15 Beloved Foods From Your Childhood That Are Terrible for You
When you think back to your childhood and what you would often turn to when it came time for a snack, it's safe to say your go-to options weren't necessarily the healthiest. Yes, you might be able to close your eyes and still taste those bags of Cheetos you used to eat while watching your favorite TV show after school. Sorry to disappoint, but it shouldn't really come as that much of a surprise that a lot of your childhood favorites were simply just processed junk, devoid of any valuable nutrients. But hey, it did taste great, right?
Well, we're here to take a trip down memory lane and remind you of the foods you used to love that are frankly just not the best for your health. Here's a breakdown of the worst childhood foods. And for another trip down memory lane, check out these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.
Pop-Tarts
There really was nothing like throwing a pack of Pop-Tarts into the toaster, and taking a bite into the warm pastry filled with gooey filling. The classic frosted strawberry variety you thought would be "healthier" than say the s'mores option, as it has fruit. If you take a look at the ingredients though, you'll see plenty of sugar and high fructose corn syrup on the list before you eventually stumble upon "dried strawberries." With the amount of sugar and extreme lack of fiber from these, you probably didn't realize it was the culprit as to why you were hungry not too long after breakfast.
Reese's Puffs
A cereal version of the classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? It was too good to be true! And it actually was, if you thought Reese's Puffs cereal was a healthier alternative to eating the actual candy. Again, it's full of sugar and didn't really do much of anything for you, nutritionally speaking. It's no wonder it received a rather low grade in our breakdown of the best and worst kids' cereals.
Dunkaroos
This snack is simply packed with sugar. That shouldn't really come as much of a surprise, though, as it's just vanilla cookies with vanilla frosting that is loaded up with rainbow sprinkles that you were munching on. And it's all added sugar you're having here, which if you consume too much, can lead to weight gain (aka that dreaded belly fat) and can even increase your risk of developing heart disease. (If you're looking for more helpful tips, your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here!)
Zebra Cakes
Opening up your lunch box and seeing a pack of zebra cakes would instantly make your school day better. But in reality, you were munching on more than 300 calories in just one snack that had more sugar than if you ate three Original Glazed Krispy Kreme Donuts…
Hot Pockets
Everyone burned their mouth biting into one of these, right? The Hot Pocket was known for packing everything you love about a pizza into a flaky crust, but with all that sodium and only one measly serving of fiber, it was never worth indulging in this freezer-aisle favorite. It's no wonder they're on our list of the worst frozen foods in America!
Pringles
When it came to Pringles, the concept was "once you pop, the fun don't stop," and it was very easy to eat many of these chips in one sitting. But here, you're not really getting much of another, nutritionally speaking, and the lack of fiber will have you reaching for something else to eat not too long after you finish these off.
Cheetos
The amount of sodium you get out of one serving is enough to leave these downright addictive chips alone. In fact, researchers at Deakin University found that eating excess salt can lead you to crave and eat more fatty foods overall. You might have fond memories of having bright orange cheese-dust filled fingers after eating these, but it's best to keep those thoughts in the past.
Lunchables
There was nothing like a Lunchable. Whether you were stacking up the little slices of deli meats and cheese on crackers or making your own mini pizza, the act of making your own lunch was always a thrill. Sadly, Lunchables are rather disappointing, as they are packed with fat and sodium.
Combos
Pretzels seem to have a reputation of being a better option than potato chips, and these iconic Combos are filled with cheddar cheese. Must be better for you, then! Not exactly, as pretzels are loaded up with just as much sodium as you would get from a bag of chips, and devoid of anything that is actually healthy for you. Just have a few and don't eat the entire bag if you really want to indulge!
Snack Pack Chocolate Vanilla Pudding
A pudding pack that featured both chocolate and vanilla? A dream come true! Well, not entirely, as Snack Pack's legendary flavor combo is packing 22 grams of sugar, with 20 of the 22 grams being added sugars. Big yikes.
SpaghettiOs
Campbell's SpaghettiOs were like your own hybrid of spaghetti and soup—it was truly unmatched. But this pasta in a tomato and cheese sauce entrée is swimming in a ridiculous amount of sodium. That's nearly half of how much sodium you should have in an entire day! Along with all that sugar, which is thanks to the sauce, this canned meal is one you were better off leaving on the shelf.
Yoo-hoo
You might've thought downing some Yoo-hoo was a great way to get your milk fix, but it's important to note this is a chocolate drink. Meaning, no, it's not chocolate milk. The first two ingredients on the list are water and high fructose corn syrup before there is even any mention of chocolate even! With 36 grams of sugar in one bottle, it's a bit scary to think about how much of the sweet stuff you most likely were sipping on daily.
YoCrunch Yogurt
Mixing bits of Oreo cookie into yogurt was a rather genius idea. It made for a tasty snack, but YoCrunch's yogurts are high in calories and are packed with sugar. This strawberry variety has more sugar than you would get if you ate five actual Oreo cookies!
Ruffles
Ruffles were 100% a beloved lunchroom star, but there's a good chance you often crashed after, right? This afternoon snack will just leave you feeling bloated if you're sodium sensitive and most likely reaching for more to eat not too long after you finish a bag.
Kid Cuisine Frozen Meals
Oh, the Kid Cuisine. The bright blue microwavable trays that featured everything like spaghetti and meatballs, mac and cheese, corn dogs, chicken nuggets and fries, chocolates, and brownies seemed like the most perfect lunch or dinner option. Like most frozen meals, these contain a rather high amount of sodium, especially for a kid to be eating in one sitting.
