Millennials had the best time when their elementary school classes broke for lunch. As someone who falls into this age gap, typically, we brown-bagged it and had a sandwich, drink, and snack. Trades often happened at the lunch table, but usually, we all had mostly the same thing. Parents had no problem buying popular snacks — especially since they were duped into believing fruit snacks were actually healthy.
But like all snacks, some of them had an incredibly short shelf life. Snacks come and go for a bunch of different reasons, but it seems like in the ’90s and early ’00s, the market was pretty saturated. Snacks rotated in and out a lot, leaving us with just the sweet memory — literally speaking.
If you’re a millennial who wants to go down memory lane and remember the best snacks with us, you’re in the right place.
Most of these snacks left the world far too soon. And despite fans constantly calling the companies for a re-release, many of these companies have stated that their once-beloved products would never be coming back to us.
It’s unfair, really. We can only hope that minds will change in the future. But for now, we can get a little nostalgic about our fallen snack heroes — the ones that made lunchtime a must-see event.
1. Squeez-It
Sugary water is a lot more fun when it’s in the shape of a character.
It’s hard to forget about Chucklin’ Cherry (which was arguably the most popular), Silly Billy Strawberry, and Berry B. Wild.
If kids didn’t have this in their lunch boxes, they had Kool-Aid Bursts, which were more or less the same thing.
2. Shark Bites
Shark Bites used to be available at Walmart, but now they’re off the website, meaning they may have finally gone extinct. Getting a Great White in your bag always felt so good, and made you feel like the coolest kid in the cafeteria. If you were like me, you saved those to eat last.
3. Doritos 3-D
There’ve been countless flavors of Doritos out there, but Doritos 3D are the ones people miss the most.
They debuted in 1998 and reportedly left the U.S.A. in the early 2000s.
But there’s a rumor that they’re still being made in Mexico, so you might want to book a trip — or, look for them online.
4. Grizzly Chomps
Not a lot of people remember these right off the bat — but, I do. It was a cupcake that was so good that their mascot bear took a bite out of every single one.
How clever was that?
They could literally sell half of a product at full cost. But at the end of the day, it was still a strange, half-eaten cupcake.
5. String Thing
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66QbX13UZT4"]It was hard to compete with Fruit Roll-Ups, but String Thing was very close. Instead of shapes that stuck to your teeth, you got a rope that stuck to your teeth.
Check out how the advertisement tries to appeal to ’90s kids by stating that there were plenty of different ways to eat the snack.
Millennials enjoy having options.
6. PB Max
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_JNIAYCJeI"]The bar was actually really successful, but was reportedly discontinued since the Mars family just didn’t like peanut butter. No fair! If there’s any chocolate bar out there that’s worthy of a comeback, it’s this one, and we truly hope it reappears in the candy aisle.
7. Keebler Magic Middles
If you weren’t eating Elfwiches, you were eating Magic Middles. They were chewy, chocolatey, and everything millennials wanted in a cookie back in the day. And honestly, they represent everything we want in a cookie today. I mean, who doesn’t want a cookie like that — especially with a glass of milk?
8. Snackwell’s Devil’s Food Cake Cookies
In my house, having a name like “Snackwell” and having a product that was “Fat-Free” made me feel as if these were healthy, and the perfect substitute for carrots.
Well, no. These, which were once prominent in every grocery store, still exist at Walmart and on Amazon.
But they reportedly changed the ingredients up a little bit, meaning they might not taste the same. Wahhh!
9. Dunkaroos
I dare you to find a list of snacks millennials love that doesn’t include Dunkaroos.
What’s not to love about dipping cookies in creamy frosting?
They first launched back in 1990 and were discontinued around 2012, even though they lasted a handful of years longer in Canada prior to being fully discontinued.
10. EZ Squirt Ketchup
So, it’s more of a condiment, but since it’s used for snacks, it definitely still counts. This product was great for anyone who wanted to try ketchup that wasn’t red. After all, variety is always a beautiful thing. And who knew that fries could easily become a work of art?
11. Fruitopia
It was heartbreaking when Fruitopia left the market. Really, truly heartbreaking.
I distinctly remember there was a vending machine dedicated to the stuff at my local pizza shop.
Some of the flavors reportedly turned into Minute Maid flavors, but for the most part, it’s almost impossible to find Fruitopia in the United States today.
12. PB Crisps
This isn’t the first, nor the last, time I’m bringing up PB Crisp. There was literally nothing else like it back in the day.
It was like the best kind of cookie imaginable but in bite-sized pieces.
It was definitely the best snack of my childhood, and if they made a comeback, I’d literally buy 700 boxes. (And, might as well bring back the chocolate crisps too, while we’re at it.)
13. Philadelphia Strawberry Cheesecake Snack Bars
@KraftBrand Please bring back the Philadelphia strawberry cheesecake snack bars... the demand is high enough so pull the trigger and allow me to munch hard again pic.twitter.com/4F1ckxpSzn
— Hunter Athan (@FuegoVapors710) March 15, 2018
Literally, every house had these, and they served as the perfect instant dessert. (If you never had these as a midnight snack, you are truly missing out.) So many millennials have a weird obsession with cheesecake based on how good these used to be. Unfortunately, they’ve vanished.
14. Pizzarias
Move over, Doritos. Pizzarias are a similarly shaped snack with a wildly different taste.
Initially created by Keebler, they were discontinued.
Luckily, someone from Reddit stated that Keebler’s Town House Pizza Flavored Flatbread Crisps have a different texture, but a very similar flavor if you’re suddenly missing out. Get these in your life, STAT.
15. Jello 1-2-3
Jello, in general, was a pretty safe and common snack for millennials. But Jello 1-2-3, which had been around for quite some time, was almost like special occasion Jello. And who doesn’t love it when a food product gets revamped and turned into something new?
One mix created three different layers, which was downright cool.
16. Snapple Elements
Snapple Elements was more or less saved for the cool kids who preferred drinking their beverages out of glass bottles. Plastic is so yesterday! And there’s just something about a glass bottle that makes you feel extra luxurious. Named Earth, Rain, Sun, and Fire, there have been plenty of petitions to bring them back.
17. Crystal Pepsi
This ’90s drink, which older millennials will probably remember, is often seen as an epic fail.
Still, the concept is actually pretty cool.
Even though it tasted just like regular Pepsi, it was clear in color and was caffeine free. Crystal Pepsi made a brief comeback in 2017, but you probably won’t find it on shelves anymore.
18. Creme Savers
Creme Savers were amazing and were pretty much the go-to hard candy to add to your purchase while at the register. (I mean, they kept them there for a reason.) But they more or less went missing. Rumor has it that it’s because someone choked on one, but that might very well be an internet myth.
19. Ritz S’Mores
You know cheese Ritz and peanut butter Ritz. But do you remember Ritz S’Mores? Sadly, they’ve been discontinued in America, although they might still be on shelves in Canada. Regardless, a comeback would be welcome, especially during the summer months when all we crave is a delicious s’more.
