Oh, the 70s and 80s! If you’re an adult who came of age in those glorious decades, you’ll recall that childhood was a wacky roller coaster ride of fashion blunders, dubious hairstyles, and, above all, a full-on smorgasbord of irrepressible grub. Don’t speak to us of kale and kombucha; our snack life was strong, weird, and fabulously unique. We’re speaking of an era when instant foods, frosted breakfast cereals, and gravity-defying sweets were the go-to staples on the store shelves, spreading smiles (and perhaps, if we’re being real here, a few sugar highs) to children all over the country.
Yes, some of these foods were, shall we say, nutritionally dubious and even perhaps not-so-brightly devised. That’s exactly why we adored them so! They arrived with wacky flavors, odder packaging, and some irrepressible aura that swept in and possessed our hearts and palates. They weren’t mere food; they were personalities in our daily lives, reminders of those bygone days of freedom and casualness, and now, forty years down the line, they remain the stuff of legend and nostalgic longing.
So strap yourselves in, buttercups, because we’re diving into the yum archive. Hold your stomachs for a trip back in time because we’re indulging in some of the most legendary foods that were chopped from the roster during the 70s and 80s that we literally, really, downright still crave. Buckle up for an acute case of nostalgia, because these are the snack foods that show some things are too perfect to remain lost, even if technically they are.
1. Space Food Sticks
Remember dreaming about being an astronaut? Well, Space Food Sticks weren’t just snacks; they were actually a taste of the future, delivered right into your tiny waiting hands. Pillsbury actually produced these bad guys under contract to the U.S. aerospace program, and here’s the kicker: early versions tagged along with none other than Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon in 1969. Chilling, right?
- Space snacks were a hit on Earth, far surpassing granola bars.
- Featured flavors: extraterrestrial chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel.
- Texture: smooth and chewy, with a space-age quality.
- Described as completely, totally delicious.
Each and every bite transported you to the point where you felt like you were gearing up for your next covert NASA mission, even if you were simply sitting around on the couch watching cartoons. All good things have to end, however, and Space Food Sticks were gone by the 1980s. But not without securing their place in the snack hall of fame first.
For every single child who ever looked up at the stars and wished on a star to venture into space, these sticks were a part of that vision, a tasty snack that reminded us the future was (literally) ours for the taking. Their loss only increased the magic, their being spoken stories of moon-tasting adventures by nostalgic snack connoisseurs.
2. Mug-O-Lunch
Prior to fancy instant ramen and gourmet microwave meals, Betty Crocker introduced the world to an actual game-changer in 1976: hot food made in a mug! Mug-O-Lunch was magic and maximum convenience, offering a satisfying, hot meal with a minimum of effort. Who would ever dream of heating up a whole kitchen when you can have a mug and hot water?
- Advertising emphasized the snack’s near-fantastical simplicity.
- Featured a quote from a contented husband: “My wife’s a magician,” after trying the macaroni and cheese flavor in a cup.
- Modern microwave convenience foods may make it less spectacular today.
- Considered absolute brilliance during the 1970s.
Combinations such as beef stroganoff or sloppy joes home-from-the-stove fare that came in minutes turned rushed nights into moments of unsuspected joy. For harried parents and hungry kids’ rumbling tummies, Mug-O-Lunch was an answered prayer, a speedy, satisfying fix that actually tasted like a real meal.
It was a momentary reflection of the decade’s obsession with speed and spare-time style, evidence that sometimes the greatest things really do come in small, microwave-sized portions. It’s a flavor of an era when instant gratification was only just getting its toehold in our kitchens, combining utility with a pinch of magic that transformed dinner hour into something easy and lovely.
3. Reggie! Bar
Discuss a star-filled candy bar! New York Yankees icon Reggie Jackson was so ridiculously popular during the mid- to late 1970s that Standard Brands did the only reasonable thing: made a candy bar and stamped it with his name. The Reggie! Bar wasn’t merely a tasty treat; it was a cultural sensation, particularly at the ballpark.
