Ah, the TV dinner. While these days, the term is synonymous with frozen meals in general, the name was actually coined by Swanson in the ’50s, and coincided with another suddenly booming fad of the decade: The Golden Age of Television.

While the idea of a TV dinner isn’t exactly strange, the way Swanson invented its product certainly is. According to Smithsonian Magazine, in 1953, a Swanson employee “colossally miscalculated the level of the American appetite for Thanksgiving turkey, leaving the company with some 260 tons of frozen birds.” Luckily, Swanson’s marketers realized the growing popularity of the television set. Per Britannica, “In 1950 only 9 percent of American households had televisions; by 1959 that figure had increased to 85.9 percent.” So, what better way to market their food than with the seemingly most influential home product of the ’50s?

Swanson salesman Gerry Thomas hopped to work, “Ordering 5,000 aluminum trays [and] concocting a straightforward meal of turkey with corn-bread dressing and gravy, peas and sweet potatoes.” Priced at 98 cents a pop, Swanson TV dinners were a massive success, promoting the idea that one can grab an already prepared meal and quickly heat it up, perfectly harmonizing “with the spontaneous excitement of gathering around the [ television] screen.” As Smithsonian Magazine notes, “in the first full year of production, 1954, 10 million turkey dinners were sold.

Remarkably, the Cabbage Soup Diet has stood the test of time, and you’ve likely heard of it before, but its origins come from the 1950s. Much like the 1930s had the “Hollywood Diet” (one which involved eating grapefruit during each meal), these very restrictive diets were aimed to “reduce caloric consumption” (via Filling Up: The Psychology of Eating).

So, what exactly was the premise? As Colorado State University explains, “this diet involved consuming nothing but soup for seven days” with “the original recipe [calling] for cabbage, vegetables, water and dry onion soup mix.” Popularized by celebrities of the time, folks suddenly found themselves taking part in this strange food fad, even though “flatulence is listed as a main side effect, along with boredom from eating unlimited amounts of the same food,” as revealed by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (via Salon).

Although the Cabbage Soup Diet is still around today, it’s not exactly a great long-term weight-loss solution. “The cabbage soup diet was popular and effective over the short term for weight loss because it caused significant caloric-restriction,” notes Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford to The Scotsman, adding, “Most of the weight loss in the initial period is likely water weight, as opposed to fat stores.”

Being a housewife in the 1950s was all about efficacy. Homemakers of this era had to ensure that their homes were constantly tidy, meals were always “attractive and exciting,” and children were looked after — all while looking flawless themselves (via CBC). The life of a housewife was exhausting, so whenever a new cooking trend cropped up that didn’t require too much effort, women pounced at the opportunity.

The Campbell Soup Company, in particular, spoke to the ’50s housewife by marketing the idea of canned soup casseroles. Campbell’s knew that families were stocked up on canned goods, and “Americans always had on-hand […] Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup” (via Campbell’s). Per Taste, using these soups made time in the kitchen a breeze — seriously, what could be easier than “a dish composed of tuna fish, canned mushroom soup, and corn flakes”? Along with tuna casseroles, green bean casseroles were also the rage, and these dishes were dirt cheap, requiring minimal skill to make. As Taste puts it, this “might be why [they were] so maligned,” too.

At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union and America (who were up until that point allies against the Axis) suddenly turned against one another, with tensions only rising at the height of the Cold War. With the paranoia surrounding a Soviet nuclear attack, folks in the ’50s were living in fear, making sure they were stocked up on rations if anything was to happen.

According to History, in 1955 under the President Eisenhower administration, “the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) urged every family to keep a seven-day supply of food and water on hand in case of an atomic emergency.” Dubbing the initiative “Grandma’s Pantry,” the FCDA caught the eye of the public by using quirky slogans such as, “Grandma was always ready for an emergency.” Another radio ad proudly announced (via Eater), “Grandma’s Pantry, the symbol of preparedness. Unexpected company? Grandma always had plenty for everyone.”

The “shelter-friendly” foods and drinks that the FCDA marketed included “Hawaiian Punch, Campbell’s Soup, Tang drink mix, candy bars and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.” As the decade went on, the Eisenhower administration realized “a few extra cans of food” wouldn’t quite cut it, and they “embarked on the quest to develop the perfect ‘Doomsday food.'” Per History, “by the early 60s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture” finally announced their perfect “Doomsday food.” It wasn’t exactly exciting, but it was “a bulgur wheat biscuit dubbed the ‘All-Purpose Survival Cracker.'”

While canned meats aren’t exactly strange (and are still around today), the sheer volume of canned meat consumed in the 1950s is odd — along with all the different varieties and brands, too. In 1926, Hormel Foods produced “the world’s first canned ham” (via Hormel Foods), and by 1937, the company introduced Spam, which, according to the brand’s website, went on to “become synonymous” with soldiers during World War II.

After the war, soldiers returned home with a sudden penchant for the salty luncheon meat, and as ’50s food author Laura Shapiro told the NPR, “some foods developed for soldiers […] successfully transplanted into the home.” As The Saturday Evening Post notes, while most people today know of Spam, this period saw countless alternatives such as Treet, Prem, and Mor — all with their own colorful adverts showcasing different dishes one could conjure up. “the ’50s food industry tried to convince American women that they didn’t enjoy cooking or have time to do it — and that they’d be better off turning to a box or can,” explained Shapiro to the NPR.

Sure enough, housewives definitely got crafty with their Spam concoctions. One recipe in Better Homes & Gardens, for example, advertised a “Twenty Minute Roast,” which consisted of “wedges of Spam glazed with orange marmalade” (via NPR). By 1959, Spam produced its one-billionth can.