junk food - Retroland

Snack Pack

If you ever sliced open your tongue while desperately trying to lick the last remaining morsels of pudding from a pull-top lid, it is safe to say that you might remember a childhood delight of the 70s and beyond called Snack Pack. Introduced in 1969, they remain a staple of lunchboxes (or brown bags, if you prefer) to this day.

Hostess Cupcakes

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Always moist, always yummy, always with precisely seven squiggles of white icing atop a bed of chocolate icing, filled with a dollop of rich vanilla cream. That’s right, it’s the chocolatey goodness that could only be a Hostess Cupcake, a treat coveted by every youth that ever set eyes on that squiggly stripe that distinguished it from all other inferior cupcakes. And only time will tell if we ever see these beloved snacks occupy a store shelf again.

Otter Pops

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At the end of the 1960s, technology was advancing at a breathtaking pace; changing the way we lived, giving us hope for the future. No, we’re not referring to the Apollo space program. We’re talking about the far more significant invention of the stick-less popsicle. You probably know these colorful treats by one of two names, Fla-Vor-Ice, or the more common Otter Pops.

Screaming Yellow Zonkers

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Sure, when you ponder sweetened popcorn snacks, you might immediately think of the iconic Cracker Jack, the boxed treat that has been forever linked with America’s favorite pastime. But not everyone enjoys peanuts mixed with their popcorn, and in the 60s, a company called Lincoln Snacks introduced a clever and humorous alternative to the beloved Cracker Jack. Given the name, Screaming Yellow Zonkers, it was clear out of the gate that this decidedly different concoction might not be taking themselves all too seriously. That didn’t stop millions from embracing this popcorn treat that dared to be different.

Drake’s Cakes

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When one thinks of individually packaged snack cakes, the first word that probably comes to mind is “Hostess.” But for those who grew up on the East Coast of the United States, there has always been an equally-loved underdog known as Drake’s Cakes. For those east coasters who have relocated to places where their beloved Devil Dogs and Yodels are no longer available, Hostess snacks are considered a substandard substitute for the treats they hold dear to their heart.

Fluffernutter

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It’s a snack so decadent that one might immediately assume that the King of Rock and Roll first concocted it. Two simple slices of bread, coated with equal and generous amounts of peanut butter and a delightful product called Marshmallow Fluff. To many kids of generations past, it was the perfect afterschool snack; to those with less-nutritionally-minded parents, it was occasionally a resident of the lunchbox. And, to anyone who ever had the privilege of crossing paths with a Fluffernutter, it was a sandwich that seemed as if it was created through divine intervention.

Girl Scout Cookies

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What sort of ogre could look a smiling little girl in the eye and refuse her a cookie sale? Luckily for the Girl Scouts of America, it would appear that these monsters are few and far between. For nearly a century, we have anxiously awaited their annual arrival, and gobbled up these tasty treats to the tune of 200 million boxes sold each year.

Hershey’s Syrup

Klondike

King Ding Dong

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He was the regal mascot for the crown jewels of crème filled treats, living high on a hill in his chocolate castle surrounded by the obligatory fudge-filled moat. Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing His Royal Highness – King Ding Dong. Let’s take a look back at this beloved Hostess mascot from yesteryear.