When it comes to food, snacks are the best because there are thousands of them that you can enjoy. If you were a kid in the ’80s, you didn’t hear things like natural or organic. Things were different. You could buy things like fake candy cigarettes and items that were probably unhealthy, but they tasted amazing. Here’s our list of 15 snacks that bring on the nostalgia.
Bagel Bites
If you remember the song, these are good at any time. But I bet you can recall a time when you came home from school and your mom made these for you. Chances are, you ate them right away, not caring about how badly they burned your mouth. They were too good to wait for, and the cheese was always so yummy.
Hi-C Ecto Cooler
Hi-C has always been awesome, but when Ghostbusters made its appearance, slime became a huge phenomenon. As a result, Hi-C now had slime. This drink was the best, and if you had this in your lunch, you were all that. It defined ’80s snacks, and honestly, the taste was so good you didn’t care what the slime was made of.
Squeezeit Drinks
These were basically sugar water, but it was tasty sugar water. Some parents began getting concerned about sugar and health, so it might have been rarer for you to get your hands on one of these. But if you did, prepare for a sugar rush. They had great flavor, and the packaging was cute, ensuring kids would want them all the time.
Flintstones Push Up Pops
These were also tasty, and they beat out the regular push pops by a mile. The flavors were so much better. They weren’t afraid to mix flavors, take chances, and have fun with it. For instance, they mixed the orange flavor (which was already popular) and added Nerds. The combination became a hit. But, Yabba Dabba Doo Orange is always going to be the best.
Jello-O Pudding Pops
In the 1980s, people were fixated on these. They were easy to get in pop form or cups. They had vanilla, swirl flavors, chocolate, and countless commercials that made people fall in love with them. It worked for a while, but then they got discontinued. The pops also had Bill Cosby as a spokesperson, though obviously that hasn’t aged well.
Slice
Every few years, soda companies keep making changes to their brand. In the 1980s, they had Slice. Slice was extremely popular, and they had flavors like apple and mandarin orange. When it was first introduced, it had fruit juice in it, so it was considered a better option. When they ditched the fruit juice, it lasted for a little bit in the ’90s, but then got replaced.
Crystal Light
Crystal Light is the perfect drink to go with snacks. In the ’80s, you’d find that all the kids heard the jingle, and the parents would buy it so the kids would like it. It was advertised as a sugar-free alternative to soda, and people liked it because it was sweet, but not overly so. It was considered refreshing and delicious. It’s still on shelves.
Dr. Pepper Gum
If you didn’t have a soda or snack machine, the best snack option would be gum. When this gum came out, it featured a unique spicy flavor. It also had a liquid center, which people loved. When it was discontinued, people were sad, but hoped that another flavor would replace it.
Magic Middles
These were the snacks in the ’80s that everyone knew. It didn’t matter that these had 200 calories per cookie, nor that you could eat twenty of them in one sitting. The taste of the fudge was rich and chocolatey, and it was the best snack. The shortbread was also soft and crumbly, just like a cookie should be.
Shark Bites
These fruit snacks tasted so good! They weren’t the healthiest, but we didn’t care. When we found the white shark flavor, it was like finding money. Our faces would light up, and it was the best shape to trade with friends. Not to mention, the price was great, so they were usually in the cart.
Five Alive
Five Alive is another alternative to soda. If you liked orange drinks, you’ve probably heard of Five Alive. They had lime, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, and orange flavors. It is no longer available in the USA. There are rumors that you can find it in Canada. If that’s true, ’80s kids might be booking a plane ticket.
Giggles
These cookies were cute and pretty good. The flavors were chocolate and vanilla inside a little smiley face cookie that would have chocolate or vanilla for the cookie part. People liked them, but eventually, they couldn’t hold up. Honestly, though, they should still be around because they were an awesome little snack.
O’Grady’s Chips
Many people see the loss of O’Grady’s chips as a travesty for the industry. They were marketed as hearty, thicker, and a cut above the other chips on the market at the time. People still swear that these were the best chips they’ve ever tasted and that they were cheesier and more flavorful than what we have now.
Quackers
Children love Goldfish now, but before them, they had Quackers. The cheesy yet crunchy taste was incredible. Other companies tried to compete, but they looked different and had other flavors (though not going to lie, some of them were good). Sadly for us, Quackers didn’t last and were gone before the ’80s were over.
Hostess
These little pies were great. While they still make fruit pies today, the chocolate and vanilla versions were huge in the ’80s. It’s been suggested that the reason for the changes and why people may not like them as much now is because they’re not healthy. One cherry pie, for instance, has over 25 grams of added sugar, which is half of what you’re supposed to have in a day.
Bring Back The 80s
With all of the advancements in food, we could bring the ’80s back so that we could enjoy all of our old favorites. But, unfortunately, for now at least, we only have memories. The snacks from the ’80s were amazing, and we have no doubt that the loyal fans would love to see them again.
