Growing up in the 1990s was something truly special. Nineties kids lived in the gap between analog and digital technology, resulting in many life experiences that most couldn’t imagine in the modern era. Nostalgia for the nineties is huge right now, and it’s easy to see why. With great fashion, movies and music, there are countless ways to appreciate that unique time in history.
But one overlooked aspect of living in the nineties is the snacks! There was no shortage of amazing, albeit probably super unhealthy, snacks that we wish we could taste today. While some of these treats still exist, they’re just not the same as their old-school versions. Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Here are 15 nineties snacks that need to make a comeback!
1. Big League Chew
You can still find Big League Chew on the market these days, but it’s not as prevalent as the nineties. Why? It likely has to do with its direct imitation of chewing tobacco! The gum is tasty and was perfect for Little League games of yesteryear. While societal views around tobacco have changed, particularly concerning kids, we can’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia whenever we see Big League Chew.
2. Altoid Sours
Altoid is a brand known for making very adult-looking mints. But when the company launched Altoid Sours in the nineties, these hard candies became a must-have for kids, teens and adults! Instead of the refreshing taste of mint, these candies came in several sour flavors.
Altoid Sours were cool because they came in beautifully designed round metal tins. People loved collecting and using them to hold all the small knickknacks. Altoids will reportedly rerelease these candies soon under the new name “Retro Sours!” Way to make us feel old, Altoid!
3. French’s Potato Sticks
French’s Potato Sticks were a lunchtime classic. Many fondly remember seeing these snacks packed in little plastic bags inside lunchboxes. Potato Sticks looked like mini french fries, but they had the taste and texture of chips.
The brand released many flavors, from the classic original flavor to black pepper and vinegar. There were several great varieties to try. Plus, they came in those iconic blue cans!
4. Choco Taco
Who can forget the Choco Taco? The genius at Klondike who decided to turn a beloved dessert into a taco-shaped masterpiece deserved all the raises! As the name implies, Choco Tacos had the form-factor of a taco.
The shell was a waffle cone. Inside, you had vanilla ice cream with chocolate swirls. As if that wasn’t enough, hardened chocolate and crunchy bits topped the “taco.” Talk about tasty!
5. Gushers
Gushers were juiced-filled snacks that delivered a satisfying “pop” in your mouth. The outside looked like your average gummy candy. However, chomping on these morsels filled your mouth with sugar-filled juice. They’re not exactly the healthiest treat in the world, but they were fun!
If you were a kid in the nineties, you likely have fond memories of the Gushers commercials. The weird CGI fruit-shaped talking heads were something we’d see constantly during those Saturday morning cartoon binges!
6. Baby Bottle Pops
Here’s another candy with iconic commercials. We still can’t get that “Baby Bottle Pop” jingle out of our heads! These treats were fun! Not only did they take on the shape of a baby’s bottle, but they were enjoyable to eat. The top was a hard lollipop, while the bottle held sour powder.
All you had to do was lick the bottle top, dip it into the powder and enjoy!
7. Go-Gurt
Go-Gurt is still around today, but it was a game-changer in the nineties. Do you mean we can eat sweet, tasty yogurt without a spoon or fiddling with foil tops? Sign us up!
Yoplait developed Go-Gurt with vibrant colors, fun flavors and plenty of memorable advertising. The tubes made snacking on the go a breeze. No mess, no frustrating packaging and all flavor!
8. Squeeze-Its
Squeeze-Its were a sweet, sugar-filled drink that kids everywhere would grab to cool off after a rousing play session in the backyard. They came in tons of flavors and colors, making them a must-have for kids. From a health standpoint, we doubt they did anything good to our bodies. However, we can’t deny how fun it was to rip off those plastic tops and chug!
These drinks fell out of favor as more parents realized that drinks full of sugar and dyes weren’t the best for kids. You can find similar products today, but the old classic only exists in our memories.
9. Doritos 3D
Millions enjoy Doritos today. However, Frito-Lay experimented with its tastiest line in the 1990s and early 2000s. Doritos 3D came out in the late 1990s as the new Millennium approach. They were the cool new thing that everyone had to try!
The puffed-up snack was light, airy and full of crunch. It was a fun way to spice up the Dorito line, and Frito-Lay released many flavors to tickle the tongue. Doritos 3D recently made a comeback as “Doritos 3D Crunch.”
10. Fruit String Things
Gummies were all the rage in the nineties. You had Fruit by the Foot, Gushers and more. But the one we miss is Fruit String Things. This Betty Crock creation was nothing more than spaghetti-like gummy ropes on paper. However, those fruity strings took on the shape of animals, rocketships and more!
To eat them, you’d peel the shapes away from the paper and slurp them down. Or, you could get creative and make your own design!
11. Butterfinger BB’s
If you liked Butterfinger bars, you likely loved Butterfinger BB’s. This snack ditched the bar form factor in favor of small, marble-shaped pieces. The bite-sized BB’s had all the flavors you were used to from Butterfinger, but they were easier to snack on. They came in small bags you could pass around recess to get your sugar rush!
Butterfinger BB’s ceased to exist in the early 2000s, but the brand continued to produce similar candies under different names in the years after.
12. Candy Cigarettes
Candy Cigarettes were another tobacco-themed candy. You can still find them occasionally, but they are nowhere near as prevalent. In the nineties, everyone had them and used them to cosplay as nicotine addicts! Of course, it’s easy to see why these candies aren’t popular anymore. However, they were all good fun back in the day.
The candy came in boxes designed to look like real cigarettes. However, inside was a crunchy sugar treat you can bite into or suck on.
13. Hostess Fruit Pies
We can’t forget about the iconic Hostess Fruit Pies! In the nineties, these boxed treats were everywhere! You could find them in grocery stores, gas stations, corner shops and more. They were cheap baked treats with a fruit filling.
They came in brightly colored boxes and were available in many flavors. You could microwave them for a fresh-out-of-the-oven feel or eat them as-is. Either way, they were tasty!
14. Ring Pops
Did you ever fake propose to a crush with a Ring Pop? Guilty as charged!
This simple treat was nothing more than a lollipop. Instead of the traditional paper stick, the candy came on plastic rings and took the shape of a sparkling diamond. Kids would wear the ring as they played, sucking on the hardened sugar throughout the day. It’s not exactly sanitary, but these candies were a huge hit in the nineties.
15. Fruit Stripe Gum
Fruit Stripe Gum was the go-to gum. Unlike other brands that produced minty flavors, Fruit Stripe Gum had all fruity flavors. The packaging was memorable, featuring bright colors and the zebra mascot. Inside, packs would contain five flavors with vibrant wrappers. The gum itself even had zebra stripes!
They were a kid’s dream. Some iterations of Fruit Stripe Gum even had “tattoo” wrappers that would transfer a pattern onto your skin.
What’s Your Favorite?
The nineties were a fever dream of snacks! While many great modern snacks are available, none capture the magic these classics did. Whether it’s all just nostalgia or not, we can’t help but believe that snacking was so much better in the nineties!
