4 Iconic '80s Snacks That Still Taste Like Nostalgia

Comfort foods from childhood combine flavor and scent to create lasting memories, whichresearchers callnostalgia triggered by food. Many kids from the '80s can still recall the taste of 1984 Cup-O-Noodles (the 'O' hadn't been simplified yet).

If you ever had a beloved childhood snack, like Fruit Roll-Ups, and they altered the recipe, you understand how powerful the sense of taste can be on the human mind. Another bad change was switching from natural extracts to artificial flavors that were more popular in the '80s. You could clearly detect the difference in the lingering chemical aftertaste.

The Jolly Rancher lost its original charm after that budget-friendly change in 1983. (Some members of Generation X still look at it with a skeptical eye)former confectionery company Leaf International.) If only we had recognized the value of freeze-drying candy back then, we could have made a fortune with a bag of original Jolly Ranchers. Add a new package of pre-1985 nacho cheese Doritos and these other classic '80s snacks that still linger in our memories, and we'd be set for life.

Here are four legendary childhood treats from the '80s that we can still savor in our memories:

1. Trumpets and Jell-O ice pops

Life coach Stephanie Lazzaramisses Bugles and Fruit Wrinkles, and career counselorEllen KamarasLiked Nerds, Jell-O pudding pops, and Cheese-Balls. The '80s had plenty of imaginative snack titles.

Crazy!, Astro-pops, Wax Lips, Pop Rocks, Tato Skins, and Big League Chew. These 1980s snacks were named based on their shape, feel, or double meaning, providing a treat along with a little laughter.

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2. The Marathon chocolate bar

One thing that every '80s child recalls is being made to go grocery shopping with a parent. There was also a common rule: if you behaved well and didn't request anything during the whole trip, you might, just possibly, be given a candy bar at the register.

The candy bars were a favorite among kids from the '80s because they were an actual treat. Purchasing a candy bar wasn't something that happened daily. You needed to have money, and most of us didn't. Many of the children I knew growing up relied on food stamps, which often meant receiving a piece of government cheese instead of a candy bar. Unless a relative gave you a quarter.

The only snack I remember from the '80s that you really had to be around to experience was The Marathon Bar, which was unfortunately discontinued in 1981. It was the longest candy bar in the entire world! Eight inches of soft caramel wrapped in Mars chocolate. You had to be wealthy to afford one, since other chocolate bars cost between five and twenty cents. This one was thirty cents. It was premium candy, our equivalent of caviar.

A nearly one-foot-long delight, a true American classic. It hit the mark as the chocolate melted beautifully into a gooey texture that lasted longer than the caramel Sugar Daddy.

3. Bagel Bites

Therapist Gloria Brameadmits, I can't claim I long for them, but I would purchase a box of Bagel Bites just to check if they were as bad as I believe they are now. It was unavoidable that the pizza trend would extend to every type of pre-made bread available. At home, people were already trying out cheese and ketchup on English muffins and toasted white bread. At my house, the fact that "bagel" was part of the name made it feel slightly more acceptable to eat them!

Numerous frozen pizza snacks from the 1980s, including Bagel Bites, Jeno's Pizza Rolls, and Pizza Sanditos, were quite unappealing. The cheese was rubbery, the sauce resembled sweet ketchup with "Italian seasoning," and the pepperoni looked and tasted nothing like real meat. However, they had two significant advantages: they could be stored in the freezer (making them simple to prepare) and they still resembled pizza enough to entice people to heat them up and eat them. I don't really miss those snacks. But I do miss being young enough to think they tasted amazing.

4. Mallomars

Life coach Susan Allantakes us a little further back to the mid-1950s. Before her family's housekeeper came, her snacks consisted of Mallomars or powdered donuts with lemonade. And to add to the mystery, her father was actually a well-known doctor. However, it's clear he wasn't paying attention to his daughter's breakfast choices.

Now, we are set to lose Minute Maid frozen juiceA nostalgic longing for the future will be felt in the years ahead. We will miss those mornings when we took a deep breath and released a memory, the scent of citrusy syrup filling our noses as the concentrate settled into a plastic pitcher. Then came the splash of tap water with a faint hint of copper piping. We truly cherished the smell of frozen concentrate in the morning.

The tastes from the '80s remain on a faulty taste bud that was unintentionally triggered to remember a forgotten flavor mix. This isn't a bad thing: Athe connection between food and emotions exploredHow food-related nostalgia helps us connect with others and preserve our identity over time. So, if you smell just right, you can still taste those greasy Doritos and realize that today's Takis-inspired flavors have permanently altered how a chip feels in your mouth.

Will Curtis serves as the expert editor for YourTango. With more than 14 years of experience in editing, Will specializes in topics such as relationships, spirituality, and human interest stories.

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