Iconic Foods From The 1980s That You Totally Forgot About
By Jack Ripley | May 17, 2024
A Knockout Crunch: Mr. T Cereal
When some people picture the 1980s, they think about bright neon colors or wood paneling and other leftovers from the 1970s. For others, though, the decade was all about the food. Those of us who grew up in the 80s remember the snacks our moms set out after school and sent in our lunch boxes. From sweet and sugary drinks to dishes that used the then state-of-the-art microwaves, the food had everyone salivating and begging for more. Take a walk back in time with the foods that everyone loved in the 1980s.
You have to pity the fool who doesn't remember Mr. T Cereal. Mr. T was a cultural icon. Discovered during a contest for bar bouncers, he parlayed his fame into a role on “The A-Team” and even his own cartoon. Quaker Oats worked out a licensing deal with him, making Mr. T the first celebrity with a cereal. Mr. T Cereal hit the market in 1984 and quickly became a bestseller. Included in each box was a sheet of exclusive stickers.
The downfall of the cereal relates to two things: its commercials and sugar content. Parents questioned the ads, which often ran during morning cartoon blocks, and marketed the cereal to kids. Mr. T often told kids they could team up with him by buying his cereal. Once reports showed the large amounts of sugar in each serving, the end was near. The cereal left shelves in the early 1990s.
Slimer's Official Juice: Ecto Cooler
While the studio behind “Ghostbusters” expected viewers to love the team, they loved Slimer even more. The funny and goofy green ghost was easy to love, which is what led him to get his own drink. Made by Hi-C, Ecto Cooler came out in 1989 and quickly became a hit. Known as much for its tangerine flavor as it was for the dripping ectoplasm design on the front, it stuck around long after the films left theaters.
Many people don't know that Ecto Cooler stayed around even longer, albeit with some name changes. It became Shoutin' Orange Tangerine and later Crazy Citrus Cooler. In addition to the name change, it also lost its signature green color. Ecto Cooler came back in 2016 for the new “Ghostbusters” film and found a whole new legion of fans before it sadly disappeared from store shelves again.
Is It Bacon?: It's Sizzlean
The health craze of the 1970s carried over into the 1980s, bringing with it products like Sizzlean. Citing the need for an alternative to bacon, Swift & Co. came up with a product that tasted the same as bacon but was better for you. Commercials claimed it had more than 60% less fat and was also easier to cook. Originally made from both pork and turkey, the company later released a beef version with a meatier flavor.
Though Sizzlean had some fans, it never quite broke the traditional bacon barrier. Fans of chewy bacon loved it, but others wished it crisped up more in the pan. ConAgra Foods later acquired the company and began closing some of its divisions, including Sizzlean. You'll find a similar flavor profile and texture today when you buy turkey bacon.
Not an Enchilada, Not Quite a Burrito: The Taco Bell Enchirito
The Taco Bell of the 1980s looked very different compared to the chain today. Its menu included fewer options and dishes that made use of limited ingredients. One menu option fans still talk about is the Enchirito. Some restaurants in the chain added the dish in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, but it didn't go nationwide until the 80s. Though it sounds simple, it was delicious. Taco Bell mixed onions and ground beef with pinto beans and added it inside a tortilla before rolling it and coating the tortilla with olives, shredded cheese, and its signature red sauce.
Making the Enchirito even better was the metal tray it sat inside. The tray retained heat to keep the tortilla hot. Discontinued in 1993, the Enchirito popped up a few times on the menu, including for a month in 2023. While some fans miss the old metal tray and the olives on top, others eagerly await its next return.
A Bottle of Fun: Squeezits
Known as both Squeez It and Sqeezits, this popular juice drink appeared in almost every lunchbox and cafeteria table in the 80s. Who can forget the fun bottles that had a face embossed on the outside? Other packaged drinks at the time came with a small straw that often made a mess when pushed through a tiny opening at the top. Squeezits were different because you popped off the plastic top and squeezed the sides, which caused the juice to rush to the top and into your mouth.
