HISTORY
How Helper got its start
By
Published Learn what led to the creation of the undisputed king of boxed dinners.
One pound, one pan
Beef prices were soaring and the U.S. economy had weakened when the undisputed king of boxed dinners was launched on the West Coast in December 1970.
Betty Crocker’s Hamburger Helper did as promised. It guided families who were striving to stretch a pound of meat into a dinner for five.
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Was he too similar to the Pillsbury Doughboy?
A bit grotesque? And what about only four digits?
The icon-in-waiting survived the internal debate. Lefty was born. Although not named.
People embraced the Helping Hand, later named Lefty, because he’s a left hand. Sales jumped.
