Thinking Old-School: Classic Snacks to Make You a Hit at Lunchtime

You remember those days. Your lunch was inexplicably at 10:55 a.m. (OK, maybe it was a bit later, my memory has fogged after all these years). You ran to the cafeteria starving because it felt like you had been up for days. You opened your lunch box or bag to see what your mom or dad had packed you. The sandwich was never important. It was always about the snack.

The guys at Thrillist.com remember these days well, too. In a nostalgic and hilarious post from Sept. 7, they take us back to the days of junior high and middle school and “power rank” the snacks of the 80s and 90s. Take note, Moms and Dads. These could make you a hit at lunch with your kids! 

Making the list were:

• Pretzel sticks — The pretzel version of “phoning it in.” (So true, guys, so true. I mean, you don’t even need a baggie for these babies.)
• Donettes — I admit: I was always really happy when these suckers made it into my lunch. Particularly when they were powdered. I liked my donuts old-school. None of that chocolate-covered stuff. (Not that I have anything against chocolate. Really, my blood type is actually Chocolate Positive.)
• Goldfish — Thrillist defines the old-school Goldfish simply: “Plain meant your mom didn't love you; Cheddar meant you were normal; Parmesan meant your grandparents were kind of Italian.”
• Fruit by the Foot — Seriously, just how many feet were in the fruit by the foot?
• Fruit Pies — Even as a child, I think I knew I shouldn’t be eating an entire fruit pie at lunch. But, they were so tasty… 

To see what else made the list of the Top 25 snacks, you must check out the Thrillist.com post.

What snacks do you remember most from your lunches? What snacks are you putting in your kids’ lunches today? Do they still make Fruit by the Foot or Dunkaroos? Are we too old to eat them?!