Fond childhood memories are often centered around a smell or a taste, which helps explain why adults turn to foods they loved when they were kids. Unfortunately, tastebuds change over time, and thanks to efforts to put healthier foods on the market, recipes have changed, too.
We’re bringing you the list of foods that adults are crying foul about today.
Spaghettios
This tasty treat loosely based on an Italian dish was fantastic 20 years ago. But the limp noodles don’t match the fond memory taste test. One poster described how Spaghettios tastes now, “Tastes like sugar and black tea to me.”
Chef Boyardee Ravioli
Another slight nod to Italian cooking, Chef Boyardee Ravioli just doesn’t hit like it used to. Savvy readers of product ingredient lists say subbing “enzyme-modified cheese” instead of Romano cheese is obviously to blame.
Totinos Pizza Rolls
A couple of years ago, the upset over changed pizza rolls triggered a petition on change.org. It didn’t go far but illustrates how passionate we can be about our childhood favorites. “I don’t want to pay for air!” says one of the many people who remember the rolls being packed with ingredients now seem mostly empty.
Hamburger Helper
Not only the Tuna Helper (did anyone ever like that?) There was a recipe change by the manufacturer who stated Americans want milder flavors than they used to. We demand a recount!
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Strawberries and tomatoes top the list here, but bananas are not spared from criticism. Year-round produce availability seems a great solution for people who want strawberries in the dead of winter; however, farming practices to make produce available all the time have impacted the taste and texture of some fruits and veg.
Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
Much coveted in the 90s, no birthday party was complete without the ice cream cake confection. Sadly, Adults looking for nostalgia sadly report that those DQ cakes’ taste reminds them of plastic.
Pizza Hut Pan Pizza
Another birthday celebration favorite… getting your personal pan pizza delivered all bubbly, cheesy, and undeniably delicious. Modern tasters say the grease in making the crust come out fried to crispy brown tastes too oily.
Little Debbie Snack Cakes
Specifically the Swiss Rolls. The cream and chocolate cake still delight the tastebuds; the “fudge” coating disappoints. Some posters speculate that the coating is less creamy and more waxy due to the shift from trans fats to alternatives like palm oil.
Kraft Mac & Cheese (in the box)
There’s a bit of controversy brewing on this one. The line is drawn between people who say the individual microwaveable cups still get high marks but the mac & cheese from the blue and yellow box is trash. And vice versa.
Twizzlers
They were so good out of the package. You could have duels with your friends using Twizzlers or use them as straws. Grown-ups complain the licorice treat now tastes more like plastic than candy.
McDonald’s Menu
For '80s and '90s kids, a trip to McDonalds was a special treat for getting a good report card or scoring the goal. But the little cheeseburgers with one pickle and the teeny carton of fries do not make a good impression heading down memory lane.
Ranch Dressing
The ‘80s and '90s babies loved dipping and drizzling most anything savory in the buttermilk and herb concoction known as Ranch Dressing. It’s led to disappointment as adults mourn the original taste of the dressing, and their kids don’t like it, either!
Chocolate Bars
They’re just not like they were in the good old days. The main complaints about today’s chocolate bars are they’re smaller than they were decades ago, there are some cheaper ingredients swapped in, and, of course, they cost more.
Pixie Sticks
Back then, we could dump Pixie Stick after Pixie Stick of highly processed and colored sugar down our throats. Many adults now are sad to report a chemical taste or the sweetness is too much. We didn’t even know there was any such thing as “too sweet” when we were kids!
Sugary Cereal
In an attempt to try and save us from ourselves, those crave-able cereals don’t taste the same anymore. Slashing sugar content would be the obvious issue, but could it be the chemicals, artificial colors, and sweeteners that made Saturday morning cereal taste better than today’s version?
The complaints and clamor for beloved foods from childhood are not falling on deaf ears. Makers of some cereals, pasta, and pizza products have toyed with providing the “original” version of some popular foods for today’s audience.
This thread inspired this article.
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