This Was *The Biggest* Snack Trend The Year You Were Born

You can probably guess the snack foods that have been consistently popular throughout the years—chips, nuts, protein bars—but there have also been some crazes that stood out from the crowd (and you've probably long forgotten about them by now).

Curious to know which were the biggest snacking trends the year you were born? Here’s the list. And maybe grab a snack before you start reading—you’re bound to get hungry.

Dairy Queen was founded in 1940 in Joliet, Indiana. The company's signature soft serve quilckly became a favorite snack for kids and parents alike across the country.

M&Ms were first released in 1941 and were invented by Mars as a snack for soldiers in World War II. The small amount was easy to produce on wartime rations, while the hard candy shell prevented the chocolate from melting in a soldier's bag.

The chewy fruity candy was released by Just Born in 1940, which is the same manufacturer for candies like Peeps. By 1942, they were a candy staple in America.

The invention of the continuous potato processor allowed Lays to mass produce their popular snack food. The large scale production helped the company grow exponentially in the '40s.

Everyone's favorite gelatinous treat became popular in the early 1940s, largely because of war rationing. It remained one of the most popular sweet snacks until the 1980s.

Although hot dogs were originally a German cuisine, they became popular in America after being brought over by immigrants in the 1890s. By the 1940s, they were America's favorite barbecue food and were even added to the official menu of the White House.

Snacks were tight in the '40s due to food rationing for World War II, so even though instant mashed potatoes are usually considered a side, this McCormick & Company product became a common snack, too.

Who doesn't love the taste of coconut, dark chocolate, and almond slivers in one bite? In 1947, Almond Joys became one of the biggest snack foods after launching the year before.

Cheetos were invented by Fritos founder C.E. Doolin in 1948. Doolin credited the United States military for the invention of the cheesy snack chip, as they had advanced the technology of cheese dehydration during WWII.

Junior Mints just scream old-fashioned movie candy. They were first released in 1949 and were named after the Broadway show, Junior Miss.

Ahh… You remember those gummy little bright pops of color that seemed to become most useful for decorating gingerbread houses as the years passed. Well, Dots were the treat to eat straight out of the box in 1950.

I mean, Dunkin' still makes a mean donut to this day. But back in 1951, a year after the company's inception, everyone was snacking on those frosted doughy delights when the munchies hit.

Developed by food scientist Edwin Traisman and sold by Kraft, Cheez Whiz became the processed, shelf-stable cheese sauce that everyone used to top hot dogs, chips, and more.

Pepperidge Farm expanded from a bread company to cookie moguls in the '50s. People were snacking on these babies all day long for their crispy texture and great flavors.

Today you mostly think of marshmallow Peeps around Easter, but in 1954, these cute, sugary bunnies were a more everyday sort of treat.

M&Ms were the go-to candy back in 1948 after they had been used as rations during World War II. But by 1955, the newest hit was peanut—and for good reason, right?

These little bursts of licorice were super popular—but probably for advertising rather than taste. The "Choo Choo Charlie" character was spot on, as well as their jingle, "Charlie says, 'I love my Good & Plenty.' Charlie says, 'It really rings my bell!'"

An easier way to bake cookies? Everyone was on board once refrigerated cookie dough came on the market.

Chips are the ultimate snacking food, and in 1958, the Frito Company acquired rights to Ruffles, which were a major hit for their fun ridged or “crinkled” shape and amazing taste.

Whoever said ice cream was just for dessert was wrong. Reuben Mattus started marketing the brand in 1959, and everyone was digging into it with a spoon to satisfy their sweet snack cravings.

Sure, Pixy Stix are basically just drinking sugar. Straight. But it was also the “it” snack that started the crazy sugar craze in the '60s.

Probably a universal favorite snack of all time, Goldfish were (and still are) the cheesy, fish-shaped cracker that every kid had in their lunch box.

These chocolate chip cookies were so, so good—and they still are. With a glass of milk, you couldn’t think of a better pick-me-up back in the day.

Oh yes—these were every kid’s favorite food even in the '60s. And beyond snack time, they were satisfying for a quick breakfast or dessert.

These cone-shaped chips had a great salty flavor and light, airy texture. General Mills really hit the mark with these crispy corn snacks everyone was munching on.

