaBJJ96

Any other "poor people foods" that were ruined by rich people? LMK in the comments below!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.