This article was originally published on 24/7Mirror
There are certain things from your childhood that you will always remember. For some, it's the snacks they ate as children that had brightly colored packaging and catchy jingles. Unfortunately, many of the snacks from our childhoods have been discontinued like Wonder Balls and Squeeze It juice. Whether you ate them or just remember the commercials, these nostalgic discontinued foods will transport you back in time for a journey down memory lane.
1. Wonder Ball With A Choking Hazard Inside
Nestle Wonder Balls were one of the most fun and dangerous snacks from the '90s. The chocolate ball was designed like a Kinder Surprise, but it used Disney characters inside.
Wonder Balls were quickly taken off the market because they were a choking hazard. After a few years, the Disney characters were replaced with Spongebob characters, but in 2007 Nestle discontinued them for the last time.
2. Dunk-A-Roos Are Making A Comeback
Cookies? Check. Frosting? Check. Dunk-A-Roos was one of the most popular snacks in the '90s. Anyone who had one of these in their lunch box was harassed with offers to trade because everyone wanted them.
Sadly, in 2012, Dunk-A-Roos disappeared from the supermarket shelves. It was possible to buy them online until recently. However, after eight years, Dunk-A-Roos are making a comeback this summer.
3. Shark Bites Gummies Were The Superior Fruit Snack
While there have been many fruit snacks on the market, Shark Bites were the superior snack of the '90s. They debuted in 1988, but became extremely popular a few years later.
At the peak of popularity, there were special edition Shark Bites like shark teeth shaped ones and cream flavored tiger shark versions.
4. Giggles: A Face You Can Eat
Giggles were a popular snack in the '80s that had different faces on them and were similar to Oreos. People talk about how they had strategic ways of eating their faces, which sounds a little scary.
In the 1990s, Nabisco discontinued Giggles despite the steady sales. People think that these would do well if they were brought back with emoji faces.
5. Nintendo Cereal Is Not Being Sold On Ebay
Nintendo cereal was introduced in 1988, and it contained two bags, one of Super Mario Bros and the other was The Legend of Zelda. Surprisingly, it was discontinued a year later.
If people are still holding on to one of these unopened boxes, they could be with up to $200. The boxes came with Nintendo Power Cards, but people were unimpressed with the flavor.
6. Oatmeal Swirlers Made Oatmeal Exciting
Oatmeal Swirlers brought breakfast to the next level. These were packets of flavored jelly that you could use to flavor your oatmeal and draw fun faces.
Whether you wanted to play a game of tic tac toe or draw a self-portrait, there was enough jelly in these packets to fulfill your inner artist. Unfortunately, all breakfast artists were greatly disappointed when these were discontinued in the mid-90s.
7. Chocolate Ravioli From Little Caesars That Contained 0% Pasta
If you are familiar with Little Caesars Pizzeria, then you will remember their famous chocolate ravioli. These white chocolate shells with milk chocolate centers were widely popular in the '80s and '90s.
The item was removed from the Little Caesars menu, but due to popular demand, they might be making a comeback soon.
8. 3D Doritos Will Forever Be Missed
You might not know this, but Doritos were made accidentally in the 1960s in one of Disneyland's Mexican restaurants. 3D Doritos were made in the '90s but didn't stay on the market for too long.
These puffed up versions of Doritos came in the same signature flavors, and they were discontinued in 2004. Luckily, we still have the original version.
9. Bubble Jug: Because Regular Gum Was Boring
Have you ever wanted to be able to drink bubble gum, but still be able to chew it? Hubba Bubba Bubble Jug was the perfect solution for that. It came in refreshing flavors like watermelon punch and tropical fruit.
The powder the turned into gum was discontinued in 2004 after a child choked on the container. How does that even happen?!
10. Sour Altoids Made Your Mouth Water Before Tasting Them
Hands down, the best flavor of Altoids Sour was the green apple. These candies became a hit when they were introduced in 2004, but sales slowly dwindled, and they disappeared in 2010.
These signature tins can be found in some specialty stores, and private retailers will try to charge you a ridiculous price. Altoid has a 1-800 number you can call if you want them to come back to stores.
11. Ice Cream Pops Inspired By Cartoons But Never Looked Like Them
Who remembers the sound of the ice cream man driving through your neighborhood, and you saw these character ice creams advertised on the truck. Once you opened the packaging, you quickly realized that they never looked like the picture.
Despite how deformed they looked, they tasted delicious, and the eyes were made out of gum, so you got a bonus treat.
12. Oreo O's Cereal Was Created To Start Your Day With A Sugar Rush
In 1997 Oreos were transformed into a breakfast cereal, and children's mornings were never the same. Oreo O's gave you a sugar high to get your day started.
Despite its popularity, parents were not happy with how unhealthy these were, and Post discontinued it. In 2017, Walmart started selling them under a different name.
