Do You Remember These Foods Every ’90s Kid Wanted in Their Lunch Box?

FOOD & DRINK

By: Lauren Lubas

6 Min Quiz

Image: WikimediaImages / Pixabay / daeron / Pixabay / Evan-Amos via WikiCommons

About This Quiz

Every '90s kid knows two truths: There were some cool toys in the '90s, and there were even cooler foods. Why they aren't known as the "High Fructose Corn Syrup" generation, we may never know, but the sugary sweets and salty foods that we were introduced to left a lasting impression on us (and we aren't talking about the health issues they may or may not have caused). While most of the sweet (and some of the savory) foods of the decade were 90% sugar, 9.9% citric acid and 0.1% whatever flavor the label claimed it was, children still wanted them ... nay, needed them. We begged our parents on the daily to just throw down a few extra quarters to get us the ones with our favorite cartoon characters on them. The cool kids had those awesome synergy foods like Tiny Toon Fruit Snacks and Sonic Fanta ... We can also assume that they ate Simpsons Pop-Tarts for breakfast and Pokemon Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for dinner. We were all jealous.

If you find your mind slowly drifting back to your school cafeteria, opening your NSYNC lunchbox, don't drift too far; we have a special quiz for you. Let's see if you remember at least 30 of these foods that every '90s kid wanted in their lunch box.

This sugary drink was a must-have for the cool kids. What was it called?

Squeezeits didn't have much drink in them, but the idea of twisting off that plastic top and chugging down the sweet sugar water inside was every kid's dream in the cafeteria every day at lunch.

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What is this treat that's half cookies and half frosting?

What's better than a cookie? How about an entire pack of cookies with some frosting to dip them in? That's what dunkaroos were, and every kid wanted them every day of the week. However, some of us were only lucky enough to get them on Fridays.

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Can you name this treat that you had to share if it ended up in your lunchbox?

Lifesavers holes were meant to be the inside of the Lifesavers candy. They had great flavor (even if they were a bit of a choking hazard). Additionally, this was a treat you could share with your friends at the lunch table.

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What kind of Doritos are these?

Kids who had Doritos 3Ds in their lunch boxes also had a nifty plastic tube and cup to pour them in. These preserved the 3D shape of the Doritos while it made you look super cool at lunchtime (or on the bus).

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Which hard candy was a great treat after lunch?

Getting kids into hard candies was difficult in the 1990s. Not only were their syrups and powders galore, but there were also dipping candies. However, Creme Savers were a delicious way to bring kids back to the hard stuff.

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These may look like chocolate-covered Pringles, but they were so much more. What were they?

Swoops were your favorite chocolate candies shaped like potato chips. As plastic became cheaper and cheaper in the '90s, companies learned that packaging changes could build sales. So, shaping candy bars into chips was a great idea for them.

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Do you remember these fruity treats that every '90s kid wanted in their lunch box?

String things were great to have because you could play with your food while you ate it, and the commercials for the product even encouraged such behavior. You could twist them and turn them into any shape you wanted.

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If your mom made this for your lunch, she was the coolest mom ever. What is it?

What happens when your mom takes chocolate pudding and crushed-up Oreos and puts them together? Well, as long as she put a gummy worm in it, it would be considered a cup o' dirt. This was one of the most popular soccer-mom recipes of the '90s.

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Can you name these coveted candies?

Soda-Licious was an excellent candy to have around. It gave a carbonated feel when you bit into it, but the flavor was where the joy came into play. These things were SO DELICIOUS! Get it?

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What was this rainbow cup of sugar called?

It was pure sugar, and no one could deny it. Under the guise of giving your children a healthy snack, Trix Yogurt was basically just a sweetened version of gross across the board, but children of the '90s loved it.

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This was cold pizza that kids loved. Do you know what it is called?

Pizza-inspired Lunchables were all the rage in the '90s because pizza was all the rage in the '90s. Ultimately, however, there were no ovens for kid use in the cafeterias at school, and these bad boys were just plain disgusting.

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Do you remember the bagged-lunch version of onion rings?

Anyone who has ever popped open a bag of Funyuns knows that there are about four rings in every bag ... plus a whole lot of air. However, they were absolutely delicious salt licks.

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These weren't just granola bars. What were they?

Kudos were absolutely delicious, and anyone who didn't have them in their school lunches drooled when someone pulled one out. No one could share, though, because they were very small compared to other granola bars.

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'90s kids love making witch fingers out of which lunch side?

Bugles are still around today (as a matter of fact, they've been around for quite some time). However, when the kids of the 1990s got their hands on them, the bugles got on their hands (fingertips, to be more precise).

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Which lunchbox essential included crackers and cheese?

Handi-Snacks were basically a pack of cardboard crackers with cheese paste, and they were over-processed deliciousness. They even came with a little red stick to help you spread the cheese on your crackers.

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This yogurt pack gave kids the option to add more sugar to their sugary yogurt. What is it called?

Back in the 1990s, giving kids a ton of sugar to ensure they stayed awake during school was all the rage, and they could mainline the stuff with a tub of Sprinklins every day at lunchtime.

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Can you name this treat that was supposed to be like fruit snacks?

Gushers were basically a fruit snack without the fruit. They were balls of sugar filled with flavored syrup. They were amazing for young kids who could handle the sugar rush, but not so amazing for their teeth.

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Which citrus drink did every cool kid have packed in their lunch?

