Now, more than ever, we all deserve our favorite snacks to get us through these testing times. So, which one of these best-selling treats from your childhood do you crave? Whether you prefer savory, sweet, meaty or chocolatey, find out if the ones you grew up eating are still around today…
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1960: Eggo waffles
Introduced in the early 1950s, Eggo frozen waffles became a staple in American households – most children of the 1960s and 1970s will remember the slogan ‘L’eggo my Eggo’. The snack recently enjoyed a renaissance when it featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things as the favorite food of the character Eleven.
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1961: Ruffles
These potato chips have been a popular snack since the 1960s and still exist today. The ridges make a stronger chip that’s good for dipping. Aside from original, there’s a range of other flavors which vary depending on the country (sour cream and onion is America’s favorite) and there are baked, thick cut, low-fat and low-salt versions too.
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1962: Fruit Stripe Gum
In the 1960s, one particularly memorable brand of gum was Beech-Nut’s Fruit Stripe Gum. Its strong yet short-lived fruity flavors, brightly colored stripes and Yipes the Zebra mascot have been around ever since.
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1963: Slushy soft drinks
For many kids, long, hot summers were filled with ICEEs, Slurpees and Slush Puppies. But these garish beverages, responsible for giving millions brain freeze, are a relatively recent treat. Invented by Dairy Queen owner Omar Knedlik in the late 1950s, the slushy drinks craze began in the 1960s and continues today.
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1964: Pop Tarts
It’s hard to believe that Pop Tarts are more than 50 years-old but indeed they are. An instant hit, these toasted sweet pastries weren’t frosted when they arrived on shelves in 1964 – this extra touch was added a few years later. Originally available in four flavors, there are many more available now.
We think these retro dishes deserve a comeback
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1965: Gatorade
Now, here’s an interesting fact: Gatorade, the sports drink formulated in 1965, was named after the Florida Gators, the sports teams that represent the University of Florida. At one point it was the market leader in the energy drink category and while it’s generally credited as the first-ever sports drink, the accolade actually goes to British brand Lucozade.
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1966: Doritos
Doritos tortilla chips have been around since 1964 when Frito-Lay’s marketing vice president discovered the snack at Disneyland, California. The salty chips are ubiquitous today – in 2016 Doritos made $1.42 billion (£1.09bn) in sales.
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1967: Starburst
Launched in 1960 in the UK as Opal Fruits, the individually wrapped chews in lemon, lime, orange and strawberry flavors were renamed Starburst for the US market when they crossed the Atlantic in 1967. Today, there’s a Starburst range that includes Jellybeans, Minis and Gummibursts.
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1968: Hunt’s Snack Pack
Hunt’s Snack Pack’s original aluminum cans of pudding with a pull-tab top were initially marketed as a healthy snack for kids. Although this claim was a bit of a stretch, the desserts are still eaten today (in plastic pots) in a range of flavors from chocolate to banana cream pie.
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1969: Funyuns
Made to look and taste like fried onion rings, Funyuns are a corn snack that graced the lunchboxes of countless school kids from 1969 onwards. They’re still available and come in original and flamin’ hot. Chile and limon, steakhouse onion, and wasabi were discontinued.
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1970: Space Food Sticks
Created by Pillsbury’s chief food technologist Howard Bauman, who was also behind the first solids consumed in space, Space Food Sticks were promoted as ‘nutritionally balanced between meal snacks’ in six flavors including chocolate and peanut butter. A space-obsessed nation embraced them, though they fell out of favor and disappeared in the 1980s, before returning again to be sold at space museums.
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1971: Cup Noodles
Originally called Cup O’ Noodles, the instant ramen snack in a foam cup was invented in Japan then launched in the US by Nissin foods in 1971. It’s become an indispensable, affordable snack for students and was famous for its steaming sign in NYC’s Times Square (pictured). Today, Cup Noodles are healthier than before with no artificial flavors and less salt.
Take a look at the retro ingredients we wish would make a comeback
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1972: Egg McMuffins
This snack would be eaten all day if McDonald’s allowed it but breakfast menus usually end by 10.30am in the US and 11am in the UK. Only franchises serving all-day breakfasts sell Egg McMuffins past morning. Consisting of a griddled egg, Canadian bacon and American cheese in a toasted English muffin, it’s been a key dish on the menu since the early 1970s.
