Taste is one of the most powerful senses when it comes to activating our memory—the right bite can give us nostalgia and take us back to a specific moment in time. There were lots of treats and foods that seemed fundamental to my childhood even though I haven't had them in a while.
Though some of our childhood favorites are still on shelves, these ones can only live in our memories.
These Straws Never Hurt The Turtles
I would like to make a petition to make sure that, instead of replacing plastic straws with paper ones, we use these ones. Sure, they were discontinued in the early 2010s, but we could bring them back.
Hubba Bubba Was The G.O.A.T. Gum
These sticks of gum went above and beyond when it came to unique flavors that were also unbelievably delicious. For some reason, however, the product was taken off the market in the U.S. in 2009.
I'm Not Sorry These Are Gone
I'm sure there were people who genuinely liked these, but these were the only candies my grandmother ever had, which she kept in a bowl in her hallway, and they frankly were mediocre at best.
This Was A Choice By Oreo
Oreo keeps coming out with new innovative ways to change up the classic cookie, such as turning them into ice cream sandwiches and adding new flavors like "cinnamon bun," but these "Cakesters" were a miss. They were discontinued circa 2013.
M&M's Wanted What These Had
These mini Kisses were a candy-coated delight, and I have no idea why they stopped making them. I would like to talk to the CEO of Hershey about this immediately.
These Were Supposed To Turn Your Milk Into Chocolate Milk
This chocolate cereal was officially pulled from shelves in the U.S. in 2012. However, if you're a diehard fan or just really craving it, you can get it imported from Canada on Amazon.
Swoop—There It Is!
I don't know what compelled Reese's to try and make a chocolate Pringle-looking treat that came in little packages, but they did it nonetheless. These "Swoops" never made it past 2006.
I Actually Miss These
Have you ever just been going about your day getting stuff done and then thought: "Hey, I wish that I could destroy my tongue so that I can't enjoy anything else I eat today!"
These were the perfect solution back in the day.
Flat Chips Were Overrated
Perhaps they were trying to get in on the success of Cheetos Puffs by having their own puffy chips, but Doritos went hard with these 3D chips for a while before going 2D again in 2005.
The Days Before Green Apple
Anyone else remember the days when the green Skittles were actually lime flavored? Some might say that having a lemon and lime flavor was overkill, but I'd disagree. The change to green apple happened in 2013.
Weird, But Delicious
These sour candy tubes were a goopy treat that were called "lollipops" despite them not really fitting the qualities of a lollipop. Unfortunately, they've been taken off the shelf for the past few years.
Why Did It Have To Be Blue?
I guess society went through a phase where blue drinks were suddenly all the rage, so it made sense for Pepsi to develop this nectar of the gods. However, it was discontinued in 2004.
Yo-Gone From Shelves
I was never personally a fan of these fruit-flavored yogurt treats, but they were pretty popular for a long segment of my childhood. However, this treat was removed from the market in the early 2010s.
Skittles Tried To Have It All
Skittles decided that being a popular candy wasn't enough for them, so they came out with this fruity gum. They gave up on the product after two years on the market in 2006.
Trix Yogurt Cups
These two-colored yogurt cups were an amazing collaboration between Trix cereal and Yoplait yogurt. While you still can sometimes find a drinkable version of the treat, the cups were discontinued in 2013.
Candy Hearts, But Make Them Tic Tacs
Do you remember what it was like to have a container of Tic Tacs in class? You'd try to dispense one as quietly as possible to avoid having everyone around you ask for some. Believe it or not, the cinnamon and spearmint flavors were both discontinued in 2014.
Yet Another Discontinued Reese's Product
Reese's peanut butter treats have taken a lot of different forms over the years, but these "bites," which were similar in size and shape to the classic Maltesers, were pulled from shelves in 2008.
Just Casually Eating Cheesecake At Recess
Look at this delicacy. Remember how much of a playground flex it was to roll up with one of these bad boys inside of your lunch box? Well, sadly, no child will know that clout ever again.
The King Of Granola Bars
These were borderline chocolate bars that we all pretended had a touch of health to them so that our parents would buy them for us to take to school. They were only taken off shelves a few years ago.
It Was Liquid Sugar
Could we even call this juice? These sugary masterpieces tasted like someone who only eats pixie sticks tried to conceptualize what juice was. It's probably a good thing that they ceased to exist in 2001.
The Best Collaboration Of All Time
Whoever decided to make a holy union between one of the best meal foods ever (pizza) and one of the best snack foods ever (chips) was a genius. Too bad they disappeared after the '90s.
Waffles, But Make It Cereal
I love how some cereal brands thought that the best way to make a cereal is to have it be mini versions of another breakfast food: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, French Toast Crunch, and Waffle Crisp. This morning delicacy was discontinued in 2018.
You Could Have A Pop-Tart Anywhere
These portable, individually wrapped siblings of the Pop-Tart were an easy snack to pack on your way out of the house. However, the Go-Tart was taken off of shelves in 2008.
Pretty Twisted That You Can't Buy These Anymore
If curly fries are superior to regular ones, it makes sense that Cheetos would want to see if adding a twist also tickled customers' fancy. However, they were discontinued in the U.S. in 2012.
Another Twisted Product
Pepsi Twist, which added a little bit of lemon to the classic soda, was released in 2000 and lasted on shelves until 2006. It did, however, make a brief comeback in 2008 before leaving us forever.
These Should Have Lasted Longer
These delicious treats, which were essentially a graham cookie shaped like a peanut with loads of peanut butter creme inside, hit the shelves in 1992 but disappeared quietly in 1995. There are still people petitioning to have them made again.
BB's Was Such A Cute Name, Too...
Getting in on the mini-packs of ball-shaped chocolates that seemed to be the wave in the 2000s, Butterfinger BB's were delightful little bite-sized treats that didn't make it past 2006.
These Were So Good, Though
Regular Ritz Bitz crackers are already such an underrated, yummy snack, but this s'mores version really took the cake. It was perfectly sweet and salty at the same time. However, they stopped selling them in the U.S. a couple of years ago.
The Mint To Overpower All Mints
Icebreakers in general have created some of the best mints known to society, but the Liquid Ice ones took "minty taste" to a whole new level. These super-strong mints were probably too powerful, which is why they probably were discontinued about five years ago.
This Sugary Masterpiece
One of the things I truly miss about childhood was how easily I was pleased. This treat literally just had you scoop up sugar onto the brush as "paint" for your tongue. For the sake of limiting childhood diabetes, these were taken off the shelf in the mid-2000s.
