Life

How Much Do You Miss These Childhood Snacks?!

by Michelle Regalado

These days, most moms send their kids to school with organic fruits and chia snack packs — a far cry from the Lunchables and Gushers we used to munch on back in the day. But while I'm all for promoting healthy eating in children, sometimes I can't help but feel nostalgic for those classic '90s after-school snacks that made up so much of our childhood. After all, who doesn't look back fondly on sharing Fruit by the Foot with your friends, or sipping on a Capri Sun? Those were the days.

Today's kids are a whole lot healthier, and that's probably for the best as instilling healthy habits earlier on is important. Still, it's too bad they'll never know the sweet joy of opening your lunch box, finding a Sprinkl'ins, and having your whole day made. Yes, they were that good.

With school back in session soon (sorry, kids), I'm looking back at 11 of the best '90s after-school snacks that we all wish we were still eating today. These food items may not exactly have been known for being very high in nutritional value, but — as any '90s kid will tell you — they were darn delicious and, perhaps most importantly, super fun to eat.

1. Dunkaroos

There was nothing like opening your lunch box back in the day, and finding one of these babies. Dunkaroos are mostly only sold in Canada now (although you might be able to find them stateside if you look hard enough), so sadly many of today's kids will never know the pleasure of dunking a cookie in frosting on a weekly basis.

2. Gushers

When it came to fruit snacks, Gushers were the food to beat. They're gooey and colorful — what more could a kid ask for?

3. Fruit by the Foot

They're tasty, super long, and come in all different colors — even tie-dye. That's what I call a snack win.

4. Sprinkl'ins Yogurt

Back in the day, plain yogurts were a total disappointment. But these containers with surprise sprinkles? The. Best.

5. Warheads

What '90s kid didn't try to impress their friends by eating multiple "extremely sour" Warheads in a row? It was painful, but if you managed to pull it off without making any crazy faces, you were basically the coolest kid ever. At least for an hour or so.

6. Lunchables

Considering moms today usually send their kids to school with organic, homemade everything, this might be hard to believe, but yes, these were actually considered a meal/snack at some point, and they were so good.

7. Ritz and Cheese-Dip Handi Snacks

The only thing better than crackers already covered in artificial, neon orange cheese? Smearing it on yourself!

8. Animal Crackers

Once a classic, always a classic.

9. Bugles

Who needs boring, ol' regularly shaped chips when you can have cone-shaped ones?

10. Teddy Grahams

They're yummy and adorable to look at. Thankfully, these babies are still around today.

11. Capri Sun

As our childhood tradition dictates, drinks that only require you to poke a hole in them are far superior to those with a twist-off top.

Looking for some more fun food ideas? Visit Bustle on YouTube!

Images: Joe Doe/Flickr; cekirsch/Flickr; Amazon.com; Imgur; Amnesticarts/Flickr