What you see is not always what you get. Especially when it comes to the culinary world. From packaging to cookbooks and even restaurant menus, the portrayal of food often sets high expectations that reality struggles to meet.
So we at Bored Panda put together a list of pictures people shared after they realized the gap between what they wanted and what they got. Looks like there was plenty of room for dessert!
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Ah Come On
Trying Food Hacks
The second one is the Scream guy. Monsters need sleep, too.
It's not just some obscure brands who are receiving criticism over deceptive advertising. At the end of 2023, consumers sued Starbucks because, in their opinion, Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers are missing mango, Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers lack açaí and Pineapple Passionfruit Starbucks Refreshers have no passion fruit.
In such cases, plaintiffs typically argue that companies are going beyond simple marketing hyperbole and misrepresenting their food and drinks — whether it's promising ingredients that aren't there or displaying promotion images that don't match the real-life items.
Guess The Meatballs Just All Wanted A Window Seat
This "Avocado" Oil
I bet this was pretty cheap though (it's labelled "Spanish blend" at the bottom of the top label), 100% avocado oil is fairly expensive.
It's Blueberry Ice Cream. If You Are Allergic To Blueberries, You Can Eat It Without Worrying
There has been a wide range of accusations in recent years: Barilla pasta isn't made in Italy, Burger King's Whoppers are smaller than they appear, and the "boneless wings" served at Buffalo Wild Wings aren't actually chicken wings.
Subway's "100% tuna" sandwiches either partially or completely lack tuna, Taco Bell skimps on the fillings in its Mexican Pizza, Crunchwrap Supreme, and the list goes on.
Recently Got My Wisdom Teeth Out And Wanted To Eat More Solid Food. Got This Today From Ubereats
Happy Heart Shaped Krispy Kreme
I Feel Like Majority Of The Applebee’s Menu Is Expectationvsreality
When They Said "Chocolate Chip Muffin", I Didn't Take Them Literally... But Should Have
"In general, companies can say great things about their product and make any kind of opinion claims they want to make about it. They can even say it's the best in the world," Louis Tompros, an intellectual property attorney at the law firm WilmerHale in Boston, told NPR.
It Looks Sickly 😭
Thanks For All Of The Stems, Lowes Foods!
Where’s The Rice?
My Boyfriend Made These Cookies From R/Foodporn. He Gave Me Grief For "Not Being Able To Bake" (Which Isn't True) So I Let Him Do All The Work. This Is What I Found This Morning
"Opinion claims about a product are called puffery, and they're perfectly fine under false advertising law. What false advertising law does not allow is a false factual claim," Tompros explained.
Chinese Takeaway Scam - Beyond Ridiculous
Tesco UK.... Shameful
Bacon Mac And Cheese
That bacon looks like it would 'oink' if you poked it 🤢😩
The Ultimate Betrayal
Hand stretched. The hand stretched just far enough to put the toppings in the window section.
While some companies have succeeded in getting cases against them tossed out of court, other legal food fights have pushed businesses to spend a lot of cash on settlements.
Last year, A&W Concentrate Co. agreed to pay up to $15 million to settle claims that its root beer and cream soda weren't "made with aged vanilla," as the labels suggested.
And back in 2014, Red Bull announced it would pay more than $13 million to settle a lawsuit brought by buyers who said the energy drink didn't — as the marketing materials promised — "give you wings."
Air Sandwich
Some "Tacos" My Coworker Bought
Never Have I Been More Disappointed
Umm
Tompros, who is also a lecturer at Harvard Law School, said some law firms specialize in food and beverage false advertising cases and even recruit plaintiffs to be part of a possible class action.
When companies settle cases, payouts to an individual consumer may be relatiively small, but attorneys' fees can be substantial.
This Is Why You Check Your Food Before You Leave The Restaurant
No Cookies
Airplane Food > Airport Food
$58 fotr that. You got to be kidding me. Even if you got what it looks like on the package, that is outrageous.
My Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Contained No Peanut Butter
"There's a great incentive for law firms to try to identify even small-value misstatements in advertising and then bring a class-action suit, because the attorneys' fees from that suit can make it worthwhile for the firms," Tompros added.
Though not every case may result in a monetary settlement, experts say the uptick in deceptive marketing cases may cause companies to be more cautious in their ads in the future. So it can very well mean that in the long run, the difference between what we expect from food products and what we actually receive will shrink!
Grilled Salmon At The Mall Food Court
Went On A Gas Station Food Run And Came Back With These Bad Boys. Not Less Than 10 Minutes Later And I’m Hit With A Wall Of Disappointment
Arby's Food Stylist Knows Every Damn Trick In The Book
I Was Told My 2020reo Ice Cream Belonged Here
Normally Breyer's Oreo ice cream is my favorite and has a ton of cookie in there, must be a manufacturing issue
Less Than Jumbo Shrimp
Arby's
Ordered Steak Tacos From This Smokehouse Joint And The Second Pic Is What I Received
My First Food Delivery Order In Hamburg…
Oldie But Goodie. The Bear That Hangs Around All Day Smoking Weed, Who Eats All Your Food, And Pays No Rent
Panera French Onion Soup
It looks like a bowel movement after a long fun night and many many poor choices.
Paleta Postizo
Very Dry And Sad Croissant 😞
Meal Kit For 2 Adults
Cincinnati's Famous Chili Spaghetti (X-Post R/Shittyfoodporn)
What We Ordered vs. What We Received
Didn't Realize We Bought A Bunch Of Plastic With Traces Of Food On It
I Get That Fast Food Never Really Looks Like The Picture On The Menu, But This Is Insane. Ordered From Australian Vegan Fast Food Restaurant, Lord Of The Fries
Real hot dog on the left...some "hot dog-ish" monstrosity on the right.
I Guess I’m Happy They Don’t Use Artificial Food Coloring?
Did they forget the strawberries? That looks like a medicinal paste.
Patty Melts Of Chivuo’s In Barcelona
Dear God, What Was I Thinking
Probably the second-worst canned food idea I've ever seen (the worst was a canned cheeseburger)
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Me too. Cook them in the oven in a little chili with shredded cheese on top. Amazing! Also good all by themselves
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I mean...you really can't call any food that is typically not eaten out of a can a food fail when you buy it in a can. "What was I thinking" is right. But at least it wasn't a canned whole chicken.
SortedFoods (on YouTube) has a little series of making use and taste testing canned foods. Ebbers, a chef, has actually taken canned duck and I believe canned chicken and used it to make a meal and the taste testers absolutely couldn't figure out what was canned, so it's really how you make use of things, even if they look nasty AF if you just take them outta the can.
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Well, cut so you see the filling versus "whole thing" where you don't see the filling. Plus probably unheated.
I use to eat those as a kid. That is exactly what they look like. By the way the wrapping is paper.
I've eaten these they taste worse than they look but in all fairness there's a sauce in the can that seems to be missing here.
In high school, a friend and I ate canned tamales all the time. Love them. Not pretty, but tasted really good.
I saw hamburger meat in a can. First time I've ever seen it, and I'm pretty sure it's a nope for me, for sure.
These are actually surprisingly decent. They look wonky sure, but they're still tasty.
Anything that isn't a vegetable or a fish never looks good coming out of a can.
Scam Level 10
Camping Food Reality 💩
Was Told This Is More Suited For Here
I Was Looking Forward To Having These The Whole Day…
Rainbow Fail
Put some icing on it and slice it, it might be sort of like the picture if you squint...
I Didn't Know That You Have To Buy The Chocolate Separately
"How To Lose Your Appetite" 101 Courtesy Of Texas Chicken. My Expected Breakfast Was This Sad Lump Of A Wrap. I Paid 8 Bucks For It. Worth It? Ad Pic Versus Reality Pic
“Chocolate Filled” Cakes
Officially The Worst Fast Food Experience. And This Costs $7!