- Mythical candy combined milk chocolate, peanutty peanuts, and syrupy caramel.
- Nearly identical to the original Baby Ruth bar.
- Had a subtle splash of Reggie Jackson panache.
- Fans enjoyed them so much they threw them into the stands when Jackson batted, as a unique tribute to their favorite ballplayer.
The wrapper of the bar, which had Jackson’s face on it, made each purchase a kind of souvenir, building bridge between the snack rack and the diamond. Though the Reggie! Bar was a home run in the imaginations of the fans, its use-by date relatively brief, vanishing somewhere in the early 1980s.
Yet its legacy remains, a tasty testament to a single magical moment when sports, celebrity, and snack foods converged perfectly, creating a snack that was as much a part of baseball history as candy tradition. Even now, the phrases bring applause from people who are old enough to recall the excitement of unwrapping a piece of Yankee Stadium magic.
4. Swanson TV Dinners
Oh, the Swanson TV Dinner. You weren’t eating dinner if you were a 1970s kid; you were having an event. Sealed in its retro foil tray, a turkey or fried chicken TV dinner was the ticket for an easy, relaxed meal. These were the old standby dinners of Friday nights, invariably consumed just prior to plopping down in front of “The Brady Bunch.”
- Allure and aggravation stemmed from the compartmentalized meal’s food discovery.
- Required careful “surgery” to retrieve peas and carrots cooked in cobbler fruit, located between vegetables and potatoes.
- Tricky to prevent flavors from crossing aluminum walls.
- Occasional hint of cobbler sweetness seeping into the corn.
The meals meat, starch, vegetable, and dessert provided a balanced meal in frozen packaging, so preparation of the meal was as easy as inserting it into the oven. These meals were not only convenient; they represented an age of home entertainment and living.
The simple action of unwrapping that foil, warming it gently in the oven (microwaves were a luxury for some), then spooning from directly out of the tray, usually set television on in the background, sums up the lackadaisical eating culture of a generation. It was an adventure, a dinner, loaded with 70s nostalgia, recalling nights around tales of food and family all at once.
5. Baron Von Redberry
70s and 80s breakfast cereal was less fiber and more fun, particularly if the fun involved a goofy mascot and turned your milk into some kind of rainbow-hued, sweet drink. Meet Baron Von Redberry, a General Mills product of 1972 that took the breakfast table by storm with a WWI German ace at the helm.
- Berry-flavored oat cereal focused more on adventure than taste.
- Contained berry marshmallows that turned milk into a fruity, sugary punch.
- Featured Baron Von Redberry’s catchphrase: “Baron Von Redberry is der berry goodest!”
- Pitted against nemesis Sir Grapefellow, who had his own grape-flavored cereal and catchphrase: “Tally ho!”
Sir Grapefellow is the grapest! ” The competition brought a sense of playfulness to morning routine, making cereal an epic struggle. These cereals reached the pure zaniness and playfulness of an era “off the charts for sugar at breakfast.”
They were not only cereals; they were personalities, adventures, and a splash of color and explosion of taste making getting up a little more thrilling. The 70s cereal wars were a wonder to see, or at least a wonder to eat! To this day, the memory of that bright purple milk haunts one like a tasty, berry-smelling dream.
6. Fruit Brute Cereal
The 1970s really were the wild west of breakfast cereals, and General Mills was the king of the sweet, character-based game. In 1974, they introduced another monster hit (literally!) with Fruit Brute Cereal. This “fruit flavor frosted cereal + marshmallow bits” became immediately recognizable due to its hip werewolf mascot gracing every box.
- Fruit Brute was more than a trend, leaving a lasting legacy in popular culture.
- Quentin Tarantino secretly includes it as a prop in his movies, referencing its cult following.
- Known as a cult favorite due to its fruit bursts and marshmallow surprises, ideal for after-school play.
- Disappeared for a time, increasing appreciation for it.
- Reintroduced by General Mills briefly in 2013 and 2022.
- No longer available, but its vibrant colored marshmallow pieces and memory endure.