Sunny Delight (now known as Sunny D) was pure citric acid. As a matter of fact, most '90s kids got their first experience with heartburn after drinking a little too much of it. It was technically supposed to be orange juice, but it was just pure burn.

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Do you remember what these little bear cookies were called?

Teddy Grahams were basically mini-graham crackers glazed over with some form of hardened sugar. They were absolutely delicious, and if you liked to play with your food, you might bite off one appendage at a time.

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In the '90s, these came in cut-out shapes. What are they?

Fruit Roll-Ups were basically fruit leather that was rolled up in a package. They didn't necessarily taste like the fruit leather we might make at home, but that's because high-fructose corn syrup helped make them extra sweet.

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Lucky kids had these in a container that fit a whole stack perfectly. Do you know what they are?

Pingles were, and are, a different kind of potato chip. They come in a long tube that kept them intact (for the most part). However, the smaller tubes weren't on the market yet, so the company went ahead and made little containers for children's lunch boxes.

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What's the name of this chocolate drink that children wanted in their lunches?

Chocolate milk was the number-one drink for children in school, but if your parents packed your lunch for you (or you packed your own lunch), you were lucky to see one of these end up in the box. They didn't taste awesome, but everyone wanted one.

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Can you identify these drinks that came in a variety of colors?

Most kids called these grenades. They came in a variety of colors, but they all simply tasted like sugar and citric acid ... which were their two main ingredients. They did change the color of your tongue, however.

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They may have just looked like blobs, but you could call them out when you saw them back in the day. Do you know what they are?

Shark Bites claimed to like sharks, but when that great white shark flavor came out, the children of the 1990s went absolutely crazy over these little snacks. They demanded their parents put them in their lunchboxes, and some cool parents delivered.

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Keebler made these chips that look like Doritos. Do you know what they are?

Pizzarias were pizza-flavored chips made by Keebler. They came in three different flavors, and if you ever received a messed-up bag, you may have seen about a pound of flavor dust on a single chip ... then you'd dare your friends to eat it.

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Do you remember the name of these little guys that were filled with flavored cream?

Koala Yummies were just that: yummy! You can find a decent replacement in them if you head to the Asian market and get yourself some Hello Pandas. They were basically graham crackers filled with chocolate or strawberry cream.

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Before boba, there was what drink?

What '90s kid didn't want one of these in their lunchbox? It was interesting looking and full of sugar ... and if you ever opened one up, everyone at your lunch table begged for a sip.

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Can you name this little ball of chocolate that was filled with stuff?

A Wonder Ball is a little ballof chocolate filled with small plastic toys. They were great in theory, but they were discontinued due to the fact that they were a very real choking hazard among younger children.

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After lunch, some kids would sneak a stick of which gum?

It wasn't the gum with the greatest flavor, but it did give you fresher breath after you ate a cold Lunchables pizza. Of course, if your teacher caught you with it, you'd have to spit it out immediately.

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What is this fruit snack named after a famous cartoon character's favorite treat?

Scooby Snacks were simply fruit snacks in the shape of your favorite "Scooby-Doo" characters. Keep in mind, we use the term "shape" lightly here. They really didn't look like anything ... except the Velma one.

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If you stayed home from school one day, you may have eaten one of these. What is it?

Kid Cuisine was pretty disgusting, but then again, most TV dinners weren't up to par with anything someone might call "food" on a given day. However, they were marketed directly to kids and gave parents a quick-fix meal.

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Do you recognize these Little Debbie snacks that were perfect for lunch boxes?

Cosmic Brownies were fudge brownies with Nerds on top. They were so delicious and soft and chewy. They were the perfect dessert item for any child's lunch box, no matter what age they were.

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This food may have been kept in your thermos. Do you know what it is?

Spaghetti-Os were probably one of the worst foods a child could eat in the 1990s. They were simply canned pasta drowned in tomato soup. If you were lucky enough to get the kind with meatballs, you may have finished the can.

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Your mom would have had to make you these, but when you say them in your lunchbox, you probably screamed in delight. What are they?

Though most moms didn't realize that slightly changing the Jell-O recipe on the back of the box would make Jigglers, Jell-O specifically made Jigglers so children could eat with their hands. You could even use cookie cutters to make shapes.

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What is this boxed drink called?

Hi-C was on its way out in the 1990s, as the plastic coup spread across the country. It was replaced with Squeezits and Jammers, but it held on strong for quite some time in children's lunchboxes.

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Do you recognize what kind of Lunchables these are?

Nacho Lunchables made much more sense than pizza Lunchables because the cheese sauce was still dippable, and it didn't need to be warmed up to taste good. While most parents knew better, others considered this a complete meal for children.

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Can you name these round orange things that made a great side?

Planters Cheez Balls came in a canister, and they were crazy delicious. They had a firmer texture than Cheetos puffs, and they were way cheesier. Unfortunately, they were discontinued in 2006, but some great knockoffs still exist.

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Little Debbie had excellent snacks for school lunches. Can you name this snack made by the company?

There was nothing like biting into an Oatmeal Creme Pie. It was full of cinnamon and soft and had the best hydrogenated-oil filling you could ever ask for. They weren't good for your health, but they were good for your soul.

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If your mom didn't make you a sandwich, she may have tossed one of these in your lunch. What is it?

That's right, Smucker's made a packaged peanut butter and jelly sandwich that didn't have crust ... because it may have been too difficult for someone to cut the crust off for you ... or for you to peel it off.

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