Here are the fast-food favorites the year you were born
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1973: Toastwiches
The 1960s and 1970s were the decades of the toasted treat. One example includes Betty Crocker’s sausage and maple-flavored Toastwiches, introduced in 1973 to make hectic mornings easier. They consisted of two slices of bread, filled and dipped in egg. They were discontinued in 1974.
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1974: Snapple
Founded in the early 1970s, Snapple was one of the first iced tea and juice drink brands to challenge the soda industry by claiming to offer healthier beverages. The brand is well-remembered for its advertising campaigns and ‘real facts’ on the inside of the bottle caps – many of which turned out to be incorrect. It’s still around today.
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1975: Granola bars
Nature Valley created the mass-produced granola bar, introducing this fruit, nut and cereal snack to the American public in the mid-1970s. Many granola bars have since faced criticism for their high sugar content, and today there are a plethora of options with varying degrees of nutritiousness.
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1976: Pringles
Pringles were first sold from 1967 as Pringles Newfangled Potato Chips but it was from 1975, when they were widely distributed, that the brand really took off. The catchy slogan ‘Once you pop you can’t stop’ sealed the snack’s fame as one of the most recognizable potato chip brands around.
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1977: Ring Pops
A popular treat in the late 1970s Ring Pops, the jewel-shaped candy rings from Topps, were so big they made your hand ache. But they lasted for ages and came in some great flavors, such as cotton candy bubble gum and cherry. They’re still available to buy today.
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1978: Reese’s Pieces
Launched in 1978, Reese’s Pieces are peanut-flavored candies in an orange, brown or yellow crispy coating that were immortalized in the 1982 film E.T. – a great early example of successful product placement.
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1979: Twix
Twix was originally launched in 1967 in the UK but didn’t make it to American shores until 1979. The twin biscuits (hence the name Twix) with soft caramel and chocolate have done remarkably well ever since. In 2015 it was the sixth most popular chocolate candy brand in the United States, hitting sales of $60.4 million (£46.33m).
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1980: Skittles
Skittles, you may be surprised to hear, are not an American creation but a British one, appearing in UK shops in 1974 and in the US in 1979. These fruity chewy sweets with hard shells have been a runaway success thanks, in part, to quirky ad campaigns that helped to make it the most-liked candy brand on Facebook in 2013.
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1981: Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
Starting with one ice cream parlor in Vermont, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield built up an empire in a few years, thanks to their creative flavors, quirky packaging and ethical stance. By 1981 they were opening their first franchise and by the mid-1980s, everyone wanted to try their ice cream. Now, annual sales exceed $477 million (£366m). Pictured: the first Ben & Jerry’s in an old gas station in Vermont.
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1983: Fruit Roll-Ups
Millions of American kids growing up in the 1980s will remember eating Fruit Roll-Ups and can probably recall the ads too (remember the tagline ‘Fruit Corners Fruit Roll-Ups: real fruit and fun, rolled up in one’?). Misguided mothers in every state presumed the snack was healthy but there was actually very little fruit or nutrition in them, which led to manufacturer General Mills facing a class action lawsuit in 2011.
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1984s: Hot Pockets
Arriving in American grocery stores in 1983, Hot Pockets are a type of microwaveable savory turnover that come in a host of flavors. Once a staple of students, stoners and sleepovers, the snack has seen a drop in sales in recent years but remains a guilty pleasure to many.
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1985: Squeezit
From the mid-1980s, consumers embraced this addictive fruit-flavored juice that had to be squeezed to be drunk. Popular with children, which made it a mainstay of lunchboxes everywhere, it came in crazily-named flavors such as Silly Billy Strawberry and Chucklin’ Cherry. There was even a color-changing version until it was discontinued in the early 2000s. Brits enjoyed a similar version called Twist N Squeeze.
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1986: AirHeads
AirHeads, a tangy chew reminiscent of taffy, has been popular nationwide since it launched in August 1986. The garish colors appeal to children, as do the 24 flavors that include grape, orange and for AirHeads’ 30th birthday in 2016, limited-edition birthday cake. Discover more strange limited-edition versions of your favorite foods here.
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1987: Red Bull
The sickly energy drink known for its hefty caffeine content was launched in 1987 in Austria, and fast became a favorite with sports players, students and party goers. It’s still the best-selling energy drink in the world – in 2018 more than four billion cans were sold.
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1988: Bubble Tape
Hubba Bubba gum always had a young following because of its bubble blowing potential. Wrigley struck gold when Bubble Tape was launched in the late 1980s. Its success was attributed to its unique (at the time) tape dispenser packaging and the variety of flavors.