It, itself, is itself a great testament to the infinite imagination of the time and our shared need for a gruesomely great beginning to the day, when breakfast was the start of a great adventure. Hungry for another bite of tasty flashback? We’ve hardly begun to explore the great, and sometimes wonderfully bizarre, food that gave our 70s and 80s childhood such iconic status.
If your own taste buds are already beginning to tingle with nostalgia, stick with us because we’re venturing into the archives to dig up even more legendary discontinued confections which left their own indelible legacy on an entire generation. From witchy green drinks to cold creamy treats, the following are the forgotten gems which still induce the elation and hardcore pangs.
7. Marathon Bar
Get ready for a journey down memory lane that was in inches, literally! The Marathon Bar, a classic of the 1970s, not only tasted wonderful but was a stamina test. This chocolate was a long, thin plait of chewy caramel enrobed richly in dark chocolate, and its massive size was attested by the ruler design embossed right on the back of the packet.
- Named “Marathon Bar,” reflecting the 1970s trend of running and jogging.
- Promised a long-duration, endurance-draining indulgence.
- Advertising featured an Old West-style patina, adding a sweet layer of confusion.
- Unclear target audience: athletes or cowboys.
Untwisting that never-ending strip was ritualized, prolonging the experience like a candy marathon in itself. Unfortunately, as transitory a vision as it had been, the Marathon Bar seemed to self-destruct from off shop shelves by 1981, leaving behind a loyal army of those who gauged their sweet tooth fulfillment in inches.
It is a sentimental nostalgia for those who enjoyed its classic braided form and sheer novelty of a candy bar challenging you to complete its impressive length, a reminder of the times when snacks promoted a bit of sporting resilience.
8. Hi-C Ecto Coolers
Discuss a drink that effectively justified the late 80s, at least for whoever was paranormal investigator-crazy! Hi-C Ecto Coolers were larger than juice boxes; they were a radioactive, sour, slime-green blast of sheer pop culture nirvana. This favorite drink debuted as a promotional tie-in with the film “Ghostbusters” in 1989, and it dominated our lunchboxes. Hi-C managed to reintroduce its iconic Citrus Cooler in this head-clearing green mix, showcasing the movie’s obnoxious Slimer character front and center on the box.
- Beverage described as a shot of ectoplasmic energy, elevating a normal drink to a full experience.
- Became an overnight sensation, drawing kids closer to their beloved ghost-hunting heroes.
- Featured a zesty zip that sliced through sugar, evoking the thrill of pursuing ghostly fun on a hot afternoon.
- A cult classic that, like a ghost, disappeared for a long period.
It became an overnight sensation, introducing all the kids that much closer to their beloved ghost-hunting heroes. The zesty zip sliced sugar, reminding us of the thrill of the pursuit of ghostly fun in the heat of an afternoon’s. Unfortunately, this cult classic, as fleeting as a ghost, disappeared for quite a period.
It did resurface briefly as a tribute to “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” which premiered in November 2021, and fans lost their minds over nostalgia. But it’s gone again, leaving us to nostalgically recall its distinctive citrusy bite and bright color. The silver lining is that devoted fans, with their ever-lasting passion, discovered how to create their own dupe from Tampico Citrus Punch and Minute Maid Lemonade. That’s commitment, plain and simple, as a demonstration that there are some urges too strong to resist! We adore the imagination, conjuring homemade brews thresholds to ecto-powered childhood adventure.
9. Keebler Fudge Magic Middles
Oh, Keebler, you knew our secret to hearts, particularly with these magic goodies! If you’re a child of the 1980s, then you can rest assured that Keebler Fudge Magic Middles were a part of your snack arsenal. These weren’t just your run-of-the-mill cookies; they were magic in each and every bite. Imagine a perfectly baked shortbread cookie and then imagine it filled with the creamiest, richest chocolate fudge cream.
- Original Magic Middle treat by Keebler featured a hidden, melty center.
- Keebler expanded with varieties including peanut butter or chocolate chip foundations.
- Offered a magical bite for all, with the center bursting out in a joyous squish.
