Among other myriad influences, our most favored childhood snacks often act as one of the most keen catalysts for nostalgia. Whether it’s a bag of brand-named corn chips, or fruit-flavored candy, delectable items from childhood often act as refreshing mnemonic signals announcing simpler days, where our largest worries consisted mostly of whom we’d congregate with at recess or lunch. With deference to the academic calendar returning to lives the children everywhere in August and early-September, here we’ll discuss some favored legacy snacks from the 80s that are certain to leave you salivating.
Capri Sun – Strawberry Kiwi
Who doesn’t remember sitting down with an ice-cold Capri Sun on a sweltering summer day? Of the many legacy snacks from the 80s, Capri Sun is certainly one. Uniquely packaged in a glistening silver pouch, Capri Sun’s were ubiquitous on playgrounds, recreational parks, or one’s neighborhood street. Featuring a natural flavor blending strawberry and kiwi, Capri Sun’s offered a refreshing draught during long school days.
Doritos – Cool Ranch
The world’s most popular tortilla chips, Doritos were (and are) offered in a variety of popular flavors, including Nacho Cheese, Sweet & Tangy BBQ, Salsa Verde, and of course, Cool Ranch. Spliced with an array of zesty flavors, including onion, garlic, tomato and spice; it satiated the palate of many a youngster during its heyday.
Fruit By The Foot
Produced by General Mills and distributed by Betty Crocker, Fruit by the Foot remains a popular and eminently fun fruit snack. Affixed to a sticky paper branding printed with games, jokes, trivia and fun facts, this snack both engaged the mind while engrossing one’s taste buds. Packaged in numerous flavors, including Berry Tie-Dye, Strawberry Tie-Dye, Starburst, or even a variety pack; it still retains residual popularity.
Nerds
Released in 1983, “Nerds” candies are essentially irregularly shaped candy pebbles that youngsters salivate over. Their popularity became ubiquitous enough that additional novelty items were released in their reflection, including “Nerds Ropes,” “Nerds Gummy Clusters,” and “Big Chewy Nerds.” Originally conceived in dual-chamber packaging, Nerds are still introducing unnecessary cavities to unwitting children wherever they are sold.
Push-Pops
Originating primarily as a gimmick, a “push-pop” consists of a lollipop that retracts into a capped plastic tub which must be “pushed” out in order to consume it. It’s essentially a retrofit of the lollipop, which nevertheless gained immense traction.
Toaster Strudel
1n 1985, Pillsbury launched a convenient frozen snack referred to as the “Toaster Strudel.” Intended to be evocative of a traditional German strudel, the product including an icing packet for purchases to decorate the pastry. Though it’s hardly authentic, the ad campaign associated with toaster strudels featured a German chef blithely comparing the strudels he concocted in his bakery to the more genuine strudels present in Germany. Considered a quick breakfast option, it became popular with adults and children alike, resulting in the release of many different flavor variations for the snack.
Bagel Bites
Developed in 1985 by two tennis partners in Fort Myers, Florida, “Bagel Bites” have a somewhat eccentric origin: At a party with his wife, Bob Mosher, one of the co-founders of the product, lamented that it was difficult to identify foods that children thoroughly enjoyed. An engaged listener suggested perhaps using bagels, while another insisted upon the name “Bagel Bites.” While that may sound apocryphal, the idea gained currency, culminating in the beloved frozen snack that still remain popular today. Who hasn’t had microwaved a plate of “Bagel Bites” during a hectic evening, when the idea of fashioning an elaborate dinner seems too cumbersome?
Big League Chew
Invented in 1977 by Rob Nelson, a former minor league baseball player, the idea for the “Big League Chew” was conceived of at a game he attended, where he noticed the ubiquity of players spitting chewing tobacco on the baseball diamond. Capitalizing on this peculiar quirk of baseball athletes, Nelson sought to create a shredded bubble gum as a sweet alternative to raucously chomping tobacco; for younger athletes invested in the game. Rob’s intuition that the product would sell provided prescient, as the Wrigley Company eventually began distributing “Big League Chew” at major league baseball games, where it eventually sold over 1 billion pouches, definitively becoming one of our more favored legacy snacks.
Gobstoppers
The “gobstopper” was initially a fictional item that gained traction in Roald Dahl’s classic “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” eventually becoming one of the legacy snacks of the 80s. Capitalizing on the popularity of the film starring Gene Wilder, Breaker Confections, based in Chicago, mass produced the item for American marketplaces. Though, in Dahl’s novel, the gobstopper is purported to be “everlasting,” the actual candy does not last in perpetuity. It, however, is a sweet confection that can enjoyed for a long duration, provided one is not too keen to bite into its sweet center.
Lunchables
Introduced in Seattle in 1988, “Lunchables” were manufactured by Kraft Heinz in Chicago and marketed by the Oscar Meyer brand; and remains one of the most prominent legacy snacks. Initially conceived as a method of selling more lunch meat in the marketplace, “Lunchables” were later revamped to afford additional convenience to working mothers across mother. The “Lunchable” is essentially a pre-packaged lunch, including meat, cheese and crackers for delectable mini-sandwiches. While they may not be the most delectable, they certainly offer a premium in convenience.
SuperPretzel – Baked Soft Pretzels
Similar to several of the other snacks evoked in this article, the “SuperPretzel” benefitted from its inextricable association with live sporting events. Marketed by J&J Snack Foods Corporation in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, the pretzels are packaged in a box which features instructions designating the pretzels be heated for an allotted amount of time in either an oven or microwave. Ready in seconds, the “SuperPretzel” also comes in several varieties, including soft pretzel bites, mini pretzel dogs, and filled soft pretzel bites.
Cheez Balls
Distributed by Planters, “Cheez Balls” were a popular snack during the 1980s. Packaged in a super-sized blue canister, “Cheez Balls” were as advertised: spherical puffs of cheese that were eminently snackable. Paradoxically crunchy and airy, these puffs were frighteningly easily to engorge oneself on, a tendency which many American began to share. Later discontinued, they remain a nostalgic piece of a simpler time.
For further information on food suggestions, reference the following articles:
5 Healthy Snack Recipes for Summer and Beyond
Sweet Candy Treats From The 60s To The 80s