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1989: Lunchables
Legend has it that Lunchables were created as a way to sell more bologna meat and that the pre-packaged lunch idea came about to appeal to time-poor working mothers. Crackers, rather than bread, are used to give the product a longer shelf life. The pack also came with a sugary drink and a dessert of candy, chocolate or – more recently – a healthier option of yogurt. Other versions include pizza, nachos and hot dogs.
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1990: Dunk-a-Roos
For around 20 years, American kids enjoyed dipping different shaped cinnamon cookies into icing and laughed at the antics of the product’s mascot Sydney the kangaroo. Then Sydney was changed to Duncan the daredevil and General Mills discontinued the product in 2012, though the snack is still available in Canada and on Amazon.
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1991: Peanut butter M&M’s
Following on from the success of chocolate M&M’s (which were inspired by British Smarties and launched in 1941) and peanut M&M’s (launched in 1954), Mars Inc released peanut butter M&M’s onto the market in 1991, possibly in response to the success of Reese’s Pieces.
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1992: SnackWell’s
Initially regarded as a healthy cookie brand, thanks to a reduced fat content, the product eventually had the dubious honor of inspiring ‘the SnackWell effect’. It refers to the phenomenon where people overeat when food is described as low-calorie or low-fat.
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1993: Craisins
The 1980s and 1990s saw a sharp increase in fruit-based snacks, such as sweetened dried cranberries called Craisins. Deemed as healthy, Craisins have since been found to be calorific with added sugar though their fruit content still makes them better than many snacks.
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1994: Warheads
Known as ‘extreme’ candy due to the eye-wateringly strong sour tang, Warheads are a Taiwanese invention that was first imported to the US in 1993. They swiftly became popular, especially among kids competing to see who could eat the most at once. By 1999 they were a $40 million (£30.68m) brand.
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1995: Rice Krispies Treats
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1996: Lay’s Baked Chips
As the public became more health conscious so snacks became healthier. Lay’s launched a baked variety of potato chip in the mid-1990s that contained no saturated fat and 120 calories per serving – 40 calories less than the original. A memorable 1996 ad featuring Miss Piggy and some supermodels promoted the chips as a guilt-free treat.
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1997: Orbitz
Orbitz was a fruity drink and a snack of sorts, thanks to the floating bubbles of gellan gum. Though intriguingly futuristic in design, many people compared the beverage to a lava lamp and it didn’t last. Unopened bottles of Orbitz are now regarded as collectors’ items. The rise in popularity of bubble tea could mean Orbitz have a market if the drinks were to be re-released.
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1999: Yoplait Go-Gurt
Known as Tubes in Canada and Frubes in the UK, Go-Gurt – tubes of yogurt squeezed into the mouth – was an innovative invention that has spawned countless copies.
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2000: Uncrustables
Convenience food at its most convenient, Uncrustables is a range of ready-made processed sandwiches with popular fillings such as peanut butter and jelly, where the crusts have been cut off so you don’t have to do it yourself.
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2001: EZ Squirt
OK, so condiments aren’t necessarily snacks but they deserve an honorary mention. The crazy colors of EZ Squirt (pink, purple, orange, green and teal) were a novelty at first and Heinz sold more than 25 million bottles. But interest wavered, possibly because the artificial colorings had parents worried, and the product has since been discontinued.
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2002: Milk ‘n’ Cereal Bars
Another memorable General Mills product, this snack turned a plain old bowl of cereal on its head by offering cereal bars sandwiched together with a milk filling. In reality the filling is probably more sugar than milk.
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2003: Lärabar
Alongside granola and cereal bars, the last 20 years have witnessed the unstoppable rise of the all-natural energy bar, such as the Lärabar, which was originally created by Lara Merriken from Denver using only raw fruit, nuts and spices. It’s now produced by General Mills.
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2004: Reese’s Swoops
They looked like chocolate Pringles, were package heavy and not good value for money. That’s probably why the “indulgent, mouth melting experience” treats from Hershey’s only lasted a very short time, between 2003-2006. They tasted nice though.
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2005: Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans
Capitalizing on the obsession with all things Harry Potter, Jelly Belly obtained the licence to sell Muggle versions of the Every Flavour Beans described in the books. Less appetizing flavors include soap, bacon and dirt but that hasn’t put Potter fans off.
