13 Supermarket Brands From The ’70s And ’80s That Time Forgot (But You’ll Remember)

Remember strolling down supermarket aisles in the ’70s and ’80s? Those decades gave us some truly unique food brands that have since vanished from shelves.

While these products might not grace our shopping carts anymore, they still hold a special place in our memories.

It is time to take a nostalgic trip back to the days of neon colors, catchy jingles, and packaging that screamed ‘totally radical!’

1. Marathon Bars – The Braided Chocolate That Went The Distance

Long before Snickers dominated the candy aisle, Marathon bars ruled with their unique braided chocolate-caramel design. Spanning a whopping 8 inches, these treats lived up to their ‘lasts a good long time’ slogan.

I still remember my dad bringing one home every Friday after work – it became our special weekend ritual. The wrapper featured a ruler on the back, proving you were indeed getting an impressive candy commitment.

2. Space Food Sticks – The Snack For Aspiring Astronauts

Space Food Sticks were chewy, cylindrical treats that let every kid pretend they were floating through zero gravity. Available in flavors like chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel, these cosmic snacks were actually developed for actual NASA missions.

My fifth-grade teacher kept a box in her desk for special rewards. Nothing motivated our class more than the promise of eating ‘just like the astronauts.’

The individually wrapped sticks came in a futuristic box that made them even more appealing to space-obsessed kids.

3. Buc Wheats – The Forgotten Wheat Cereal With A Pirate Mascot

Buc Wheats combined the wholesome appeal of wheat flakes with sweet maple flavoring, all promoted by a cartoon pirate mascot. General Mills created this unique breakfast option that struck the perfect balance between healthy and sweet.

The cereal’s crunchy texture and not-too-sweet taste made it popular with parents and kids alike. Despite a loyal following, Buc Wheats sailed into the sunset in the early 1980s, leaving fans forever searching for that distinctive maple flavor.

4. Jell-O 1-2-3 – The Magical Dessert That Separated Into Layers

Simply pour hot water, stir, and refrigerate – like magic, Jell-O 1-2-3 would separate into three distinct layers: creamy top, mousse middle, and classic Jell-O bottom. This dessert seemed like kitchen wizardry to kids watching mom prepare it.

I begged for this treat at every family gathering, mesmerized by the perfect stratification happening inside the refrigerator.

The strawberry variety was particularly spectacular, with its gradient of pink hues that made dessert time feel extra special.

5. Koogle – The Peanut Butter That Came In Wild Flavors

Koogle wasn’t your ordinary peanut butter. This spreadable treat came in bizarre flavors like banana, cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate. Its wacky commercials featured a puppet mascot with googly eyes who spoke in a strange language.

Kids in the 1970s went nuts for this novelty spread that made regular PB&J sandwiches seem boring by comparison.

Parents likely breathed a sigh of relief when this sugar-packed concoction eventually disappeared from grocery shelves.

6. Pudding Roll-Ups – The Squeezable Dessert In A Tube

Before Gogurt revolutionized portable yogurt, Pudding Roll-Ups delivered sweet pudding in a convenient squeeze tube. Kids could enjoy chocolate, vanilla, or butterscotch pudding without the need for a spoon or bowl.

The foil tubes kept in the fridge until lunchtime, making them perfect for school lunch boxes. Every child who had one became instantly popular at the cafeteria table, with friends begging for a taste of this innovative treat.

7. Pepsi Light – The Lemon-Flavored Diet Soda With The Floating Lemon

Pepsi Light stood out with its distinctive television commercials showing a lemon floating down from the sky into a glass of soda. This diet cola with lemon flavor targeted health-conscious consumers before Diet Pepsi took center stage.

The commercials featured the memorable tagline “The one-calorie soft drink with the fresh lemon taste.” Despite its initial popularity in the late 1970s, Pepsi Light gradually faded away as other diet options emerged, leaving behind only memories of that floating lemon.

8. Doo Dads – The Original Snack Mix Before Chex Mix Took Over

Doo Dads combined Cheerios, peanuts, pretzels, and cheese crackers in a savory snack mix that was perfect for parties. This addictive combination came in a distinctive red box that promised fun and flavor in every handful.

Long before Chex Mix dominated the snack aisle, Doo Dads pioneered the mixed snack concept. The unique seasoning blend gave it a tangy, savory profile that kept hands reaching back into the bowl until nothing remained but crumbs.

9. Fortified Oat Flakes – The Cereal That Came With Free Dinnerware

Fortified Oat Flakes might not have been the most exciting cereal flavor-wise, but it came with an irresistible promotion: free Fire-King dishes inside! Families across America collected entire dinnerware sets piece by piece through this clever marketing scheme.

My grandmother’s entire kitchen cabinet was stocked with these milk-glass dishes. She’d serve Sunday dinner on plates that came from countless boxes of this otherwise ordinary breakfast cereal.

The promotion created brand loyalty that modern marketers can only dream about.

10. Screaming Yellow Zonkers – The Snack With The Wackiest Packaging Ever

The yellow-glazed popcorn inside was delicious, but Screaming Yellow Zonkers’ real claim to fame was its hilarious packaging. The black box featured absurd instructions, weird illustrations, and random jokes that entertained snackers for hours.

Created by ad legend Herb Lubalin, the box copy included gems like “Open the top and turn upside down. If the Zonkers fall out, this is the bottom.”

This sweet-and-salty treat disappeared in the 2000s but remains a cultural touchstone of 1970s snack innovation.

11. Nabisco Swiss Cheese Crackers – The Holey Alternative To Cheez-Its

Nabisco Swiss Cheese crackers featured distinctive holes mimicking real Swiss cheese. These crunchy orange squares delivered a sharp, tangy flavor that rivaled Cheez-Its for snack drawer dominance throughout the 1970s.

The crackers came in a white box with red and yellow accents that stood out on supermarket shelves. Despite their devoted following, they eventually disappeared, leaving Cheez-Its to reign supreme in the cheese cracker category for decades to come.

12. Carnation Breakfast Bars – The Original Meal Replacement

Before Clif Bars and KIND Bars, Carnation Breakfast Bars promised a complete nutritional meal in a convenient chocolate-covered rectangle. Available in flavors like chocolate chip, peanut butter, and caramel, these bars targeted busy adults and hungry kids alike.

I can still taste the chocolate chip variety that mom would toss into my backpack on field trip days. The commercials claimed they contained the nutrition of a complete breakfast, making parents feel less guilty about serving what essentially tasted like a candy bar.

13. Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding – The Original Metal Can Version

Before plastic cups took over, Hunt’s Snack Pack pudding came in metal cans that required a can opener! These shelf-stable puddings in chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch were lunchbox staples throughout the 1970s.

Opening one was a minor adventure – the sharp metal edges threatened to slice fingers, but the reward was worth it.

The distinctive metallic taste that mixed with the pudding became part of the experience, something today’s plastic cup generation will never understand.