General Mills released Squeezits in 1985 in classic flavors like cherry and orange. Each bottle featured a different character, causing kids to pick their favorites. In later years, the drink came with a small disc that kids added to the bottle to change the drink's color. Though Squeezits popped up a few times over the years, it quietly disappeared for the last time in 2012.
Indulgence in a Wrapper: Hostess Pudding Pie
Released in 1986, Hostess Pudding Pies offered something a little different. Unlike the fruit pies that were all the rage in past decades, these pies filled a soft and flaky crust with sugary and gooey pudding. Just imagine biting through the crust and feeling the pudding flow over your taste buds. Hostess later took things a step further with Pudding Pies by coating them in a rich and delicious layer of chocolate.
Even if you don't remember the classic Pudding Pie, you might remember the Hostess Ninja Turtle Pie, named in honor of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All the classic ingredients were there: gooey pudding and the flaky crust. Hostess used vanilla pudding inside and added a unique green coating to the outside that appealed to fans of all ages. Fans still miss all versions of the pie and request Hostess bring it back.
A Treat From an Alien Planet: Quisp Cereal
Only in the 80s could a company base an entire product line around a fictional alien. Quisp was a little pink creature from another planet who came to Earth and engaged in competitions with a burly man named Quake. Introduced in the 1960s, the cereal used commercials that featured voice actors from “Rocky and Bullwinkle” to appeal to kids. Quisp became even more popular in the 70s and 80s due to the commercials that ran on Saturday mornings.
Looking back, Qusip didn't use a lot of unique ingredients: corn flour, brown sugar, and white sugar. Somehow, the whimsical pieces shaped like spaceships enticed an entire generation of kids. When Quaker Oats pulled it from shelves, fans begged the company to bring it back, which led to the cereal popping up online under the tagline: the first internet cereal.
A Burst of Flavor: Fruit Wrinkles
Fruit snacks were king in school cafeterias in the 1980s. Kids fought over which ones were the best and often traded their friends for their favorite colors and flavors. While there was a lot of competition on the market, Fruit Wrinkles reigned supreme. Unlike other fruit snacks that almost melted in the mouth, Fruit Wrinkles had a harder consistency that made them feel like candy. If there's one thing kids love more than anything else, it's candy.
Introduced in 1986, Fruit Wrinkles were a snack parents loved as much as their kids. Betty Crocker ran ads under its Fruit Corners line that touted the benefits of the Vitamin C found in every bite. Available in orange, strawberry, cherry, and other flavors, Fruit Wrinkles came in simple white packages with bright zigzags. It's not surprising that many remember the packaging as much as the snack.
Level Up at Breakfast: Pac-Man Cereal
It's hard to imagine the hold that video games had over us in the 1980s. From Atari to Nintendo, it seemed like every home had at least one console. While there were some popular characters, none were as popular as Pac-Man. Almost every restaurant and arcade had a Pac-Man machine, which led to General Mills giving him a cereal. Released in 1983, the Pac-Man cereal offered all the fun of the game at home.
Inside each box were crunchy nuggets shaped like the ghosts that chased him around the screen: Inky, Pinky, Clyde, and Blinky. Adding to the cereal were adorable marshmallows in a Pac-Man shape. To keep up with the times, General Mills made a few changes, including larger Super Pac-Man marshmallows and marshmallows with a pink bow to represent Ms. Pac-Man. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and Pac-Man Cereal was gone by the end of the decade.
Sweet Chilly Goodness: Jell-O Pudding Pops
I scream, you scream, we all scream for...Jell-O Pudding Pops? A favorite treat back in the 80s, these frozen pops were so popular that there are still dozens of petitions from fans to bring them back. Jell-O already had a lock on the jiggly food market when it decided to introduce a new frozen treat. Though many people claim it took years to perfect the recipe, it was essentially just pudding poured into a mold and frozen.
