There are certain things that will never fail to trigger childhood memories. For myself and most ’90s kids it’s our childhood snacks that are the biggest triggers.
How can you ever forget unsealing the build-your-own-pizza Lunchable Mom finally let you buy? Or trading the Rice Krispie Treat for the Little Debbie Swiss Roll with your BFF in the cafeteria?
Whether it’s the bygone Dunkaroos we sorely miss or the Pop-Tarts we can still enjoy today, these are the foods that defined the good ol’ days. Let’s begin the journey into the past.
15. Bugles
Photo Courtesy of butterbeliever.com
They are the unsung hero of the chip world and apparently, Bugles are still around, having just celebrated their 50th anniversary. Which is good news considering these conical corn chips are delicious, though highly addicting.
14. Sunny D
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Sunny D was the juice that wasn’t quite juice (it’s actually only 5% juice) but your parents still let you have. And boy was it oddly tasty. Now you can make poor nutrition decisions for yourself, including trying the new Sunny D energy drink, Sunny D X.
13. Wonder Ball
Photo courtesy of mywonderball.com
It’s the choking hazard we miss dearly. But there’s good news: relive the near-death experience and find out where to buy these and other sadly discontinued childhood snacks.
12. Donettes
Photo Courtesy of pinterest.com
The beginning of the donut trend began with these lil’ guys. Are you Team Powdered Sugar or Team Chocolate Frosted? Either way, you are guaranteed memories of trying to bite them off of a string while leaping into the air.
11. Gushers
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The gummy with a burst of juice (or something) inside, Gushers never failed to brighten up the day when you found them tucked inside the lunchbox. Luckily, they’re still around today and if you’re a diehard fan, you can track the Gusher movement on Twitter.
10. Go-Gurt
Photo Courtesy of memecrunch.com
If you managed to open up a Go-gurt and not have the whole thing explode on you, you were doing something right. This still didn’t make it any less delicious, whether it was being licked off of your shirt or squeezed from the tube.
9. Fruit By the Foot
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Not to be confused with its much less satisfying cousin, Fruit Roll Ups, Fruit by the Foot was the snack that kept on giving. When you finished pretending you had a reaaaaaally long tongue, there was still at least eight inches of fruit flavored sugary goodness to keep devouring.
8. Little Debbie Snacks
There are too many wonderful, individually wrapped Little Debbie snacks to choose just one favorite. But some of the classics include Swiss Rolls, Cosmic Brownies and Zebra Cakes. Personally, I could do without the Oatmeal Cream Pies, but maybe I just had three too many.
7. Oreo O’s
Not really sure how they ever passed for a breakfast cereal in the first place, but Oreo O’s made for the breakfast of champions. Since it was discontinued in 2007, children can no longer get Diabetes with their breakfast. Sad face.
6. Rice Krispie Treats
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Rice Krispie Treats remain a favorite snack for kids to this day, which is a testament to just how tasty these gooey snacks are. They’re a cinch to make at home, like with this Slutty Rice Krispie Treat recipe for mature audiences, but there’s something about ripping through the wrapper of the store-bought version that brings you right back.
5. Yoo-hoo
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Yoo-hoo has been a classic beverage since the 1920s, and it was still popular in the 90s as the not-quite-Nesquik-but-still-chocolate-milk choice. Sure, it may seem like it was runner-up to the other chocolate milk brand, but Yoo-hoo stood on its own with a distinctive chocolatey flavor and grown-up glass bottles (once we graduated from the juice box, of course).
4. Fla-Vor-Ice Pops
The coolest mom at the soccer tournament always brought these for after the game, but Fla-Vor-Ice pops were also good for any hot summer day. Always tricky to open (because when were scissors ever there when you needed them), once you got to the ice inside you were rewarded with a refreshing and sweet treat that made losing the game seem just fine.
3. Pop-Tarts
Photo Courtesy of memecrunch.com
Pop Tarts are an iconic American treat that represent the most exciting breakfast treat you could ask for as a kid. If you’re into having your dessert-for-breakfast homemade, there’s a Pop-Tart recipe for you. Otherwise, choose from the seemingly infinite number of flavors still on sale.
2. Dunkaroos
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Pour out a shot for the loss of Dunkaroos, which were banned in the U.S. in 2012. We’ll forever miss the sugar-high of having cookies and icing with lunch, but you can recreate the awesome flavor with this three-ingredient Dunkaroo dip.
1. Lunchables
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Nothing will compare to the excitement of bringing a Lunchable to school. Once you finally convinced Mom to buy one for you (which was always the most real of struggles), the reward was the ability to make your own pizza or slather your tiny tortilla rounds in nacho cheese. Let’s not forget the included dessert and drink so conveniently stored inside, too.
More blasts from the past lie ahead: