12 Forgotten Sweet Snacks From The '70s That Deserve A Revival

12 Forgotten Sweet Snacks From The '70s That Deserve A Revival For those of us who grew up in the 1970s, a lot of the foods we ate seemed to consistently follow the same themes. From our music, sports, and fixation with space travel to a wave of unique (now-forgotten) kitchen gadgets and easy-to-find, processed, individually wrapped snacks that began to be seen in stores, these themes affected the foods we ate on a regular basis. And though many of the sweet snacks we enjoyed then are no longer available, die-hard fans who are nostalgic for those 70s vibes repeatedly say they'd love to see them return. For many of us, our mothers were, for the first time, joining the workforce, leaving us children at home to fend for ourselves after school. This resulted in a growing reliance on convenience foods — items that were processed and then frozen, dehydrated, or canned, making food preparation easier than ever before. Many myths about nutrition prevailed, such as the idea that high-fructose corn syrup — a shelf-stable, more affordable alternative to sugar that helped make processed sweet treats abundant on grocery shelves — seemed natural and therefore not unhealthy. And the nation's role in space exploration and a fascination with certain sports heroes affected our lives in many ways. Their effects could be seen in the hugely popular treats we enjoyed in that decade. Here are a dozen often-forgotten sweet snacks from the 70s that deserve a revival. Carnation Breakfast Bars One result of an increasing number of parents joining the workforce and students being on the go or left on their own was the rise of meal-replacement foods. Carnation was a leader in this space, first by introducing the Instant Breakfast, a powdered, flavored milk product containing vitamins and other nutrients people needed to start their day. Customers would just stir water into the powder and drink their breakfast, believing it was more nutritious than other foods. Then, in 1975, the company introduced a similar concept with its Carnation Breakfast Bars. Though the "health" aspects were appealing at the time, what really drew fans was the fact that they were convenient, chewy chocolate. It was like eating a candy bar for breakfast, but people could feel good about it because they believed they were making a nutritious choice. In fact, even the ads claimed that the bars provided the same nutritional value as a meal of poached egg, toast, bacon, and orange juice. So whatever happened to Carnation Breakfast Bars? Their appeal eventually wore off in the early '90s as nutrition guidance changed and increased competition made the bars seem less exciting. They were discontinued in 1997 (after a brief brand refresh in 1994), but fans still clamor for that tasty, chocolatey combination of convenience and nutrition they remember. Jell-O Pudding Pops Perhaps one of the most popular vintage frozen treats that fans wish would return is Jell-O Pudding Pops. Of course, by the 1970s, the Jell-O brand had been a household name for two decades, appearing in artfully shaped molds, an array of salads that looked a lot different than they are today, frozen TV dinners, and more. But once the company took its beloved creamy snack, pudding, and froze it on a stick, they had a mega hit on their hands. Admittedly, Pudding Pops really took off in the 80s, with "America's dad" Bill Cosby of "The Cosby Show" (way before his legal troubles) as their spokesperson, appearing in TV commercials, making it a popular after-school snack that kids loved in the 1980s. But the concept was first introduced in the '70s in the test market of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They were marketed as a healthier alternative to ice cream, and they were much creamier and richer than Fudgsicles, a similar ice pop product. And though they sold well, the Kraft company, which owned Jell-O, pulled the snack line, citing overall declining sales due to increased competition. Fortunately, numerous copycat recipes online abound for those craving Pudding Pops, as do repeated calls on social media for the product's return. Marathon Bar Many nostalgic snackers still say the Marathon Bar (known in the UK as the Curly Wurly, Marathon's predecessor) was their favorite candy bar. Packaged inside a wrapper that actually featured a ruler to prove its impressive 8-inch length, the Marathon Bar was touted as the candy bar that couldn't fit on a shelf, thereby requiring its own display. The bar itself was simple, just caramel wrapped in chocolate, but rather than a solid, rectangular bar, the Marathon was designed so that the candy was thin and then braided, giving it textural appeal. Plus, its advertising featured a cowboy named Marathon John embarking on adventures and stopping villains, which kids also ate up. But in 1981, the bar was discontinued. Reasons cited by the company and historians have been vague and somewhat varied. They included low revenues when compared to smaller bars; increased competition for what was, basically, a simple bar; the too-chewy nature of the caramel; and a lack of enthusiasm for the braided design. But fans with fond memories, take note: Cadbury still manufactures and sells Curly Wurlys, which are also 8 inches long and are sold in the UK but can be imported through online retailers. Space Dust Sizzling Candy Space was big business in the 1970s. Kids who'd excitedly watched the Apollo mission, the first moon walk, the Voyager probes, and the beginnings of the "reusable" space shuttle program grew up fascinated with space travel. Filmmakers, TV