Taste of the 60s, 70s & 80s: 10 Forgotten Snacks That Only Kids from Those Days Remember

Every person has a list of their favorite desserts and meals. Often, the most enjoyable feasts are cooked at home. However, there is another food group that many people long for: childhood snacks from famous manufacturers.

Do you ever look back on your childhood with fondness? Longing for the carefree days, the classic songs, and the TV shows that became the soundtrack to your life? What about the snacks you enjoyed on the playground every day?

Many beloved treats from days gone by are still available, and one bite will make you feel like you're living in the past. Whether you used Ring Pops to stage an adorable proposal for your crush or recall playing with Bugles on your fingertips, these snacks were an integral part of childhood during their heyday.

If food nostalgia is real, these 10 iconic snacks from the 60s, 70s, and 80s are bound to spark something special in you, and if you're lucky, some of these are still available today.

1. Pop Rocks

One of the most nostalgic snacks comes from the 70s, and it offered consumers a good sugar rush. Pop Rocks were invented during the 50s, but the candy only took people by storm in 1975 and quickly became a staple in many lunch boxes.

The treat enjoyed a long reign in stores until the 1980s, when it was discontinued. However, the beloved fizzy treat wasn't gone for long.

The snack was back by popular demand and is still available today, so if you want to take a trip down memory lane, consider buying a pack of Pop Rocks.

The original inventor, William Mitchell, would be proud of how well his treat performed, even standing against myths about the dangers of the snack.

MythBusters investigated the suspicion that Pop Rocks mixed with carbonated beverages could be fatal. The statement had no truth, and consumers continued buying the treat that popped and crackled in their mouths.

While many other vintage snacks have been redesigned over time, Pop Rocks have stayed the same. If you're trying Pop Rocks for the first time and want the best experience, eat the candy from the packet and enjoy the unique popping sensation.

2. Ding Dongs

The perfect chocolate treat appeared on shelves in the 1970s and made many kids smile. With its dense cream-filled cake and delicious chocolate frosting, it kept children coming back for more.

The beloved treat became popular in many places and was known by several names, including Ding Dongs, King Don, and Big Wheels.

This snack food was a winner for all chocoholics, and its allure was understandable. If you regularly received a Ding Dong in your lunchbox, count yourself lucky!

3. Ring Pops

Ring Pops were all the rage from 1975 into the 90s. It was a piece of hard candy and a conversation starter. The ring-shaped treat allowed kids to innocently propose to their childhood crushes and made for lots of fun and precious memories.

Did you propose to a friend in your youth using a Ring Pop? Many kids did, and these wearable plastic rings were an all-time favorite. The brightly colored candy jewel was the cherry on top of the delightful snack.

The fashionably flavorful item stole hearts decades ago and is still available today. Perhaps you can pop the question to your significant other in a nostalgic way by using a Ring Pop. It is bound to get an unforgettable reaction!

4. Bugles

Bugles weren't like any other salty and crunchy snack on the market in the 60s, and when General Mills introduced them to the public in 1964, people couldn't wait to get their hands and fingers on them.

The snack was the perfect combination of fun and delicious, quickly gaining popularity amongst younger populations. The chips were designed inventively to fit consumers' fingertips.

The cornmeal snack came in many flavors, but four of the beloved variations were nacho cheese, chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel. Kids had a ball poking their friends with the snack and pretending to have monster claws.

The fun-shaped crunchy snack was sold in a box, but a reimagined design packaged them in a bag. For decades, the snack was made in West Chicago, Illinois, but was discontinued in 2008.

Canadians were heartbroken and missed their favorite snack, so they took to social media and shared their desire to buy Bugles again. Their campaigns were successful, and the snack returned to Canadian stores in 2012.

Perhaps the Bugles fanbase knew that the delicious treats were significant for many reasons. Not only did they have a unique design and flavor, but in the 60s, the chips were one of the only snacks fried in coconut oil instead of hydrogenated oils.

5. Space Food Sticks

During the 1960s, everyone wanted to eat the same food as an astronaut. Space Food Sticks were presented as the "best thing that ever came between two meals."

The balanced nutrition stick was chewy and came in chocolate or peanut butter. It was beloved by many for obvious reasons. One stick contained only 44 calories, and the snack boasted a good amount of vitamins, protein, and minerals.

The hype about Space Food Sticks might have died down with time, but kids from that era will never forget how cool it felt to have something in common with the people who walked on the moon.

6. Candy Cigarettes

Candy cigarettes prove just how far the world has come in its knowledge of the dangers of smoking. While the snack has roots dating back to the 19th century, it only became wildly popular during the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

While modern sensibility warns kids about cigarettes and the health risks linked to smoking, things were different in the past. Children enjoyed sucking on the chalky sugar sticks designed to look like cigarettes and had fun pretending to smoke.

Surprisingly, the unique snack is still available today. Would you allow your kids to eat and play with a candy cigarette?

7. Smarties Candy Necklaces

Multi-purpose snacks seemed to be a favorite globally, and it was no different with the invention of the Smarties Candy Necklace. No childhood during the 80s was complete without the sweetest treat that also served as unique jewelry.

Kids enjoyed wearing the treats around their necks and wrists, occasionally nibbling one of the candy beads. If you remember this rainbow-colored candy, tell us how long it took before you gobbled up the entire necklace!

8. Eggo

Americans have enjoyed the Kellogg's Eggo waffle for decades, and thanks to the snack's inventive advertising, it has remained popular.

Many people regard the Eggo as the most delicious breakfast snack, and the frozen treat has lived up to its reputation for generations. First invented by Frank Dorsa, the idea of making breakfast from a frozen item was revolutionary during the 1960s.

The classic snack was convenient for busy parents who wanted to give their kids a wholesome meal with ease. The frozen waffles were initially called "Froffles," but when taste-testing customers commented on the egg flavoring, Dorsa renamed the product.

The inventor always believed the customer knew best and his belief served him well. The product was purchased by Kellogg in 1968 and quickly gained popularity, thanks to its slogan, "L'eggo my Eggo."

TV commercials and impeccable advertising turned the breakfast snack into a roaring success, and today the company's website has an array of clever ways to prepare Eggos.

Featuring delicious toppings and the option to turn the frozen waffles into a beautiful all-day meal, the Eggo has remained a well-loved snack and kept its place in freezers across America.

9. Pizza Spins

Pizza Spins were a short-lived but adored snack. The wheel-shaped meal promised to taste just like an authentic pizza and gained a devoted and passionate fan base. However, the snack's reign didn't last long. It was only available between 1968 and 1975.

Upset Pizza Spins lovers started a Facebook group to bring back the beloved snack. On the forum, they discussed why they loved the snack so much and explained why no alternative lived up to the reputation of the original Pizza Spin.

Do you think the discontinued snack will make a comeback someday?

10. Jell-O 123

Jell-O 1-2-3 was a vital part of the life of many kids who lived through the 70s. The pink snack featured three layers of gelatin. It provided parents with an easy and quick way to serve a delicious dessert, but the hype had died down by the 90s.

Maybe the artificial flavor stopped customers from buying the snack, but for many, it was a staple—served with cherries and whipped cream.

While many alternative Jell-O snacks are on the market today, genuine 70s kids will never forget Jell-O 1-2-3. Did you enjoy a serving of this once-beloved gelatin dessert?

Kids from the 60s, 70s, and 80s had a large selection of unique and tasty snacks to choose from. Many of the treats didn't survive, but a handful can still be found in-store or online.

Did you enjoy any of these iconic snacks while growing up? Which treats were your favorite, and was there a snack you couldn't stomach? Please share your best and worst childhood snacks with us.