Food
19 Snacks Older Millennials Remember That Younger Millennials Won’t
Was there anything better than Baby Bottle Pops?
Back in the day, there was nothing like shrugging off your L.L. Bean backpack (embroidered with your initials, obviously), and heading straight for the snack cabinet in your kitchen. This closet of snacks was more like a glowing treasure trove of gems, as far as you were concerned. However, the sort of snacks each of us remember being in this snack cabinet might differ based on what part of the '90s each of us grew up then. In fact, there are plenty of snacks older millennials remember that younger millennials have no idea existed.
While many younger millennials grew up living that organic snack life, fake cheese powder — the kind that radiates an orange so neon you might turn into Alex Mack — was a go-to snack amongst older millennials. Many of our first manicures were courtesy of cheese balls. Slumber parties were conducted around a pile of candy that is now hard to find in stores. (Though you can still grab some Scooby Snacks on deli shelves because not everything decent about our childhood has been discontinued.)
Be warned, there is a list of snacks beyond this point that older millennials may start to experience intense cravings for. And, unfortunately, 3D Doritos are no longer in stock.
Fruit Roll-Ups
Fruit Roll-Ups made their debut on the snack scene in 1983 and were well received. The gummy fruit snack peeled off its package. You'd have to unravel the roll for the entire sheet of candy, which gave it the edge of a snack with a fun reveal. Also, while this was most definitely candy, Fruit Roll-Ups were typically devoured in my household as a stand-alone snack.
Spice Girls Gum
Spice Girls had branded candy. Gum and lollipops that came with stickers of the band for real fans. If the younger of millennials knew about this pop culture candy store must have, it's probably because they had an older sibling who lived for the gum.
Dunkaroos
A coveted lunch box favorite. Dunkaroos for lunch meant you had an awesome parent. Even if matchsticked carrots were tucked underneath, you still got to dig into sugar with a cookie!
3D Doritos
We all know Doritos, of course. But, many young millennials might have zero clue that a thing called 3D Doritos existed. The snack was airy, crunchy, and decadent. And just like that, they were taken too soon from the grocery store shelves.
Baby Bottle Pops
If you're singing the theme song to Baby Bottle Pops, you are an older millennial. If you have no idea why a candy would have a theme song or be called something like "Baby Bottle Pops" then you are definitely younger. These lollipop and sugar concoction was all the rage. We were also obsessed with push pops! Plus, nothing was better than when the Jonas Brothers starred in the commercials.
Twinkies
Everybody knows Twinkies, even though they were discontinued in 2013, but not many younger millennials reallyunderstand their existence.
Minute Maid Juice Bars
If you didn't have dairy in the house, or even if you did, Minute Maid juice bars were the next best thing. The frozen treat came in Strawberry Lemonade and Classic Lemonade and you pushed the fruity frozen goodness to the top until you were downing the juice. It was bliss in a package.
String Thing
String Things were all for playing with your food. You basically pulled the candy by a shape and ate it. Who doesn't enjoy food that's art?
Scooby Snacks
Scooby Snacks were chewy fruit snacks you could mistake as a multivitamin. While I have personally seen some in my corner deli, they're few and far between. Oh, and BTW, apparently edibles used to be called “Snooby Snacks.” I wouldn’t necessarily say that fact ruined my childhood...
Fun Dip
In the '80s and '90s, we loved to dunk things into other things. It was a theme.
Oreo O's
Younger millennials might know a thing or two about the beloved Oreo cookie. But what they might not know about Oreo's long relationship with our personal pantries is that the cookie dabbled in cereal. As in, it was cereal. Sold in a box. For us to eat in milk before school or before cartoons.
Lollipop Paint Shop
Yes, you could paint your tongue with pure, artificially colored sugar. What do you expect? It was the ‘90s, after all.
Dinosaur Eggs Oatmeal
They may have discontinue the strawberry safari flavor, but you can still get the nostalgic Quaker Dinosaur Eggs oatmeal. And, yes, it is every bit as sweet and sugary as you remember it to be.
Hot Pockets
The macaroni and cheese hot pockets were the best, IMO. However, the flavor seems to have disappeared from the internet. I guess you had to be a ‘90s kid to remember.
Chef Boyardee
If you came home from school and had a hot bowl of Chef Boyardee waiting for you, it was your lucky day. “I once ate nine cans of his ravioli and then passed out in my hashish paved driveway. It wasn’t the greatest meal, but it got the job done,” says a Reddit user reminiscing on the nostalgia of the greatest pasta to ever exist.
Handi-Snacks
You may have had zero idea what kind of processed cheese-like stuff was used in Handi-Snacks, but I promise, the taste did not disappoint.
Yoplait Trix Yogurt
Trix yogurt was discontinued in 2013, but after a few long years, it finally made a reappearance just recently!
This article was originally published on
