Entertainment
Top 10 Discontinued Food Items We Miss (Part 9)
We just can’t stop reminiscing about all our favorite discontinued foods! It’s crazy to think of how many amazing food items have been discontinued over the years. If a genie were to grant us three wishes, we would definitely use at least one of them to bring back one of our long-lost favorites. The issue would be choosing which one… Let’s head back down memory lane to go over ten more food items that are no longer being produced. Maybe that’ll help us narrow down our favorite one and decide which one we would save should that hypothetical genie ever pay us a call.
10. Eggo’s Banana Bread Waffles
Stranger Things’ Eleven would be heartbroken to hear about this particular discontinuation. Sure, the show usually depicts her eating the original Eggos, but she would likely still sympathize with those of us who were broken up over this loss. While they’re no Belgian waffle, Eggos can still satisfy any waffle craving, whenever it might hit you. A couple of minutes in the toaster and, voilà, breakfast (or lunch or dinner, we’re not here to judge) is served. While the original variety of Eggo’s is initially what stole our hearts, we have a definite soft spot for their Banana Bread Waffles as well. These Eggos looked very similar to the originals, but their flavor was definitely different. While their name compared them to banana bread, these Eggos were probably more similar to banana pancakes. Many people love to start their day off with a banana, and this food item definitely catered to that crowd. While Eggo’s Banana Bread Waffles were never technically discontinued, they were progressively phased out until it was impossible to find them anywhere. While these frozen waffles are missed, we gained a little perspective after the 2018 scare that Kellogg’s would be discontinuing production of the entire Eggos brand. Now, we’re just grateful that we have any Eggos left to turn to when the hunger pangs strike. Hopefully, they don’t try to discontinue any more flavors for a little while, because Eggo fans have already been through enough.
9. Coke Blak
Soft drinks are generally packed with caffeine, and this Coca-Cola product really embraced that. Catering to coffee-addicts and soft drink fans alike, Coke Blak was a coffee-flavored soda. Despite carbonated coffee sounding very questionable, we’re not ones to say no to anything coffee-flavored. This soda had several international releases before finally hitting shelves in the United States. Its place of origin is actually France. Being coffee-flavored, it might actually pair well with a croissant. That actually broaches a whole other conversation: if this soda is coffee-flavored, is it acceptable to drink in the A.M.? Soft drinks for breakfast are typically a big no-no, but is Coke Blak the exception to the rule? It probably shouldn’t be, but it wouldn’t be surprising if people did in fact pair the beverage with their morning croissants. Sold from 2006 to 2008, Coke Blak came in a resealable container shaped like the original Coke bottles. Interestingly enough, its taste seemed to vary from country-to-country. America’s version was reportedly much sweeter and had less of a caffeine taste than the French iteration, which was more comparable to a cup of coffee. If you’re sad that you missed out on this soda, we’ve got some good news for you. No, Coke Blak isn’t making a comeback. However, Coca-Cola has several coffee-flavored sodas in the works for 2019. In combining coffee with Coke, they plan on releasing a line of drinks with considerably more caffeine than a regular soda. It’s only a matter of time before you see these new cans popping up in college libraries all over the country.
8. Pac-Man Cereal
The Pac-Man arcade game was released in 1980 and, as you likely already know, took the world by storm. With every great cultural phenomenon comes a new cereal to capitalize on its success. Pac-Man Cereal made its debut in 1983, three years after the game’s introduction. There were two components to this cereal: the corn pieces and the marshmallow pieces. The crunchy corn pieces were puffed into spheres, and the marshmallows came in the shapes of Pac-Man and the ghosts, Pinky, Blinky, Inky, and Clyde. Ms. Pac-Man marshmallows were added to later versions of the cereal, her pieces being white with a bright pink bow. This cereal came with a variety of premiums. Some boxes came with five-piece packs of Rain-Blo Color Bubbles Bubble Gum, which were spherical pieces of bubble gum that came in five different flavors. It was very stereotypically eighties. Additionally, many boxes had order forms for things like a Pac-Man watch, a “Ghost Chomper” hat, a Pac-Man bowl, a Pac-Man ring, and a neon camera. There were even the details for how to enter a competition to win a full-size Pac-Man arcade game! Moms probably weren’t overly excited about that prospect, but we’re sure the kids were over the moon. Despite its popularity, Pac-Man Cereal was discontinued in 1988. It made a brief, special-edition rerelease in 2018. This version of the cereal came with a mini Pac-Man Funko-Pop. While that was cool, the cereal itself couldn’t have been less like the original. It was lemon-flavored and the marshmallows had disappeared altogether. So, even if Pac-Man Cereal does eventually return in a more permanent manner, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be anything like the cereal from your childhood.
7. Fruit Corners Fruit Bars
Fruit Corners did eventually come out with Fruit Roll-Ups, but, before that game-changing development, there were Fruit Bars. These thin, rectangular bars of jellied fruit didn’t look appealing in the slightest. At least the marketing was self-aware. The Fruit Bars slogan was “Made from real fruit so your taste buds shout, look so ugly they’re gonna knock you out!” Popular in the mid-eighties, Fruit Bars came in a variety of fruit flavors. There were orange, grape, strawberry, pineapple, cherry, and tropical fruit. Even though these snacks somehow managed to look both extremely dry and disgustingly slimy at the same time, they actually tasted pretty great. They delivered on their promise of natural fruit flavors, making Fruit Bars the perfect afternoon snack. So, why did these yummy, well-loved snacks get discontinued? You probably won’t be surprised by the answer. It was all thanks to the release of Fruit Roll-Ups. Sure, Fruit Bars were good, but Fruit Roll-Ups were unbeatable. To this day, they’re still the favorite snack of most children. It didn’t make sense for Fruit Corners to keep producing Fruit Bars when their Fruit Roll-Ups were just raking in the cash. It’s a tale as old as time. The new, exciting food item comes in and wipes out the old, once loved one. The food industry can be a cutthroat place.
6. Carnation Breakfast Bars
From 1975 to 1993, people everywhere started their day with a Carnation Breakfast Bar. Paired with a glass of milk, it made for the perfect breakfast. Especially if you were a bit of a sweet tooth. Yes, they were coated with chocolate, but the bars themselves contained enough nutrients for them to pass as a breakfast food. These were essentially the precursor to the energy bars that are so popular today. But they were just better in every way. Plus, the sheer number of flavors available meant that they could appeal to almost everyone. Initially, there were just Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Crumb, Granola with Raisins, Granola with Cinnamon, and Granola with Peanut Butter, which already offers a relatively wide selection. Over the years, Carnation progressively added more flavors, such as Chocolate Malted Milk Crunch, Caramel Nut Crunch, and Chocolate Coconut Crunch. To say that Carnation Breakfast Bars have a large fanbase would be an understatement. This is one of the discontinued food items with the greatest demand for its return. Even though it was discontinued nearly thirty years ago, people continue to bombard Carnation with requests that they bring back this classic breakfast food. Other fans seem to have accepted that this food item probably won’t be returning anytime soon so, instead of petitioning, they’ve decided to dedicate their time to trying to recreate the recipe. In fact, if you Google “Carnation Breakfast Bars,” the majority of the hits aren’t about the original food item. No, they’re mostly DIY recipes. So, if you’re feeling nostalgic, why not scroll through Pinterest until you find a recipe you like and making your own?
5. Jell-O 123
It’s a shame that Jell-O 123 was discontinued before the creation of Instagram. Regular Jell-O isn’t much to look at, but Jell-O 123 was basically gourmet. This dessert was around from 1969 to 1996, with its discontinuation being the result of a lack of the waning interest in Jell-O products that began in the mid-to-late-eighties. It came in the same powder form as regular Jell-O, but, when it was properly prepared, the mix separated into three layers. Layer one, at the top, was creamy, while layer two, in the middle, was mousse-like, and layer three, at the bottom, was the same old Jell-O we all know and love. It came in five flavors: strawberry, orange, cherry, raspberry, and lime. To make certain that the layers would separate properly, you had to be meticulous in your preparation. First, you poured the powder into a blender and added boiling water. For thirty seconds, you were supposed to blend the mixture at the lowest speed. Then, you immediately jumped straight from the lowest speed to the highest, which was applied for one minute. The following step was to pour in a cup of ice water. Finally, you were to blend your concoction at the highest speed for another minute. The mixture could then be poured into dessert glasses which, after they’d been allowed to sit for a minute or so, could be transferred into the fridge for three hours. That’s a lot of effort and, from the sounds of it, many didn’t find it to be worthwhile. While it was nice to look at, Jell-O 123 has some pretty mixed reviews. Some people look back on it fondly, while others shudder at its very mention. We wish we could try it in order to see which side of the divide we land on.
