I’ve been searching around a little for the etymology of the term “dude food”. Even though its use seem to blossom in the late 80s, it seems to have been around for a long time, referring to cowboys. The earliest that I can find is from journalist and author Caroline Lockhart’s first novel in 1911, Me SmithFrom Google Book Search

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One response to “First mention of Dude Food? 1911”
Very interesting, but what exactly is the dude food that is being referred to?
Straw something, surely not strawberries!