No matter what decade you grew up in, you’ll tend to look back at it nostalgically. Whether it’s what you wore, who you hung out with, or the music you listened to, your teenage decade had a massive influence. Food also played its part and can instantly send us crashing back in time with one mouthful.
For me, that decade was the 1980s, the one when I turned thirteen and officially became a teenager. We had more than our fair share of food fads, from Lean Cuisine to Pop Rocks. Some still have the power to make my mouth water, others not so much.
So, what were our food obsessions? What items couldn’t we get enough of that died a death, along with many other things from the 80s? This list of 80s food fads might make you smile and take you on a trip down memory lane.
Lean Cuisine
The diet craze reached fever pitch in the 80s, and Lean Cuisine led the charge. These low-calorie frozen meals offered a quick and convenient way for people to manage their weight without sacrificing taste. My mom wasn’t a fan, as she firmly believed in home-cooked meals because she knew what was in them.
But they were popular, tapping into the era’s busy working lifestyle, particularly among women entering the workforce in record numbers. Microwaving a meal was the quick and easy option after a long day at work.
Diet Coke
Diet Coke hit the market as aerobics, calorie counting, and low-fat diets became mainstream. It was the first extension of the Coca-Cola brand since its creation nearly a century earlier. Who can forget the “Diet Coke Break” commercial?
It featured a construction worker taking a break outside an office building. In the ad, all the women inside the office flocked to the windows at 11:30 a.m. sharp to watch the man as he removed his shirt and drank a can of Diet Coke. I remember it vividly.
Pasta Salad
The 1980s were all about convenience, and pasta salad was quick, easy, and more upscale than a microwave meal, with its colorful vegetables and Italian dressing. It was versatile, easy to prepare, and perfect for picnics and BBQs. It even had dedicated cookbooks filled with creative versions of the dish.
You could find everything from classic Italian-style salads to tropical fruits or trendy ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes.
Jell-O Pudding Pops
Jell-O Pudding Pops were different from traditional ice pops. For one thing, they were creamy and more like pudding than a regular popsicle. Parents loved them as they were a healthier option than sugary ice cream.
It helped that Bill Cosby, at the height of his fame at this time, became the face of Jell-O Pudding Pops in a series of commercials. Despite massive success in the ’80s, they disappeared from grocery stores in the ’90s due to production issues.
Sushi
Sushi surged in popularity in the U.S. during this decade, especially in cities like Los Angeles and New York. It was trendy, fun, and a favorite with Hollywood celebs who popped into sushi bars between filming.
Its fresh ingredients and low-calorie content made it attractive to the more health-conscious society as a light and healthy snack.
Yogurt
Little yogurt pots became a health craze in the 80s, particularly flavored varieties and those with fruit on the bottom. Brands like Dannon and Yoplait led the way, promoting yogurt as the “go-to” high-protein, low-fat snack, perfect for post-gym workouts. By the mid-to-late decade, frozen yogurt had come onto the scene.
Brands like TCBY (The Country’s Best Yogurt) popped up everywhere, offering a low-fat alternative to ice cream that allowed people to indulge while still staying on track with their diets.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I almost can’t remember my fridge without a pot of sun-dried tomatoes. But we have the 80s and a chef called Alice Waters to thank for their rise to fame. Her restaurant, Chez Panisse in California, helped popularize the farm-to-table movement using local, high-quality ingredients, including sun-dried tomatoes.
The trend was part of the broader movement towards Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, which focused on fresh, flavorful, and healthy ingredients.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo was a popular dish in our house growing up. My mom was partial to pasta and wholeheartedly embraced this trend. Hers was as good as any you’d get in a restaurant.
The dish was invented in Rome in the early 20th century by a chef named Alfredo di Lelio to help his pregnant wife regain her appetite. In its original form, it didn’t include cream, but the American version added it, transforming the dish into a creamy pasta sensation.
Cajun Spice Everything
Cajun spice is one of my favorites. I use it in many of the dishes I make at home to give it a kick. I usually make my mix using paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and other herbs I have handy.
Thanks to chefs like Paul Prudhomme, who popularized dishes like blackened redfish, Cajun spice appeared in lots of recipes. It found its way into everything from snacks to entrees, and people started seasoning meats, seafood, and even vegetables with it.
Pop Rocks
Show me a kid who didn’t love candy growing up. I was among that crowd, and Pop Rocks was one of my favorites. I loved how they cracked and popped on your tongue, giving it a funny tingling sensation. If you had a paper bag of Pop Rocks at school, you could trade it for almost anything in the playground; they were that popular.
Pop Rocks was invented in 1956 by a chemist named William A. Mitchell, who worked for General Foods, then. However, they weren’t released until the mid-1970s and didn’t reach peak popularity until the ’80s.
Cool Ranch Doritos
As far as I’m concerned, any Doritos are good, but Cool Ranch, launched in 1986, is the best. Ranch dressing wasn’t as popular outside the U.S. at the time, so in European markets, it was rebranded as “Cool American” Doritos.
We always had a couple of packets in the cupboard as an after-school snack; if we were lucky, we sometimes got them in our packed lunch.
French Onion Dip
If you hosted a Super Bowl Party in the 80s, you’d probably have had a French Onion Dip as part of the nibbles lineup. It was made by combining sour cream with a packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix and was perfect with potato chips and vegetable platters. It was also good with Cool Ranch Doritos.
However, it wasn’t originally called French Onion Dip. In the 1950s, when it first rose to fame, it was known as “California Dip.”