4. Uh-Oh Oreo
Many Oreo products have come and gone since the cookie’s initial introduction in 1912. One of the saddest losses was the Uh-Oh Oreo. If you’re never heard of these before and are having trouble inferring what they could possibly be, don’t worry. The name doesn’t really give anything away. It’s so cryptic that it might actually scare away potential consumers. It sounds like it would be unnecessarily messy or cause food poisoning or something. In actuality, the “Uh-Oh” is jokingly implying that something went wrong in the preparation of these Oreos. Everyone’s familiar with the traditional Oreo. Two chocolate cookies with a vanilla creme filling. Uh-Oh Oreos take that concept and turn it upside down. It has two vanilla cookies, with a chocolate creme filling. Basically, it’s the opposite of the original Oreo. Ironically, one of the taglines on this product’s packaging was “Oreo’s Great Tasting Goof is Here to Stay.” Since Uh-Oh Oreo made this list of discontinued food items, you can probably infer that that was a blatant lie. This cookie was both released and discontinued in the early 2000s. Thankfully, there are so many other varieties of Oreo out there that getting over the loss of this flavor was much easier than it could have been.
3. Fruitopia Drink
Before you get all riled up about the fact that you had Fruitopia last week, hear us out. This famous fruit juice is still available in Canada and Australia but has been discontinued in the United States since 2003. Minute Maid, the biggest juice brand in the world, is largely to blame for the downfall of Fruitopia. The juice game was a competitive one and Fruitopia couldn’t handle the pressure. However, even though the drink is discontinued, there’s still a silver lining. Minute Maid absorbed a few lucky Fruitopia flavors and made them it’s own – which is allowed because both brands are owned by Coca-Cola. Furthermore, while Fruitopia can’t be bought in stores like it was in the nineties, some American McDonald’s locations continue to carry the beverage in their fountain machines to this day. Introduced in 1994, Fruitopia was known for its sweet, fruity flavors, with Strawberry Passion Awareness being it’s most popular. There were also Kiwiberry Ruckus, Berry Watermelon Wisdom, Orange Undercurrent, Beachside Blast Fruit, Raspberry Psychic Lemonade and Citrus Consciousness (which later became Citrus Excursion). While other juice brands, like Snapple, were marketed in more conventional ways, Fruitopia deviated from the norm. Its commercials were more “hippy-dippy” than the usual, and a lot of emphases were placed on the colors of the fruit. A can appeared onscreen, breaking through a kaleidoscope of fruit. The peace and love vibe of the advertisement was completed with the phrase “if your mouth can’t say something nice, put something nice in it.”
2. Ice Cream Cone Cereal
Everything about this cereal was great. From the way it looked to the way it tasted, it was arguably one of the best cereals ever created. Unfortunately, it’s run was so short that it barely had time to make an impression. This seems wildly unfair, as it never even got the chance to live up to its full potential. It was both released and discontinued in the year 1987, which just might win in the prize for mostly quickly discontinued food items on this list. It came in three different flavors, chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate chip. There were two different kinds of pieces, one was shaped like miniature ice cream cones and the other shaped to look like tiny scoops of ice cream. The pieces were perfectly sized to fit together, so you could actually place the ice cream pieces into the cones. While the ice cream pieces didn’t really taste like anything but sugar, the ice cream cone pieces tasted just like the real thing. Optimally, you’d get both kinds of pieces in each mouthful. That way you were sure to get the full flavor experience. This cereal had an animated mascot named Ice Cream Jones, who was an ice cream delivery man. However, instead of selling ice cream out of an ice cream truck, he made his sales from his bicycle. 2003 was the 100thanniversary of the ice cream cone so, to celebrate this special occasion, Ice Cream Cone Cereal was brought back for a limited rerelease. Only the chocolate chip flavor made a comeback and, unfortunately, Ice Cream Jones was nowhere to be seen. But we’re not complaining because it’s not every day that your favorite cereal comes back from the dead.
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles McCain Pizza
From the comic books to the TV show to the action figures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a hit in the late-eighties to early-nineties. As weird as the concept of four crimefighting teenaged turtles named after Italian Renaissance artists is, kids everywhere were obsessed with it. Like any successful franchise, TMNT inspired the creation of many different food items. One of our favorites was the TMNT McCain Frozen Pizza. Since pizza is the turtles’ food of choice, the creation of a TMNT pizza was an obvious play. These frozen pizzas were small enough that one person could easily eat the entire thing in a single sitting. They came in several different flavors, most of which were rather … unusual. There was Extra Cheese, which is perfectly normal, but there were also Sausage and Egg, Chocolate and Marshmallow, Ham and Tomato, Apple Crumble, and Bacon and Beans, among others. These unorthodox pizza varieties will appeal to true TMNT fans, as Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo loved to get creative with their pizza toppings. However, they are turtles, after all, so we’re not entirely sure how much people should be emulating their dietary habits… Fans of these pizzas, which were popular back in the early nineties, are now fully-grown adults. Looking back on this pizza, they can probably safely say that their palates have gotten significantly more refined over the years.