Though introduced in the 1970s, the 80s generation made the product a fan favorite. Originally available in just chocolate and vanilla, Pudding Pops would later pop in unique flavors along with a chocolate and vanilla swirl. Though Jell-O Pudding Pops ceased production in 2010 due to a lack of public interest, it's still easy to find replica recipes online.
Bold and Beautiful: Tri-Color Pasta Salad
From church and school picnics to potlucks, every table included a tri-color pasta salad. The recipe was so simple that anyone could make it, which might explain why the dish was so popular. It used three different colors of pasta with some fresh veggies and a simple dressing. While some moms went all out with oil and vinegar dressings, most remember using bottled Italian salad dressing. It even occasionally included pepperoni and cheese.
To make things even easier for busy working parents, General Mills launched the Suddenly Salad line in the 1980s. Not only did the box come with pasta and a dressing packet, but it also featured dehydrated veggies. Cook the pasta while mixing the seasoning packet with oil before draining the pasta and mixing the ingredients. Suddenly Salad is still available in stores, giving you the chance to recreate this 80s sensation.
Handheld Goodness in a Can: Manwich
What do you get when you cross man and sandwich? A Manwich! Invented in the late 1960s, it became popular in the 80s among parents who wanted to get a quick dinner on the table. Unlike other packaged foods that required a lot of ingredients or steps, Manwich needed just a pan and some ground beef. Cook and drain the beef, toss in the can, and let simmer until dinner time. For quick sloppy joes, nothing does the job better or faster.
Though Manwich used a tomato base, it also included a blend of proprietary ingredients to give it a unique flavor. Small pieces of onions and peppers are visible in almost every bite. Not a fan of sloppy joes? Use it as a barbecue sauce, to top fries, or in dozens of other ways. Manwich is still available in stores today and even comes in different flavors.
A Twist on Orange Juice: Orange Julius
Anyone who hung out at the mall in the 1980s will remember the Orange Julius name. This drink shop was a staple at malls across the country. The signature Orange Julius was unique and offered something different when compared to the typical restaurants. Made from frozen orange juice, milk, ice, sugar, and a touch of vanilla, it's a drink you taste once and never forget.
Julius Freed designed the original recipe for a customer at his orange juice stand who couldn't handle its acid. It became so popular that he opened more shops and later franchised the brand. In 1998, new owners bought the company and merged it with Dairy Queen. You can now grab a Dilly Bar and an Orange Julius at the same time. Stop by and grab one to recreate the fun you had during your mall rat days.
Caffeine and Sugar Overload: Jolt Cola
Mountain Dew may have a lot of caffeine, but its caffeine content pales in comparison to Jolt Cola. Many games fondly remember downing a six-pack or a 2-liter during an epic gaming session in the 80s. Introduced in 1985, Jolt Cola quickly became known for its tagline: all the sugar and twice the caffeine. Jolt 25 came out in 1987 due to growing concerns about the amount of sugar in soda. This version used NutraSweet and had fewer calories, serving as the brand's diet drink.
Jolt Cola made some big changes to remain active in the market, including adding new flavors. Those changes didn't have much success, though, as the company filed for bankruptcy in the 2000s. While Jolt bounced back in 2017, some fans claim it just doesn't taste the same. Maybe you need a CRT connected to an Atari to appreciate the distinctive flavor of Jolt Cola.
Bubblegum Bonus: Good Humor Fat Frogs
Not everyone is lucky enough to live in an area where the Good Humor Ice Cream truck swings by. Even those who visit the truck will find one product missing from the cardboard window: Fat Frog. After a long day of running around and playing outside, nothing tasted better than that first bite of cold ice cream. For many, the only thing better than a strawberry shortcake bar was a Fat Frog bar.
Made from a mix of citrus fruits, Fat Frog was a stocky little bright green frog-shaped ice cream treat on a stick. Adding to the fun ice cream were two gumballs that served as his eyes. Sadly for Fat Frog, he lost his place on the truck when Good Humor replaced him with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bars.
