Lisa O
There are foods from childhood that don’t really show up anymore. Not because they disappeared completely, but because they got pushed aside by other things. Some of them are still around in stores, but nobody talks about them. Others vanished so quietly that it’s easy to forget they were ever part of the daily routine. It’s strange how these things slip away without much notice.
Dunkaroos and the Tiny Red Stick
Dunkaroos came in a small plastic package with cookies on one side and frosting on the other. The frosting was way too sweet and didn’t taste like anything specific. Kids would scrape every bit out with that little red stick until the container was empty. The cookies themselves were plain and crunchy. Nothing about it made much sense, but it felt like a big deal to have them in a lunchbox.
Kool-Aid Bursts With the Twist Cap
Kool-Aid Bursts were small plastic bottles with twist-off caps. The bottles had ridges that made them easy to grip. Kids would twist the cap and drink straight from the bottle. The flavors had names like Tropical Punch and Great Bluedini. The liquid was bright colored and super sweet. Some kids would chug them in seconds. The bottles ended up scattered across playgrounds and lunch tables.
Bug Juice in the Big Barrel
Bug Juice sat in enormous coolers at every summer camp. The color was always bright red or sometimes orange. Nobody could figure out what flavor it actually was. Kids got it poured into thin paper cups that fell apart quickly. It tasted like pure sugar mixed with water. The counselors kept serving it at every meal. Red stains ended up on shirts and tables.
Fun Dip and the Chalky Stick
Fun Dip was a packet of colored sugar with a white candy stick for dipping. The stick got sticky and dissolved as it went in and out of the powder. The kids ended up with colored tongues and sugar on their hands. The flavors were supposed to be cherry or grape, but they all tasted the same. Some ate the stick first, then used their fingers.
Ring Pops That Lasted Forever
Ring Pops were hard candies shaped like gemstones, encased in plastic rings. They were meant to be worn and licked slowly over time. The candy would shrink down, but never seemed to disappear fully. Flavors ranged from blue raspberry to watermelon. Kids would trade them or wear multiple rings at once. The plastic band would get sticky and uncomfortable after a while. They’re still sold, but don’t carry the same weight they used to.
Warheads and the Sour Challenge
Warheads were extremely sour candies that made faces scrunch up instantly. The sour coating was so intense it almost hurt. Kids would dare each other to keep them in their mouths without reacting. After the sour part wore off, the candy turned sweet. Some flavors were worse than others. The wrappers had cartoon faces showing different levels of sourness. They became less popular when other sour candies showed up.
Fruit by the Foot Rolled Up Tight
Fruit by the Foot was a long strip of fruit snack rolled up in plastic. It could be unrolled slowly or eaten in chunks. The texture was sticky, and it would get stuck in teeth. Some kids would try to eat the whole thing at once. The flavors were generic fruit combinations. It came in different colors, but they all tasted fairly similar. The appeal was more about the length than the actual taste.
Lunchables Pizza With the Red Sauce
Lunchables pizza kits had little dough rounds that were always cold. A packet of tangy red sauce. Shredded cheese in the corner. Kids would build the pizza right at the lunch table, using their fingers to spread the sauce. The cheese never melted, no matter what. It didn’t really taste like pizza, but the assembly part made it feel special somehow.
Cosmic Brownies in the Shiny Wrapper
Cosmic Brownies were dense chocolate brownies, topped with a layer of fudge and rainbow chip candies. They came individually wrapped in foil-like packaging. The brownies were rich and almost too sweet. The candies on top were crunchy and colorful. They were a popular lunch item that kids would trade for other snacks. The texture was heavy, and one was usually enough. They’re still around, but don’t get the same attention.
String Thing That Pulled Apart
String Thing was a fruit snack that came in long strands meant to be pulled apart. It was basically Fruit by the Foot, but stringy. Kids would separate the pieces slowly or just bite through them. The flavor was generic fruit punch. It was more about the texture than anything else. The packaging was similar to that of other fruit snacks. They stopped making them, and nobody really noticed until years later.
Kudos Bars With the Chocolate Coating
Kudos bars were granola bars covered in chocolate or other coatings. They came in flavors like M&M and Snickers. The granola was crunchy and held together with a sticky substance. The chocolate coating would melt in warm lunches. Kids thought they were healthier than candy bars because of the granola. They weren’t really healthy, but they felt like a compromise. They disappeared gradually from store shelves.
Fruit Roll-Ups With Tongue Tattoos
Fruit Roll-Ups were thin sheets of fruit snack that could be unrolled and eaten flat. Some versions had shapes or tongue tattoos printed on them. Kids would press the tattoo onto their tongues and compare designs. The flavor was usually strawberry or berry. They stuck to the roof of the mouth. The plastic backing had to be carefully peeled off. They’re still sold, but the tattoo versions are harder to find.
Trix Yogurt in the Bright Container
Trix yogurt came in small containers with two colors of yogurt inside. The colors were bright pink and blue or other neon combinations. Kids would swirl them together or eat each color separately. The yogurt was sweeter than regular yogurt. The containers had cartoon characters on the lid. They were sold in packs at the grocery store. The flavors weren’t really fruit flavors but something artificial. They stopped making them sometime around 2016.
Capri Sun and the Impossible Straw
Capri Sun came in silver pouches with a small foil circle for the straw. The straw would bend when kids tried pushing it through. Sometimes it missed and poked straight through the side. The juice came in different flavors, and Pacific Cooler was a common one. Kids would squeeze while drinking and send juice across the table. Empty pouches made noise when crumpled up.