To Be Fair, I Monched A Few Chips In The Corner Before The Pic
"Chocolate Cherry Sundae" Trail Mix Is 90% Sunflower Seeds
Even Fish Food Isn't Immune. Hard To See, But The Concave Bit Comes Up To A Quarter The Height Of The Tub. Only Just Noticed
Sub Par Pop Tart
$12 Worth Of Loaded Fries
Where Is My Lemon Flavour Cream? :(
"Chips Deluxe"
Chicken Slop
Glad China Has Wax Figures Of The Food They Serve Or Else I Wouldn’t Know What To Get
This Asshole Package
Box vs. Reality
Weird Japanese Powdered Food
[oc] Definitely Looks Like Cat Food. Couldn't Eat More Than 1 Crackers Worth
![[oc] Definitely Looks Like Cat Food. Couldn't Eat More Than 1 Crackers Worth](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/6615048e7d0a9_oTnxEH3__700.jpg "[oc] Definitely Looks Like Cat Food. Couldn't Eat More Than 1 Crackers Worth")
The bumblebee's regular chicken salad and cracker packs are really good, and that's from someone who's picky with chicken salad. It might just be the buffalo, though I hate buffalo so I'm biased
Watch Out For That Tidal Wave Of Chocolate
Roy Rogers Pulled Pork Sandwich
What I Was Promised And What I Actually Got :/
If that's supposed to be wasabi on top of the "actually got" that is severely oxidized and way too much. More disturbing is $19 for two pieces of nigiri. F**k that.
I Think My Wife's Mistake Was Using The Wrong Colour Bowl
At the very least, the prepared version looks fairly saucy and not coagulated/dry like most frozen/microwavable and cheese can be. I wouldn't be upset by the lack of Italian parsley garnish, not necessary.
Total Amount When First Opened Only Takes Up About An Inch Deep Of The Bag
Probably going to be downvoted to death but I have to ask why. If you're embracing the vegan lifestyle why don't you have vegan type food that isn't a fake version of an omnivorous type diet? There are amazing vegan and vegetarian dishes that are exactly that. They don't pretend to be what they aren't. Look at a lot of the various Asian cusines, magnificent food that doesn't pretend to be meat or a meat substitute. Just genuinely would like to know.
Those Japanese Food Samples (Left) Couldn't Meet My Expectations (Right) More Than This!
This is actually pretty close...the syrup will of course run after awhile. Both look delicious.
This Is Why Your Food Looks Like Shit. (Experiment) Info In Comments
Prepackaged Indian Food
Happy Halloween To Everyone Whose Plans Consist Of Eating Subpar Food And Binge Watching Netflix
Well The Size Of The Box Was A Bit Misleading
HealthyChoice used to package cookies this way in the 80s.it was equally disappointing then.
Ripe Nothingness
Airplane Food
Compared to some domestic US airline food I have seen, this is not bad at all.
Usually. Some brands at least try to get it close. My biggest gripe is the false advertising/scam packaging ones. Putting just enough topping on a sandwich so you can see it at the edge for example. Or three slices of pepperoni visible through the transparent part of the packaging but none on the rest of the pizza.
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This is just examples of the worst, but yeah it was pretty bad.
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Just depends on what you are accustomed to...everybody eats some strange foods.
Load More Replies... Usually. Some brands at least try to get it close. My biggest gripe is the false advertising/scam packaging ones. Putting just enough topping on a sandwich so you can see it at the edge for example. Or three slices of pepperoni visible through the transparent part of the packaging but none on the rest of the pizza.
Load More Replies... This is just examples of the worst, but yeah it was pretty bad.
Load More Replies... Just depends on what you are accustomed to...everybody eats some strange foods.
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