- Transformed gray afternoons into adventures by uncovering the melty center.
- Popular as a lunchbox staple and a sweet treat for those with a sweet tooth.
This dynamic pairing of crumbly shortbread and that ooey, gooey, yummy center distinguished them from the crowd, making them an ’80s staple. They were the kind of cookie that made you think you’d hit the treasure jackpot. Alas, neither chocolate fudge cream filling within a shortbread cookie nor its wonderful variations endured the ages.
Even though we periodically hear their rumored return and seductive dead links from large box stores like Walmart and Amazon are spotted, the real Magic Middles are not available, and we are left to dream about the creamy, dreamy filling and the elfy magic they once possessed with each mouthful.
10. Fruit Corners Fruit Wrinkles
Prior to Fruit Roll-Ups, there were Fruit Wrinkles, and if you were an ’80s kid, these chewy little fruit nuggets were most likely the coolest thing in your lunchbox! Eliminate bland, plain raisins; these were little candy raisins, but even better and filled with wild, out-of-control fruity flavors. General Mills Fruit Corners first brought us these deliciously chewy treats, themselves an instant hit for their strong fruit flavor and snack-sized portability.
- Each “wrinkle” delivered a flood of natural fruit sweetness, capturing the essence of sunshine-ripened fruit.
- Packaged in a convenient, take-along pouch.
- Tempting to eat an entire bag in one sitting.
- Crinkled texture provided sensory delight, popping between teeth to reveal fruit secrets.
- A standard in 1980s lunchboxes, serving as a tasty, amusing alternative to bland fruit snacks.
The colorful packets and the chewy delight in every small wrinkle are pleasant memories for ardent fans who remember how enjoyable these were to possess in school. Soon afterward, the glistening, peel-and-eat treat of Fruit Roll-Ups filled their void in the limelight, and Fruit Wrinkles slipped quietly away from the shelves of stores.
Although they no longer exist, however, they left their imprint, and their vivid color and distinctive texture are still dearly missed. We really do miss those little packages of fruit bliss, little splashes of color that made recess like a celebration of flavors.
11. Jell-O Pudding Pops
Allow us one moment of silence for a freezer aisle hero. Jell-O Pudding Pops were a nostalgic ’70s and ’80s favorite that combined the silky, rich feel of pudding with the icy coldness of a popsicle. It was a moment of dessert epiphany, causing smiles to form on young and old faces alike. First introduced to us by Jell-O, these throwback frozen treats fast became everybody’s favorite summer guilty pleasures. They were available in traditional, soothing flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, and a rich swirl flavor, and they were the perfect creamy, cold dessert on hot days.
- Pudding Pops had a deep, smooth, legendary taste.
- Linked to retro TV commercials that urged immediate purchase.
- Featured a wooden stick, serving as a handle for hand-held euphoria.
- Enjoyed after sybaritic backyard afternoons.
- Were ubiquitous and unquestionably tasty.
- Disappeared in the early 2000s, reportedly due to declining sales.
It was a down day in the lives of dessert enthusiasts everywhere, one that has proven difficult to replace. Even other corporations have attempted to recapture the magic, but none have come near to the same creamy nostalgia of the original.
There is something about the way the pudding and popsicle mixed together that made them particularly satisfying. They are a nostalgic memory, a reminder of simpler days when a Jell-O Pudding Pop was the trick for cooling and sweetening up a summer afternoon, dripping slowly in the sun’s knowing eye.
12. PB Max
Alright, peanut butter enthusiasts, hold on to your hats for a serious craving flashback! PB Max was actually a peanut butter nut’s fantasy come true, a Mars candy that was maybe a bit too ahead of its time. First introduced in the late 1980s, it consisted of a crunchy, oat-studded cookie made with whole grains, covered in chocolate and peanut butter, all covered in a sweet chocolate coating. This is no ordinary candy bar; it was a harmony of textures and tastes.
- PB Max won over both children and adults with its nutty and sweet combination.
