It’s back to school season! June at this time is often cold and rainy and just the right amount of somber to signal the beginning of another school year. But worry not! It also means that we get to bust out our lunchboxes and snack on some treats between classes. Recess and lunch were my personal favorite periods, mostly because of all the food I got to eat!
For many of us, it’s been a while since we had this time to sit down and feel the excitement of opening up a lunchbox. We all grew up with some snacks that came and went. Even just remembering some of these snacks is a difficult task as some of them just don’t exist anymore! Here are 11 of them that we might have forgotten over the years! Note: Some of these photos are a little old and not that high-res!
11. Nooda Crunch
This was the stuff people could hear you eating from across the cafeteria. The instructions are still so clear: Crush, open, remove flavoring, add flavoring, and shake. People would come in hoards to get a pinch of the stuff. Also reminds me of how I wouldn’t have the patience to cook instant noodles and just… eat the noodles. This was that but packed with flavor. “Crush, mix, and share”? More like crush, mix, and keep to myself.
10. Tini Wini
I think this stuff started a full-scale Twitter investigation. And when the internet is serious about something, it never quits. As soon as I saw this photo, I had flashbacks to all those recess periods spent cracking one of these open and munching on the tiny cookies. They were all lined up on the plastic and everything. Memories!
9. Iced gem biscuits
Remember when you’d only eat the meringue part of this? Because same. And, eventually, adults would get mad at me for leaving the biscuit parts with slight teeth marks from me scraping off the brightly-colored meringues. The biscuits were good, too, though!
8. Frutos
Aw man, this was like the flat, rectangular version of Fruitella. I loved this stuff even though the wrapping was a little cumbersome. Having it in your lunchbox meant a higher percentage of attracting ants, though. Happened to me all the time. :'( But still, these sweet candies were the perfect end of a great recess!
7. Ri-chee
This stuff was delicious but I wasn’t really sure what it was half the time? The texture was crunchy but it was also milk? Was it cereal in one bite? Mobile breakfast? I was never really sure. But I knew that if I saw this in my lunchbox, I was eating goooood.
6. Cubee
Yo this stuff was magical. All the mobility of a chip and the texture of a chocolate wafer? That was my jam. It’s unjust how I can’t find these anymore. They were innovative, delicious, and the perfect field trip snack. Easier than breaking a wafer apart to share.
5. Snacku
We’re not sure if this is really what they thought vegetables tasted like but none of us were complaining as kids! Snacku was a blast from the past no one was expecting–much like visiting your old grade school and seeing how small the tables are but remembering how you’d bump into them all the time as a kid anyway.
4. Eggnog cookies
I think I erased this from my memory and seeing the packaging awakened something I’d forgotten long, long ago. As soon as I saw it, I could feel the little cookie in my mouth. Plain, simple, but ridiculously addicting. This was the snack you ate to begin recess, to really spice up your appetite and get it ready for the heavier, richer stuff. It was light but still satisfying. And I always found myself reaching the last one before I was ready. :'(
3. Bingo cookies
Specifically the orange one–because it was a weird but welcome twist! There was a tang to the filling that brought an edge to these types of sandwich cookies. Not only that, but it always promised a sweet recess time. The cookie was soft and the filling even softer, taking mercy on your teeth and all the other sweets you’d already eaten.
2. Chips delight (the rainbow version)
Again, specifically this one. The rainbow version was full of candy-coated chocolate bites colored brightly. Not only was it delicious, it was also visually-stunning, getting the attention of everyone in the playground. The only downside is that there were only ever 2 of them in one pack, making the person you shared it with a difficult choice.
1. E-aji
This was brilliant. A fry snack with its own dip all packaged together? Had the components of a delicious, filling recess. This was often the main event. Busting this out meant that you were the hero for the day, delivering flavor and its vessel: the fry. Finishing this up always had its savory satisfaction. We’re glad you existed, e-aji. I miss you so much.
Which one is your favorite childhood snack? Let us know!
