10 Lunchbox Foods from the Past That No One Eats Anymore
These once-popular lunchbox staples have vanished from school cafeterias and kitchen counters, and most people don’t miss them.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 4 min read
School lunches have changed a lot over the years, and so have the foods that filled lunchboxes. Some items were trends, others were nutritional nightmares, and a few just didn’t stand the test of time. Today, most of these foods are either forgotten, out of production, or avoided for health reasons.
1. Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches
Daderot on Wikimedia Commons
This was a big hit decades ago, especially in homes that copied Elvis Presley’s favorite snack. While the mix of creamy peanut butter and soft banana slices was filling, it also turned mushy by lunchtime. The texture didn’t hold up in lunchboxes, and kids often found it unappealing by noon. It quietly faded as fresher, crunchier options took over.
2. Pudding Cups with Foil Tops
Thomson200 on Wikimedia Commons
Before the resealable plastic containers of today, pudding came in thin cups with noisy foil lids. These were a big deal in the ’80s and ’90s, but the sugar content was off the charts. Parents eventually caught on to the ingredient lists and started swapping them for yogurt or fruit. They’re still around, but you rarely see them in modern lunchboxes.
3. Vienna Sausages
Aw58 on Wikimedia Commons
These soft, canned mini sausages were once a go-to protein for packed lunches. However, their strange texture, salty flavor, and long shelf life made them feel more like emergency food than a kid-friendly meal. As fresh food became easier to pack, Vienna sausages fell out of favor. Today, they’re mostly found in camping kits or storm supplies.
4. Cheese and Cracker Snack Packs with That Red Stick
Father.Jack on Wikimedia Commons
These plastic snack packs came with processed cheese, dry crackers, and a tiny red stick for spreading. Kids loved them for the fun factor, but the cheese wasn’t really cheese, and the crackers turned stale quickly. As concerns about preservatives grew, parents began choosing real cheese and whole-grain crackers instead. The red stick is now a symbol of a very different time.
5. Fruit Roll-Ups That Turned Into Stained Paper
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These colorful, sticky sheets were more sugar than fruit, and they stuck to everything. They’d melt in a warm lunchbox and peel off the wrapper like wet paper. Kids loved the flavor, but they left their hands sticky and teeth coated. Healthier fruit snacks eventually took their place.
6. Deviled Ham Sandwiches
Daderot on Wikimedia Commons
This meat spread came from a can and was mixed into sandwiches for a salty, creamy filling. It was once considered convenient, but the strong smell and questionable ingredients didn’t appeal to most kids. Over time, it became known as an old-fashioned or even odd choice. Today, it’s rare to find anyone under 40 who grew up eating it.
7. Snack Cakes in Wax Paper
Larry D. Moore on Wikimedia Commons
Treats like Ding Dongs or HoHos were once packed in wax paper or foil and slipped into lunchboxes without a second thought. They were loaded with sugar and artificial flavors but felt like a reward. Today’s parents often avoid them due to long ingredient lists and processed fats. They’ve been replaced by granola bars or homemade treats.
8. Powdered Drink Mix in Thermoses
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Kool-Aid or Tang used to be packed in metal thermoses with bright cartoon designs. The drinks were full of artificial colors and required a lot of sugar to taste right. As water bottles and juice boxes took over, these sugary mixes disappeared. Now they’re more likely to be a nostalgia reference than a drink option.
9. Liverwurst Sandwiches
SKopp on Wikimedia Commons
Liverwurst, a soft sausage made from liver, was once a common lunch filling in many households. It had a strong flavor and smell that made it hard to love unless you grew up with it. As tastes shifted and fresher meats became available, liverwurst disappeared from lunchboxes. