7 Discontinued Grocery Store Foods Shoppers Still Talk About
Every year, manufacturers debut thousands of new foods in grocery stores, but only a fraction of them make it past the first year. Many of those simply disappear, never to be brought up in cocktail party conversation or shared about in a Reddit feed. However, there are those that made a direct impact on consumers before being discontinued, that will remain in the hearts of those who munched on them decades later. Here are 7 discontinued grocery store foods shoppers still talk about.
Kudos
When I was kid, we truly believe that cereal bars were a healthy form of breakfast – not dessert in disguise. The Mars-produced bars were originally marked as a breakfast alternative with Nutty Fudge, Chocolate Chip, and Peanut Butter flavors launched in 1986. Eventually, in 2011 they were revamped with flavors like Snickers, M&M’s, and Dove chocolate added to the roster. And then, in 2017, they disappeared. “God these were so good,” writes one Redditor.
SnackWells
The fat-phobia craze of the 1990s reshaped the way people ate. SnackWell’s line of fat-free and low-fat products was a pop culture moment. The Nabisco brand launched in 1992 and was later sold to Back to Nature Foods. Popular flavors included devil’s food cake, creme, and shortbread. While the brand existed until 2022, once people started counting calories instead of fat grams, they waned in popularity. One Redditor loved the mini chocolate chip cookies. “They used to come in a bag and they were delicious,” they wrote. “Did anyone else’s mom buy Snackwell cookies in the ’90s thinking they were actually healthy because they were fat free?” another asked on Reddit. “I could eat a whole box of these in one go in college,” another added.
Wow Chips
When Lay’s introduced Wow Chips in 1998, a fat-free version of popular high-calorie and fatty chips, including Lay’s, Ruffles, Doritos, and Tostitos, they were an instant success. Also launched at the height of the fat-free craze, the chips initially became bestsellers, with $400 million in sales during their first year. People ate them by the bagfull, believing that they were healthy. However, there were adverse side effects, includnig, “abdominal cramping, diarrhea, fecal incontinence [“anal leakage”], and other gastrointestinal symptoms” that were all caued by the fat-substitute ingredient Olestra. By 2000, sales dropped to $200 million. While the products waned in popularity, they stayed on the market until 2016. “Best tasting laxative,” a Redditor recently remarked.
Yogos
Yogos, a “yoggurty-covered fruit flavored snack,” were another crowd-pleaser, discontinued in 2010. “Those were my favorite smack of all time when I was little! I miss them,” one person writes on Reddit. “My mom never let me have them because they were unhealthy (which, ok sure they totally were but who cares when you’re a kid!)” one person reminisced. “These were some of my favorite snacks, and I was torn when they discontinued them. Same with strawberry whoppers. Last night I found Yoggies at Costco, and they are very comparable to Yogos, and I love them so much. They are also healthy because they’re full of probiotics,” a third chimed in.
PB Crisps
Planters PB Crisps, which came in flavors like Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Strawberry Filling with Peanut Butter, had such a fan following that there is an entire website demanding their return. “PB Crisps were an utterly delectable mid-90s snack food. After being discontinued for many years, there still isn’t a comparable snack. Because these snacks were one-of-a-kind, PB Crisp lovers are urging Planters to bring them back,” read the website. “I loved those,” one person writes on Reddit. “This is the answer. They were so good. I’ve never understood why they even went away,” another agrees.
Teddy Grahams
Teddy Grahams were another popular packed lunch snack, simply little graham cracker cookies shaped like bears. “These were my FAVORITE back then! I remembered not really liking the sprinkles that much because they were too crunchy and got stuck in my teeth but the chocolate and graham cracker part was so addicting. And the skateboarding bear made me feel so cool holding the box! He felt like my bro haha,” one person writes on Reddit about Teddy Grahams Dizzy Grizzlies.
Shark Bites
Shark Bites were a popular “chewy fruit snack” that was basically candy with a “made with real fruit” label. “I remember I could eat a whole box of these in one sitting. This is missing the white shark though like others are saying lol,” one person says. “The flavours of these were so unique!” another said. “THE best fruit snacks ever made,” an Instagrammer declared.