13. Skittles Bubble Gum Didn't Last Very Long
While Skittles candy has been around since the '70s with many different variations, Skittles gum was only introduced in 2004. They were the same flavors as regular Skittles, but you had to remember not to swallow them.
The flavorful gum was discontinued in 2006 after the company released an extreme version. Both variations lost their flavor quite quickly.
14. Original Crispy M&M's Hit Different
Yes, Crispy M&M's are currently available for purchase, but they are not the same as the original formula. Original Crispy M&M's were introduced in 1999, and they were slightly larger than original M&M's.
The original formula lasted till 2005, and then they were discontinued. In 2015, they were reintroduced to the market with a different recipe.
15. Pepsi Blue, The Most Unnatural Looking Drink
Pepsi Blue was introduced in 2002 to attract teenage consumers with its bright blue color and unique flavor. It was heavily promoted, but that did not help the drink last.
People could not get on board with the strange flavor, and it was discontinued. Some people want it to be brought back to the market because it brings back nostalgia.
16. Surge Looked Like Toxic Waste But Tasted So Good
There are few things that would make you think it was a good idea to drink neon green soda. Despite the unnatural color, Surge soda was a big hit in the '90s. It was created to slow down the growth of Mountain Dew and had added energy.
The sales of Surge did not do as well as makers had projected, and it was discontinued in 2003. In 2014, fans of the drink created a Facebook page to bring it back, and it was re-released after market testing.
17. Ring Pops: Everyone's First Engagement Ring
Ring Pops were a classic candy from the '90s, and luckily they are still available in most places. Not only do they come in delicious flavors, but they also act as accessories.
You probably have been proposed to with one of these at some point in your childhood, and you gratefully accepted just to get a free ring pop.
18. Jello-O Pudding Pops Were The Best Invention
Jell-O Pudding Pops were introduced to the market in the 1970s. They were widely successful and earned $100 million within the first year. Five years later, the sales were tripled, and people assumed they would be on the shelves forever.
In the 1990s, Pudding Pops were suddenly discontinued. Jell-O decided to reformulate them, and they had a different taste, texture, and shape. In 2011, these were discontinued because nothing is better than the original version.
19. SqueezIt Juice Doubled As A Water Gun
Squeezits were introduced in the 1980s with the idea that you had to squeeze the bottles, unlike a regular juice box. They also had funny characters imprinted into the bottle.
They came in a variety of flavors from grape to strawberry, but in 2001, these squeezable drinks were discontinued.
20. Planters Cheez Balls Are Back In Stores
If you are a fan of The Office, you are probably picturing Michael, Pam, and Ryan throwing these at each other. Planters Cheez Balls were the biggest competitor of Cheetos in the '80s and '90s.
In 2006, these bite-sized snacks were discontinued, and people were extremely upset. After numerous complaints, Planters decided it would be best to bring them back to the market.
21. Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup So You Could Create Art With Your Food
Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup was part of the bizarre food concoctions released in the late '90s/ early 2000s. The ketchup came in multiple colors to make designs on your food.
EZ Squeez came in six colors, including purple, pink, orange, teal, green, and blue. The green was used to help promote Shrek. The colorful ketchup was later discontinued in 2006.
22. Flintstones's Push Ups Required More Arm Strength Than The Average Child Possessed
Flinstone's Push Ups were a delicious sherbert treat from the '90sThat were quite difficult to push if they came straight out of the freezer.
These delicious treats came in flavors like Limerock Lime and Yabba Dabba Doo Orange. Unfortunately, these are only sold in the orange flavor now and they are not associated with the Flinstones anymore.
23. Nothing Will Ever Compare To The Burning Sensation After Eating Too Many War Heads
Just looking at a picture of War Heads will make you purse your lips. These powerful sour candies combined the pain and pleasure in the form of candy. You had to suffer through the sour part to get to the sweet candy.
You weren't a true '90s kid if you didn't challenge your friends to see how many War Heads they could eat before their mouth was in pain.
24. The Simpson's Helped Butterfinger BB's Grow In Popularity
Butterfingers have been around for decades, but it wasn't until the '90s that they released these bite-sized versions accompanied by the Simpsons. Butterfinger BB's were produced in 1992, and they were similar to Whoppers.
In 2006, Butterfinger BB's were discontinued and brought back a few years later as Butterfinger Mini Bites. Do they blame the discontinuation on the Simpsons?
25. String Thing Allowed You To Play With Your Food
String Thing was a fruit snack made by Betty Crocker, and it came in the shape of a rocket ship. You would peel it off the plastic and slurp it like spaghetti.
It gave children the perfect reason to play with their food, but it was discontinued in the mid-2000s. Kids these days are surely missing out.