studios, and publishing houses cranked out a plethora of space-focused science fiction stories, from "Lost in Space" to "Star Wars" and "Doctor Who." Even snack makers got in on the action. One such snack that is still fondly remembered is Space Dusty Sizzling Candy. Made by General Foods, the candy looked a lot like the Pop Rocks many of us are familiar with. It was sold in colorful packets, with each flavor featuring a different planet with a large, bizarre face, with its mouth open to expel sparkling space dust. The dust itself was the product of a failed experiment to create an instant soda mix by capturing carbon dioxide in candy tablets. Though the soda never took off, the dust, which crackled and popped on the tongue, was an intriguing hit among kids. The name was eventually changed to "Cosmic Candy" after parents complained that "Space Dust" sounded too much like a dangerous street drug. That was the beginning of the end. By the late '70s, rumors began circulating that eating too many of the popping candies and pairing it with soda would explode in your stomach, causing death. Even though the rumor wasn't true, it was too late. Space Dust was ... well, dust. Koogle In the middle of the 20th century, the peanut butter sandwich went from a popular food to an icon. That's when the United States military, during World War II, saw meat being rationed and turned to peanut butter, with its high protein content and long shelf life, as an ideal replacement meal for soldiers. Peanut butter became part of the military's ration menu, and the sandwich became an iconic convenient snack. But in 1971, Kraft took that concept even further with the introduction of Koogle, its 60% peanut-based spread (not to be confused with peanut butter, which by law must contain 90% peanuts) that came in four flavors: banana, chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon. The memorable sugary treat was packaged in jars that featured an equally memorable googly-eyed character (maybe a peanut?). And though it was quite popular, that peanut percentage ultimately led to its demise. "Consumer Reports" published data about the product, stating that it was a nutritional nightmare. Regardless of whether it was as bad as the report claimed, Koogle's fate was sealed: It was pulled from shelves by 1978. Fans remember snacking on this nostalgic peanut butter spread fondly and still talk about it online, with whole forums dedicated to demands for its return. Space Food Sticks Another snack product resulting from America's fascination with space was Space Food Sticks. The snack was actually created by a food technology expert, snack-maker Pillsbury's own Howard Bauman, out of an interest in producing food that could be taken to space. The sweet treats, which were uniquely chewy and sweet, similar to Tootsie Rolls, were marketed as satisfying energy sticks, a "balanced nutrition food" that could quell hunger and provide long-lasting energy, thanks to the sticks' high protein content and comparatively low calorie count. Space Food Sticks came in multiple flavors: chocolate, chocolate mint, peanut butter, chocolate malt, and orange. And because they were individually wrapped, they appealed to people with an on-the-go lifestyle. So why did they disappear? The space race excitement died down, leading the company to change the name to the unappetizing "Food Sticks." Tastes changed, and new, portable, nutritious snacks came on the market. By the 1980s, they were gone. Banana Flip They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's true, people must really have loved Nickles' Banana Flip, the cream-filled, banana-flavored sandwich snack cake with the distinctive taco-like shape. Afterward, there are legions of fans offering copycat recipes online and asking where to find them on Reddit. Unlike other snack cakes that were chocolate and vanilla, the Nickles snack was banana-flavored sponge cake with a creamy banana filling inside, helping them stand apart from others on the market. The direct reasoning behind Banana Flip's eventual demise in the early 2000s is still unclear; the general consensus is that changing customer preferences, market trends, declining sales, production costs, and shifting food manufacturer priorities all contributed. However, in addition to abundant recipes online to help you recreate the snack, you might find something similar in stores. Online forums suggest that Little Debbie's Banana Puddin' Crème Pies are a decent substitute. Some fans spread (unconfirmed) rumors of rare sightings in stores such as Woolworth's and occasional availability elsewhere. Screaming Yellow Zonkers Popcorn snacks have been a mainstay in the snack aisle for decades. Whether savory (Smart Food) or sweet (Cracker Jack), popcorn is appealing as a portable, relatively healthy, lightweight, versatile snack option. But for many nostalgic fans, one reigns supreme: Screaming Yellow Zonkers. Zonkers captured fans of caramel corn who didn't like the heavy chew or the nuts that came with Cracker Jacks and similar products. The popcorn was coated in a light, yellow, buttery-sugary glaze that wasn't as sticky as caramel, making for a snack that could be called kettle corn's predecessor, with its appealingly light sweetness and crackly texture. Bright yellow in color and packaged in a distinctive black box (the maker claims it was the first), the snack was really the first in modern history to have a box that was just as appealing as its contents. In fact, one specially designed circus box is on display in The Louvre in Paris. The bright primary-colored font and humorous copy and illustrations produced