Now that I’m approaching advanced middle age, I’m growing increasingly aware of how much the world changes over a lifetime. And one thing I’ve noticed is that there are a lot of foods I used to like that I can’t buy anymore.
Here are 12 food I can’t buy anymore along with some notes about how much I enjoyed them.
1 – Lawry’s Poor Boy Sandwiches
I was allergic to tomatoes as a kid, so when the rest of the family got frozen pizza, I got Lawry’s Poor Boy sandwiches. They came 2 to a box, and they were wrapped in foil. They were made up of bologna, salami, and cheese. They tasted better heated in the oven than in the microwave.
Years later, I would buy Ranchero sandwiches from Schwann’s, and they were really close to the same thing. I can’t buy those anymore, either.
These are so obscure that I can’t find much about them other than a couple of forum discussions.
2 – Jell-O Pudding Pops
Once popular, Jell-O Pudding Pops are no longer available for sale.
I feel like I should make some kind of lame Bill Cosby joke when I write about this one, but I’ll refrain. I do remember that before their sales started declining, Jello Pudding Pops were awesome. They were basically ice-cream-like confections made from pudding that was frozen on a stick.
You can apparently buy a mold kit to make your own, but it isn’t the same. Delish has full details.
3 – Butterfinger BB’s
My mom loved Butterfingers, but I always thought they were a little bit too much. They’d get stuck on my teeth something awful, but they tasted pretty good. The Butterfinger Blizzard at Dairy Queen was always one of the most popular treats we sold, though.
In 1992, Nestle started making bite-sized Butterfinger BBs, which were kind of like Whoppers, only with peanut butter and chocolate instead of malt. They stopped selling them in 2006.
You can buy Butterfinger Bites, but they’re not exactly the same.
4 – Carnation Breakfast Bars
Lots of people I know grew up on Carnation Breakfast Bars and still talk about them. They were popular during the 1970s and the 1980s. They were faster than cereal and tasted better than yogurt.
Carnation Breakfast Bars tasted like chocolate and nuts, so it was similar to eating a more healthy version of a Snickers bar for breakfast every day. The traditional accompaniment was a tall, ice cold glass of milk.
The original Carnation Breakfast Bars were replaced by some new recipe sometime in the 1990s, though.`
Todd Leopold still misses them.
5 – Reggie Bars
I was talking with my friend Amos yesterday about Reggie Bars — he remembers them, too. They were square and came in an orange package with a picture of Reggie Jackson on it. These candy bars were more like a Baby Ruth than anything else.
But you can’t buy them anymore.
6 – Heinz Purple and Green Ketchup
These purple and green ketchups tasted like regular ketchup, but the kids got a big kick out of them. They were popular mostly in the mid 1990s. I helped a woman raise some of her kids for a brief time during that decade, and her kids loved these.
They’re adults now.
7 – Chicken Tonight
I loved, loved, loved Chicken Tonight. It came in a jar, and you just dumped it into a skillet with some chicken. Cook it all up, and you’ve got a delicious chicken dinner.
I have no idea why this is no longer a thing. I loved it, but it went the same direction as those big jars of soup that were so delicious. Now, soup just comes in a can again.
I think some version of their product is available in other countries, but not here in the United States.
8 – Swanson TV Dinners
Swanson used to make “Hungry Man” dinners. They were bigger TV dinners. The fried chicken was especially delicious.
When I grew up in the 1970s, they came in tinfoil containers, and you had to heat them up in the oven — not the microwave.
None of the replacement TV dinners since have even come close to being this good. The brand still exists, though.
9 – Planter’s Cheez Balls
Planter’s Cheez Balls have recently made a comeback, but for a long time, you couldn’t buy these anywhere. I’m glad they’re selling these again.
10 – New York Seltzer
From 1981 to 1994, New York Seltzer was produced by a father and son team. These seltzers were great because they were all-natural and had no caffeine. For 20 years, New York Seltzer was unavailable, but they’ve come back.
But it’s not quite the same as it was, and they don’t feature the same flavors that they originally had. I liked their root beer and vanilla cream flavors, both of which are not available from the new version of the company.
11 – McDonald’s Fried Pies
McDonald’s still sells apple pies, but they’re not fried anymore, and they don’t taste anything like they used to. The texture is completely different, too.
12- Marathon Bar
Marathon Bar was a candy bar from the Mars corporation. It sure was good. I wish they’d bring this one back, too, but it doesn’t look like there’s a lot of demand for it.
Conclusion
I want to give credit to Nicholas Bredimus for the idea behind this post. The topic came up during an online conversation with multiple people.