Festival of Citrus Flavor: Five Alive
Get your five with Five Alive is something kids and their parents said when Minute Maid introduced Five Alive to store shelves. At the time, frozen concentrate was the main juice kids drank. Only the lucky ones enjoyed fresh or packaged juice. Known as much for its distinctive carton as its taste, Five Alive appealed to people of all ages. Each carton featured images of the fruit juices used inside on a black background.
'80s kids will likely remember the Citrus flavor, which included tangerine, lime, orange, grapefruit, and lemon juices. Originally released in cans, it later came in cartons and other flavors like Mango Citrus and Snow Crop. Five Alive was even available as a bubblegum for those times when you couldn't grab a drink. Minute Maid later became part of Coca-Cola, which stopped producing Five Alive in the United States.
A Candy to Go Crazy For: Bonkers!
Bonkers! - always with an exclamation point – was a popular alternative to gum and hard candy. Though it sat on shelves right next to gum and Life Savers, it was completely different. Each roll came packed with multiple hard candies, each with a flavorful filling inside. Commercials showed people eating the candy and going bonkers when the filling exploded in their mouths. Fans always had a favorite flavor, which started with fruit options like watermelon, grape, and strawberry. Bonkers! later released a chocolate version, too.
By the end of the decade, the candy was just a memory for many – or in the case of the commercials, a fever dream. Bonkers! were still available in some markets but later disappeared from stores. Leaf Brands introduced a whole new generation to the brand when it brought the candy back in 2016 in both classic and new flavors.
Quick and Easy: Micro Magic Burgers and Fries
It's hard to picture a time without microwaves, but it wasn't until the 1980s that they became affordable enough for most homes. With so many people looking for ways to use the appliance, it's not shocking that several brands jumped into the market. One of the top was Micro Magic and its line of frozen foods that included burgers and fries. The brand even introduced the concept of baking trays inside the packaging. This tray promised to make the fries come out crispy and the burgers juicy, but they often resulted in soggy fries and overcooked burgers.
Many fans loved how easily they could use them. You opened the box, pulled back the tray to face the metallic side up, pop them in the microwave, and have a meal in under five minutes. Micro Magic even added shakes and cheeseburgers to its lineup. The line slowly disappeared between the inconsistent cooking and the rise of other microwave foods.
Hot Sandwich Comin' Up: Chefwich
As the Micro Magic picture reminds us of the joy of microwave cooking, the Chefwich might bring back even more memories. Think about it as an early version of the Hot Pockets you downed in college. Just like Hot Pockets, these microwave sandwiches also came in many standard and unique flavors. As a bonus, they also came in flavors suitable for eating any hour of the day or night. The brand even released some breakfast sandwiches.
While microwave food isn't a big deal today, things were different in the 80s. Chefwich gave adults and kids an easy way to make the sandwiches they bought in restaurants. Many fans remember options like cheeseburgers, but the lineup also included Italian and even Mexican flavors. The next time you pop in a Hot Pocket, pay your respects to the poor old Chefwich that ended its run in the 90s.
It's What's on the Inside: Keebler Magic Middles
It's almost impossible to think of grocery store cookies without throwing Keebler in the mix. The adorable little elf mascots are almost as prevalent on television today as they were back in the 80s. One cookie that fans still miss is the Keebler Magic Middles. Keebler took the classic shortbread cookie and added a unique twist: rich fudge on the inside. To make things even better, the company later added a peanut butter filling, giving cookie fans two delicious options.
Rumors run rampant about what happened to Magic Middles. Kellogg's later obtained Keebler and made some big changes, which included discontinuing the cookies. Some claim it took too much work to make them or that Kellogg's wanted to use the machinery for other products. Though the cookies later came in other options like chocolate chip, Keebler Magic Middles left the world for good in 2001.
