The 1970s was a decade of bold trends and unique food experiences, from what many of you may remember. Many of the foods that were once the trend are nowhere to be found on grocery store shelves or restaurant menus (unless you recreate them). While some of these foods were ahead of their time, others simply couldn’t stand the test of time. Take a nostalgic trip back to the 1970s and discover the 10 classic foods that have disappeared.
10. Mug-o-Lunch
The ‘70s was quite a year, especially for the newly introduced Mug-o-Lunch from Betty Crocker. These hot meals were advertised as dishes that you can easily create from a mug. They offered the classic Mac & Cheese, Beef Noodle, Chicken Noodle, and Spaghetti. They were sold as dried powder in packets that you can add in boiling water and stir for five minutes.
9. Space Food Sticks
Pillsbury once developed a high-energy, chewy snack made for NASA astronauts. The snack actually fits right through a small, airtight opening in an astronaut’s helmet. After, they were marketed to the public following the popularity of the Apollo space mission. They even come in different flavors orange, chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter, among others.
8. Watergate Salad
Remember those pistachio-flavored salads? Yup, those were the Watergate Salad that was once served as desserts back in the 1970s. They’re made out of canned pineapple, pudding, whipped cream, pecans, and marshmallows all mixed together. Kraft actually developed a pistachio-flavored instant pudding meant for the Watergate Salad recipe.
7. Wacky Cake
Seems weird for a cake name, right? This 70s dessert was called Wacky Cake since it pours wet ingredients into the small wells (holes) in one cake pan. These easy-to-make cakes don’t include eggs and dairy, which is reminiscent of the Great Depression.
6. Cheese Balls
These Cheese Balls were huge in 1970s parties and if you happen to taste one today, then you’re lucky! It features a huge amount of rolled-up cheeses that are coated with nuts and herbs.
5. Pizza Spins
Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the Pizza Spins from General Mills were a popular snack that everyone had in their pantries. They are these pinwheel-shaped crackers with flavors of tomato, cheese, and spices. Yup, they’re pretty much created to taste like pizza. However, by the late ‘70s, they flew off from grocery shelves.
4. Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is actually a French delicacy that rose to popularity back in the 1970s and ‘80s. They’re typically served as brunch, as it features bacon lardons, cheese, eggs, and, cream that are all baked in a golden pasty.
3. Fondue
Fondues were huge back in the 1970s! It features a bowl of melted cheese where you can dip fresh bread. Today, you will only see Fondues when you visit ski resorts, as they’re typically served in colder weather.
2. Cheese & Pineapple Hedgehogs
Who knew you could pair pineapples with cheese? While this combination may be weird to some, these skewers actually exist in parties back in the 1970s. They’re simply skewers with cheese cubes and pineapple that are stuck together to resemble a hedgehog.
1. Jell-O Salad
One popular 1970s dish that we can all think of is Jell-O Salads. It’s understandable how everyone was obsessed with Jell-O back in the day, but making a salad out of it is a little extreme. They’re a mixture of different savory ingredients like cheese, salmon, and veggies. Yup, it’s completely understandable why we don’t see Jell-O Salads anymore, but they’re nostalgic enough for many of us to remember.