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2006: McDonald’s Chicken Snack Wrap
In a move towards healthier menu items, McDonald’s introduced the Chicken Snack Wrap in 2006. Made from crispy chicken, lettuce, cheese and dressing in a tortilla wrap, it contains 290 calories and 3.5g (0.1oz) of saturated fat. It was also thought to have been developed to appeal to drive-thru customers.
Now read how America’s fast food has changed over the decades
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2007: Popchips
Known for a big celebrity marketing campaign that featured Katy Perry and Ashton Kutcher, Popchips are made in a similar way to puffed rice cakes, which makes them lighter and lower in calories, fat and saturated fat than conventional potato chips. Popchips are also GM-free and contain no artificial colors or flavors, but critics say they’re still just potatoes and salt, albeit a healthier version.
Now discover the world’s most unusual chip flavors
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2008: Organic chocolate
In 2008, a Mintel report stated that 16% of Americans preferred organic chocolate brands to non-organic; in the 25-34 age group that percentage was 25%. Reacting to the demand, Hershey’s and other traditionally non-organic major brands leapt on the bandwagon and by 2012 the global organic chocolate market was valued at $734 million (£563m).
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2009: Alternative chips
Potato chips have not only started being cooked in healthier ways, alternatives to potatoes have appeared. Sweet potato, cassava, apple and beetroot chips are just some of the nutrient-rich vegetables and fruits replacing spuds.
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2010: Cupcakes
The cupcake trend was more of an explosion than a steady rise. In one episode of Sex and the City, Miranda and Carrie go to Magnolia’s Cupcakes and in 2010 the shop had to be taken off the NYC tour as it couldn’t keep up with demand. The trend is thought to have peaked in 2012, with the closure of the cupcake chain Crumbs in 2015 being the final nail in the coffin. Cupcake lovers may vehemently dispute this.
Now take a look at America’s most outrageous cupcakes
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2011: Posh pork rinds and gourmet jerky
It was only a matter of time before meat treats like pork rinds and jerky were given a modern update and became fashionable again. Producers have seen a rise in sales since high protein diets became more popular, with artisan brands such as Krave and Epic leading the way.
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2012: Pretzels
In 2012, there was an upward spike in pretzel products – 160 were released compared to just 60 in 2009, according to Mintel. Wendy’s pretzel cheeseburger and Starbucks’ Bavarian-style pretzel fueled the trend while pretzel bread showed a 36% leap on sandwich menus from 2011 to 2012.
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2013: Cronuts
This was the year of the cronut, a croissant-donut hybrid that was created by French chef Dominique Ansel in his NYC bakery. Curious customers lined the streets to try it and images of the creation went viral on social media. It’s regarded as one of the most talked about desserts ever, and even made it onto Time‘s list of the 25 Best Inventions of 2013.
Discover more about the cronut and other food fusions you have to try
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2014: Gourmet popcorn
Gourmet popcorn was all the rage in 2014. Flavors went beyond sweet and salty with more adventurous varieties such as olive oil, jalapeño and white Cheddar, buffalo and ranch, and dill pickle. With popcorn still one of the nation’s favorite snacks, it’s a trend we’re glad came and stayed.
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2015: Microwave mug cake
Google called these homemade, Instagram-friendly mug cakes a national trend when it showed an 82% growth in web searches for the sweet snack between December 2015 and January 2016. Try them for yourself with this easy recipe.
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2016: Rainbow bagel
Although baker and ‘world premier bagel artist’ Scott Rossillo has been making these striking bagels for nearly two decades, it took Jonathan Cheban, a friend of Kim Kardashian, to post about them on social media for the frenzy to start. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now discover incredible foods you can buy from a vending machine
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2017: Unicorn Frappuccino
In 2017 the world went mad for all things unicorn and the marketing magnate that is Starbucks decided it could cash in on this. The Unicorn Frappuccino was introduced in April of that year, a 500-calorie (24oz/683ml size) brightly-colored, sweet and sour drink. It contained ice, milk, mango syrup, vanilla cream, and pink and blue powder. It was only sold in the US and shops frequently ran out.
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2018: Buffalo cauliflower
Buffalo cauliflower saw a peak in popularity in 2018. It consists of cauliflower florets fried in batter then dipped in buffalo sauce – the same method as used to make buffalo wings. Delivery service Grubhub indicates the vegetable dish rose in popularity by 124% that year. It’s a reflection of the nation’s increasing interest in plant-based diets. In fact cauliflower in general took the world by storm in 2018.
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