Fun With Carbs

I was born in 1981, which means a.) that I’m entering the last year of my twenties and b.) that I was around when some seriously epic foods hit grocery shelves and fast-food restaurant menus. The 1980s and early 1990s brought forth a slew of sugary, salty, cheesy, highly processed candies, cereals, juices, snack foods and heat-and-serve meals. And if my brother and I didn’t try them all, we sure came damn close.

Today’s ‘organic’ parents would pass out if they saw some of the things we munched on in the ’80s. Needless to say, schools wouldn’t have dreamed of banning birthday cupcakes back then. And guess what? We never had weight issues. Why? Because we were ACTIVE.  We spent all of our time running around and playing outside. Yes, we had Nintendo and Game Boy. But if we saw our neighbors dragging out their five-person trampoline, screw Mario and Luigi. We were outdoors year-round. In winter, we were sledding down hills. In summer, it was the jungle gym, hide and seek and Slip n’ Slide.

Some of my childhood food favorites: MicroMagic microwaveable cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes; Fruit Roll-Ups; Five Alive fruit juice; Dairy Queen Mister Mistys (they were like Slush Puppies but WAY more delicious) and Burger King’s Burger Buddies. Man, did I love those little burgers. Burger King is  now selling “Burger Shots,” an updated version of the late-80s menu item. And in a weird circle-of-life twist, I saw them back at BK the day my husband and I got engaged in 2008. Life’s weird.

Looking for your own stroll down memory lane? Check out InThe80s.com, especially the Food section.  Remember Clearly Canadian? Boku fruit juice? Giggles cookies? Fruit By The Foot? OK Soda? Jello Pudding Pops? Handi-Snacks cheese and crackers? Ah, childhood…