- Featured a crunchy oat cookie bite, rich creamy peanut butter, and a chocolate coating.
- Healthy oats contributed to a lasting snack texture, fitting the era’s health craze.
- Considered highly appealing, with little not to love.
- Ahead of its time, as similar qualities are now common in modern energy bars.
It paired healthy whole grains with creamy peanut butter and chocolate long before it was a mainstream phenomenon. Its combination of fillings made it a unmistakably unique and legendary snack food. Despite its popularity, however, PB Max was ultimately discontinued in the mid-1990s due to changing consumer tastes and market trends.
Its removal created a vacuum felt on the shelf of snacks, but its legacy remains unbroken in consumers’ hearts that enjoyed each tasty, crunchy bite. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for another comeback win, a crunchy renaissance to bridge the chasm between then and now!
13. Koogle Peanut Butter Spread
Before everyone apparently collectively became allergic to peanuts, there was once a 1970s spread that actually dominated the breakfast plate: Koogle Peanut Butter Spread! This was not your grandma’s dull old peanut butter; Koogle was all about flavor exploration, and toast and sandwiches were a thrilling meal time experience.
- Koogle offered a popular chocolate variety, considered the best option for many.
- Available in other awesome flavors, including banana and cinnamon raisin.
- Provided pure joy by adding an out-of-the-ordinary spread to breakfast bread.
- Sparked a revolution for kids and parents, breaking the monotony of daily routines.
- Banana or cinnamon raisin flavors transformed ordinary bites into adventures.
- Ideal for spreading richly on crackers or celery sticks.
But the hook and what made Koogle stand out: it was sold as a spread which wouldn’t cause your mouth to stick together. Not exactly a message that you read peanut butter makers say on a regular basis, and it clearly helped its enigma and appeal. It offered a richer, more flavorful peanut butter experience.
Koogle was the rainbow-colored face of the snack culture of the 1970s, a reference to an era where even the most mundane spreads were more playful, more delectable. Its passing left a creamy, dreamy vacuum in our hearts, remembrance of an age when peanut butter was, just, a little bit funnier, pouring silky-smooth into every happy smear.
14. Hostess Chocodiles
Get your taste buds around this, folks, because we’re discussing a cult favorite that pushed us already mythic snack food to an even more mythic stratosphere! The Hostess Chocodile was, in essence, chocolate-covered Twinkie, and if that doesn’t sound like ’80s snack paradise, we’re missing something. It even came with a far-out reptilian mascot, Chauncey Crocodile! Chauncey, with his charming swagger, famously claimed, “It takes a while to eat a Chocodile.” And while, let’s be honest, it probably didn’t take that long for most of us to devour one, the sentiment perfectly captured the indulgence of this sweet treat.
- A beloved indulgence, surpassing the popularity of the Twinkie.
- Featured a crisp chocolate shell that cracked to reveal a fluffy, cream-filled core.
- Gained a devoted following in the 1980s as a cult favorite.
- Rich chocolate covering encased a recognizable golden, creamy-filled cake.
- Combined heavy chocolate with an airy, sweet center for an irresistible snack.
Though it vanished for a time, the Chocodile, as that indomitable reptile, staged a mini makeover in 2014 when Hostess reintroduced it in a small fun-size form. While that was cute, memory of the full-size, chocolate-dipped-to-the-max Twinkie, guarded by Chauncey, still provokes fierce pangs for this outrageously tasty ’80s craze, a zesty snitch of unadulterated pure bliss. And there you are, a veritable feast of lost flavors and cherished bites that defined the childhoods of the children who lived through the 70s and 80s!
From moon-trekking space-age snacks to cheesy crackers and fantasies of chocolate, these foods that hung up their keys are not only nostalgia; they’re reminders of a bygone reckless era, full of innovation, laughter, and an honestly tons of sugar. They remind us that some things truly are too good to abandon, even when they’re holding on by a thread in the most sugariest corner of our hearts and taste buds. So, what one are you sobbing over the most at the moment?undefinedWe’ll be waiting patiently over here for the next great food rebirth!