by advertising pro Allan Katz made consumers eager to pick up the next box. Although it was discontinued in 2007 when maker Lincoln Foods sold to ConAgra, the new owner reintroduced them, on a recurring, limited basis, in 2012, specifically for Walgreens. Chocodiles Imagine one of the oldest and most popular snack cakes, Hostess Twinkies, coated in rich fudge. Now, imagine you're a kid in the 1970s who thought you couldn't possibly make one of that period's most popular snacks, the Twinkie, any better. Now you understand the appeal of the Chocodile. These individually wrapped cakes had a friendly mascot, Chauncey the Chocodile, and were larger than today's Twinkies, at 2 ounces (versus today's 1.45), which is why its tagline was "It takes a while to eat a Chocodile." The snack was quite popular — so much so that when it was briefly discontinued in the 1980s, consumers spoke up, and Hostess brought them back due to popular demand. They remained a mainstay of Hostess' lineup until 2012. Customers were not happy. In fact, demand was so great that they actually sold for $30 or $40 a box on some online merchants' sites, and black-market scammers took advantage of fans' appetite for the snacks. Hostess did reintroduce Twinkies, though the consensus is that the cakes don't taste as good as they used to, and chocolate-covered Twinkies in 2014, yet fans swear they pale in comparison to Chocodiles. Jell-O 1-2-3 That's right, Jell-O wasn't just responsible for one of our old snack favorites. In addition to its Pudding Pops, the layered snack 1-2-3 was a popular '70s treat. It felt like a sort of magic to folks at home, who, with a simple box of powdered mix, could add boiling water and blend, and within three hours have a three-layered, parfait-style dessert. Billed as "Gelatin with Two Toppings," its layers consisted of a standard, jiggly Jell-o, then a creamy custard layer, then a foamy topping similar to mousse. Its air of fanciness even led it to be the subject of a joke on the TV sitcom "The Nanny," in which the lead character said she'd saved a box "for a special occasion." How did it work? The blending process incorporated air into the gelatin, causing different densities to separate into layers. Some say it requires a lot more precision than that. But whatever the science behind it, Jell-O 1-2-3 was popular not only because of its appealing presentation but also its variety of flavors. It often was served at birthday parties or other events. But, like most Jell-O products, it eventually fell out of favor and was discontinued in the late '90s. Those craving the unusual, layered snack might want to try turning Jell-O into a fluffy dessert by adding Greek yogurt. Or check out Kraft's similar, layered recipe online, which claims it's "easy as 1, 2, 3." Reggie! Bar Few baseball heroes have had such notoriety that food items were created in their honor. Sure, Wheaties cereal capitalized on such heroes on a temporary basis. But in 1977, after slugger Reggie Jackson helped lead the Yankees to their first World Series title in 15 years, Indiana-based Wayne Bun Candy Company made the Reggie! Bar in his honor. Of course, it helped that Jackson himself had told the press the previous year that a shot at playing for New York would help him become enough of a superstar to earn his own bar. The Reggie! Bar, in its bright-orange packaging (in homage to the Astros), debuted in 1978 on opening day at Yankee Stadium, where every fan who walked through the doors received one. Of course, the candy bar itself was simple enough — just roasted peanuts, caramel, and chocolate, like plenty of other candy bars on the market. But it was the nostalgia and player fandom that made it a huge hit, not to mention the collector's baseball card inside. Then, in 1981, Jackson signed with the California Angels and his iconic candy bar, forever viewed as a symbol of his Yankee days, went with him. Fortunately, those who missed it saw its return: A Canadian family who loved the bar brought it back in 2023, and you can even order them online from the maker or buy them at the Houston Astros ballpark, where Jackson works as a consultant. Seven Up Candy Bars In line with the popular more-is-better trend of the 1970s, with its extra-long, extra-colorful, many-flavored snacks, is the Seven Up candy car. While most candy bars committed to one flavor combo, Seven Up went for broke with seven horizontally placed flavor blocks in one row of the bar. As the packaging shows in its picture of a cross-section, the candy bar contained mint, nougat, butterscotch, fudge, coconut, buttercream, and caramel fillings, all separately placed in their own chambers. (The flavors changed a few times throughout its history.) In essence, you could have seven candies for the price of one. The bar was developed in the 1930s and was quite popular for being wholly unlike any others on the market. Its popularity was further cemented by another sports hero's endorsement; Babe Ruth (who went on to get his own candy bar) lent his name to the candy. Eventually, Seven Up's flavors evolved, with peanut butter, fruit fillings, and marshmallow substituting some of the less-popular fillings. But believe it or not, it was the name that is believed to have led to the bar's downfall in 1979. The maker of 7Up soda, The American Bottling Company, had deep pockets and first dibs on the name. Its lawyers went after the candy-bar maker, Pearson Candy Company, with a trademark dispute over the name. Pearson lacked the will and the money to fight it, so the bar was discontinued. A similar, four-chambered bar, Sky Bar, may be the closest substitute.