15 snacks found in every '90s lunchbox

Hi-C was always popular, but never more so than when it launched its Ecto Cooler special-edition boxes, featuring Slimer. Ecto Coolers were rolled out in 1987 to celebrate "Ghostbusters," but stuck around for over a decade. The flavor changed in 2001 to Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen, then to Crazy Citrus Cooler in 2006, and it was discontinued altogether a year later.

Ecto Coolers were brought back for a limited time in 2016 to commemorate the female reboot of "Ghostbusters." But since nothing is forever, Slimer was gone by December of that year.

Created in the mid-'90s, Doritos 3D were basically inflated Doritos with a hollow middle (exactly like a Bugle).

Doritos discontinued them in the early 2000s to public outcry (there was even a petition). They were brought back in 2015, but with a different recipe and texture (solid all the way through). If you want the real deal, Mexico still seems to be producing hollow versions.

Squeezits launched in 1985, but they didn't have faces and personalities until 1992, when every flavor received a different character, such as Chucklin' Cherry, Grumpy Grape, and Silly Billy Strawberry.

Sadly, the last Squeezits were produced in 2001 — though you can get a similar experience with Kool-Aid Bursts.

Lunchables, which are basically a full, deconstructed meal in a box, were released nationwide in 1988, and they are still going strong to this day. Anyone who was a kid in the '90s had their own favorite Lunchables box, whether it included pizza, nachos, or mini hot dogs.

Today, there are even organic options.

Snapple Elements were here for a good time, not a long time. Barely squeaking their way into the '90s with an April 1999 release, Snapple Elements were flavored drinks named after the natural world, like Air, Volcano, and Rain.

Sadly, they were gone from shelves and cafeterias just a few years later, but people are still passionate about their return. A Change.org petition to bring them back has over 10,000 signatures.

Who knew that plain cookies paired with vanilla frosting and sprinkles could elicit such devotion? Dunkaroos were first launched in 1992, and they were around for 20 glorious years before being discontinued in the US in 2012. Most '90s kids have fond memories of whipping these bad boys out at lunch.

Don't worry though — they're still sold in Canada, and Walmart recently created its own version called Dunk N' Crunch. But even better news? In February 2020, an official Dunkaroos Instagram account was created, and announced that the '90s fave is returning this summer. They officially hit shelves in May.

Trix Yogurt is exactly what it sounds like — yogurt based on the iconic cereal Trix, complete with the Trix mascot, a "silly" rabbit. It was first announced in 1992 that Trix was making the jump from cereal to yogurt, and kids loved it.

Trix Yogurt is still available today, according to the General Mills website, but they are hard to find — many people believe they have been discontinued.

GoGurt was unleashed on kids in 1999 — and parents loved it because it made eating yogurt clean, easy, and, most importantly, fun.

GoGurt is still a popular snack today, with Yoplait partnering with popular brands and shows to collaborate, like with the above "Spongebob SquarePants" GoGurts.

The '90s were big for kid-specific yogurt. Danimals were first sold in 1994 as regular yogurt with animal mascots, and 1.5% of proceeds were donated the National Wildlife Federation.

Today, there are also Danimals smoothies, "Yo-Tubes" (their version of GoGurt), and Squeezables (yogurt pouches). They don't use artificial flavors, colors, or high-fructose corn syrup.

Realizing that Gushers aren't actually healthy is the first true sign of adulthood. Gushers, introduced in 1991, are fruit snacks that are filled with "fruit juice" in the middle — essentially, just fruit-flavored liquid sugar.

And if that wasn't enough to sell you, their commercials were. Who can forget the Gushers commercials in which kids who ate too many would transform into fruit?

The original Baby Bottle Pops — baby bottle-shaped lollipops meant to be dipped in powdered sugar — hit candy stores in 1998, and the iconic jingle hit airwaves that same year ("You can lick it, shake it, and dunk it").

Baby Bottle Pops are still available 20 years later — they even re-made the jingle in 2008 with the Jonas Brothers.

Hubba Bubba has been around since 1979, but Bubble Tape made its debut in the early '90s. Gum is a pretty boring snack, but something about rolls and rolls of measuring tape-like gum made it way more fun to eat, which is why kids begged for it to be included in their lunch box.

Fun Dip has been on the market since the '40s (as World War II-era candy Lik-M-Aide), but it was rebranded as Fun Dip in the '70s, which also saw the addition of a dipping stick.

Cheez Balls were big in the '80s and '90s, but they were unfortunately discontinued in 2006.

While there have been many claims to the cheese snack throne, like Cheetos Puffs or Utz Cheese Balls, none have come close to Cheez Balls. Luckily, after a 12-year battle, Cheez Balls have officially returned to us, letting former '90s kids pass down Cheez Balls to their own kids.

Oatmeal Creme Pies are oatmeal cookie sandwiches, with creme in the middle. Since they were oatmeal cookies, parents didn't feel guilty about giving them to their kids, so they found their way into many a '90s lunchbox.

According to Little Debbie's website, Oatmeal Creme Pies were the very first bakery item that they created in 1960. Over 50 years later, they're still a snacking favorite.

• Read more:
• 22 photos that people born after 1999 won't understand
• 20 discontinued candies we wish would make a comeback
• Dunkaroos are coming back to stores. Here are 13 other beloved, childhood snacks you can still buy.
• These famous foods all have an iconic mascot — see if you can name them