26. Mud & Bugs Made You Feel Like You Were In The Lion King
The Lion King was a huge success in the '90s, so naturally, Kellogs teamed up with Disney to create a bug inspired cereal relating to the movie. Mud & Bugs resembled the "grub" Timone and Pumba were fond of with chocolate pieces.
The cereal was launched in 2003 with a DVD that had previews for upcoming films. It wasn't in high demand, so it was quickly removed from shelves.
27. It Was Sad To See Cheetos Twisted Puffs Taken Off The Shelves
This might be an unpopular opinion, but Cheetos Twisted Puffs were the best type of Cheetos. The twisted version came onto the market in 2002 and was available for a decade.
In 2012, Frito -Lay decided to discontinue these twisted cheesy snacks, and fans were upset. Not to worry, they still sell Cheetohs Puffs in a less exciting shape.
28. Life Savers Holes Were A Staple In Every Backpack And Purse
Life Savers Holes were a massive hit in the '90s, and they were marked as the middles cut out from original Life Savers candy.
Unfortunately, there were some packaging issues with the cap that became a choking hazard, so these were discontinued.
29. P.B. Crisps Was The Best Cereal On The Market
In 1992, Planters revealed a line of peanut-shaped snacks called P.B. Crisps that were an instant hit. The peanut shells with a creamy inside were so delicious, but they didn't last very long.
Some people believe these were discontinued because "they were too delicious." In 1995 they were taken off the shelves, but there have been many petitions to bring them back.
30. Minute Maid Juice Bars Were The Perfect Refresher On A Hot Summer Day
Minute Maid Juice Bars were introduced in the '90s, and these refreshing bars came in a variety of flavors. All the bars tasted just like the original juice flavors.
These are one of the few nostalgic treats that are still available. Sadly, you cannot find their lemonade in frozen form, which would probably be the best one.
31. Melody Pops Made Candy A Musical Instrument
What do you get when you combine candy and an instrument? You get Melody Pops, otherwise known as whistle pops. These were guaranteed to bother your parents, which is why they hated buying them.
These musical candies can be purchased on Amazon to bring some excitement to snack time.
32. Little Hugs Fruit Barrels Were Just Colored Sugar Water
Little Hugs Fruit Barrels were introduced to the world in 1974, and they attracted children with their fun shapes and bright colors.
They are pretty much colored sugar water with no nutritional value, but they have been a staple at little league games since the '90s.
33. Trix Yogurt Was A Nutritional Mystery
These rainbow-colored yogurts inspired by Trix cereal were a classic lunch staple in the late-90s/early 2000s. It is a mystery why parents let their children eat rainbow yogurt, but they were very popular.
Unfortunately, these were discontinued in 2007, but many people have been inspired by the colors to make slime-tutorials on YouTube.
34. Cookies For Breakfast? Why Not
Cookie Crisp cereal was introduced in 1977 but didn't gain popularity until the '90s. People went wild because who doesn't like the idea of cookies for breakfast.
Over time, the packaging has changed, but you can still enjoy delicious cookie pieces in your cereal bowl.
35. Who Wouldn't Want Glitter In Their Candy?
Glitter makes everything better, including Laffy Taffy. The sparkliest flavor was cherry, and it had all the glitz and glam you could possibly want.
Each taffy came with a funny joke like, "What does a bee sit on? His bee-hind." These are still available on Amazon.
36. Everyone Fought Over The Last Pack Of Scooby-Doo Gummies
Every gummy fruit snack fan went wild when Scooby-Doo snacks were introduced. They included all the characters in different flavors.
You probably fought with your siblings over who got the last pack, and your mom ended up making you split them.
37. French Toast Crunch: Because Regular French Toast Is So Old School
Why eat actual french toast when you can have it in cereal form. French Toast Crunch was introduced in 1996 and became popular quickly, but sales dwindled at it was discontinued in 2006.
This classic cereal stuck to the '90s mantra of the more cereal, the better. After it was discontinued, fans complained and it was reintroduced to the market.
38. Pizza In Chip Form Is Perfection
Keebler introduced Pizzarias chips in 1991, and they quickly became the most successful snack food. In their first year, they brought in $75 million.
Sadly, they were discontinued, and people could no longer enjoy the perfect slice of pizza in snack form.
39. Orbitz Drinks Were The Warm-Up For Bubble Tea
Orbitz was a non-carbonated fruit drink introduced in 1997. The liquid itself was flavorless, and the balls gave it flavor like vanilla orange or black currant berry.
As you could guess, this drink was not exactly popular, and it was discontinued a year later. Who would want odd flavored gelatin balls floating in their water?
40. Ouch Gum Made Everything Better
Ouch gum was introduced in the '90s and resembled a bandaid tin. Each stick of gum was wrapped like a bandage, so you could feel like it would fix all your problems.
Ouch is still sold; however, they changed the packaging, and it does not have the same effect that is used to.