Originally known as Herman Goelitz Candy Company and Goelitz Confectionery Company (can't imagine how they ended up as Jelly Belly!), these colorful beans were the perfect gummy, sweet snack in a wide range of flavors.

Okay, so there was canned cheese in the '50s, but by 1966, Easy Cheese was the ~new~ spreadable cheese. This spray can cheese was the stuff all the “cool” kids would spray right into their mouths and eat straight.

Doritos made a splash on the market in 1967, but not the way you know them now. They were much plainer corn chips until they added the iconic nacho cheese flavor in 1972.

This bar was first known as $100,000 Bar, verbalized as "hundred thousand dollar bar," until 1985 or 1986. But the same flavor was there, thanks to the Ferrara Candy Company.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) developed your current favorite Netflix snack in 1967, and they really blew up two years later.

By 1970, iconic popcorn master Orville Redenbacher had perfected his perfect kernel and light, airy popcorn became an instant snack everyone coveted. Get an RD's take on the health benefits of popcorn here.

Peanut butter and chocolate became the ultimate dynamic duo back in the 1970s after it rose to Hershey’s best selling item in 1969. It’s a candy icon for sure.

A healthier snack trend at the time, granola was easy, portable, and had crunch and sweetness for a morning or midday energy fix. People were eating it plain, putting it in yogurt, or making in trail mixes.

People today often joke about how it’s a staple in a college kid’s diet, but it actually rose to nationwide popularity in 1973. After all, it’s cheap, easy to whip up, and just as satisfying as a quick meal as it is a midnight snack.

You haven’t had a cookie until you’ve had a Mrs. Field’s. Classic but soft, chewy, and decadent, you can’t imagine something so perfectly balanced. So it makes sense they were a huge hit when they came out!

Yoplait was a French company that arrived Stateside in 1975. Eating healthier was cool, and yogurt became a go-to snack.

More cookies—are you seeing a trend within the trends? Famous Amos' little chocolate chip cookies were crispy and easy to pop into your mouth for a sweet snack.

These hard (super hard!) candies were crazy popular by 1977. Also known as Everlasting Gobstoppers, they were inspired by Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield became the new snack gods when Ben & Jerry’s hit the market in 1978.

If you weren’t sporting a Ring Pop on your finger, were you even living? These win for both hottest snack AND fashion accessory, for sure.

Pudding at school was the ultimate creamy, decadent snack. Unfortunately, you can’t get them anymore—so you’ll have to just remember how amazing they were.

Chips and salsa? Yes please! Tostitos came out as an even crispier alternative to the still-popular Doritos, and immediately spoke to the consumer's craving for "lighter" foods.

Frozen. Pizza. Bagel. What kid didn’t want to heat these up after soccer practice or a long day at school? And what parent didn’t want to steal a few when they looked away?

Everyone wanted to taste the rainbow with a bag of Skittles. Consider them the new Dots.

Another easy, frozen snack, Hot Pockets were invented by two brothers in the '80s. (Good luck getting the jingle out of your head now.)

With a name inspired by the popular Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, these punchy dudes hit the market in 1985 and made a huge splash with their sour outsides and sweet, gummy texture.

People had been mixing their plain Chex cereal with pretzels, nuts, and spices as a party recipe for decades. But when Chex decided to sell a pre-packaged version in the '80s, the rest was history.

The coolest ice cream ever—served as multi-colored tiny dots, they were the best and most unique melt-in-your-mouth treat a kid could want in a cup. (Tell me you don't still crave them every time you see a stand!)

Classic milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses had been a thing since 1907, but once they put an almond in the middle, it was THE preferred Kiss of 1988.

Lunchables combined protein, carbs, and cheese in a handy to-go container, which made packing lunch easy (and snack time even easier).

That frosting though—it was so, so good. Dunking fun-shaped animal cookies into creamy icing was the sweetest snack anyone could find (literally).

When you’re successful with one Dorito, you have to keep the flavors and shapes going. And the 3D one really stood out when it was released in 1991 as triangular as a classic Dorito, but in a hollow, three-dimensional shape.

These fruit-flavored gummies were in every kid’s lunch box (and the sour juice was all over my fingers).

Having started in Taiwan, Warheads made it to the US in 1993. For those who thought Sour Patch Kids and Gushers were sour, they had NO idea—just look at the guy on the package.

The long, long tape of fruity goodness was fun to unwind and play with, and it came in different flavors and colors.

A white chocolate bar with tiny cookie crumbles inside, this was a new candy bar that felt richer and creamier than its milk chocolate counterparts. It was considered a major innovation for Hershey's.

Push Pops were already considered a leveled-up lollipop, and this Triple Power design, built to enjoy multiple flavors at once, became a novelty in 1996 when it was released. (Sorry, '90s kids: It's sadly discontinued.)

French Toast Crunch's cinnamon and syrup swirls were super popular as a breakfast cereal, but also as mini French toast bites you could snack on. It was discontinued in 2006, but fans had a fit, and the company brought it back in 2015, restored to its original version.

Move over Push Pop, this new lollipop was the one to choose—obviously because you could dip it in sugar. Yes, it was delicious, but it also had a super catchy jingle, which helped.

Eating yogurt with a spoon was so out by 1999. Instead, get some protein and calcium on the go with portable yogurt tubes you could squeeze right into your mouth.

Think Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch—these bars were a convenient way to get your cereal and milk on the go.

Jelly Belly went in for the Harry Potter craze, releasing jellybeans to mimic wizards' favorite snack in the books. They came in good and gross flavors, like lemon and vomit. (Have fun guessing which is which.)

Since Jamba Juice’s opening in 2000, smoothies were the go-to drinkable snack of choice, as people tried to get away from processed foods and eat more fresh produce.

Thanks to the rise in popularity of Atkins and South Beach Diet, consumers wanted low-carb snacks. Pre-packaged bars made making a transition to a low-carb lifestyle easier. (If you're interested in starting a low-carb diet, read this first.)

Goodbye, fruity, sweet yogurt; and hello, plain yogurt. In 2004, market research firm NPD found that yogurt was the highest food to have increased in the American diet that year.

With cupcake-specific bakeries like Sprinkles popping up and hotspots like Magnolia Bakery becoming bona fide tourist destinations, it suddenly became common to dig into a cupcake for a snack.

Like standard yogurt—but ice-creamier. Fro-yo blew up as a lighter, less-sweet alternative to the ice cream you know and love.

Want cookies? Chips? Chocolate? What about in a tiny, throw-in-your-bag-and-go packet?

Eating ramen is fast and easy, and people loved digging into a warm bowl of noodles for a snack (and a sodium overload).

As a limited-edition version of the Whatchamacallit, it had cocoa rice crisps and a strip of peanut butter as a layer, all covered in Hershey’s decadent chocolate. Yum.

The chocolate bars keep getting more complicated (and delicious). This one is salty, sweet, and oh-so-chocolatey, to level up the Reese's peanut butter cups you know and love.

Move over, salsa. Hummus is a spreadable delight for sandwiches and a perfect dipping sauce for chips and pita. Here are 14 more delicious ways to use it.

Everything in 2012 was kale—chips, smoothies, salads, and more. Crunchy kale chips, in particular, felt like a healthy version of potato chips that could be topped with anything from a dash of salt to fun spices like ranch.

Chef Dominique Ansel changed America on Mother’s Day in 2013, when people lined up bright and early at his bakery to taste this croissant-donut hybrid.

Need a hearty snack? Grab a quinoa bowl, eat some quinoa chips, enjoy a quinoa cookie—it was the new grain that made all snack foods seem way healthier. Here are 6 reasons you should start digging in if you haven't already.

I don’t know if this will ever not be a universally loved snack food, but avocado toast became a thing in 2015 for any and every meal of the day.

Chickpeas no longer just go on salads from a can—these crispy puffs are kinda like Cheez Doodles, but packed with plant protein. You can still find them in tons of flavors.

These chewy bars with a simple ingredient list blew up in 2017, and they’re still one of the more innovative snack companies today, with various flavors (check that limited edition Pumpkin Spice!) and even a line of nut butters and oat cups.

So, beef jerky is still huge, but plant-based jerky started making quite the statement last year. Or really plant-based anything—think burgers, sausages, jackfruit snacks, and more—and it’s still booming in 2019. Hello, Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger!

It’s the year of keto, so any low-carb ice cream, low-carb protein bars, or naturally low-carb snack foods, like jerky, string cheese, and avocado, are this year’s go-to resource. Read up about the keto diet here.

All CBD-related products were popular in 2020. But one of the newest products—and most delicious—is the gummie.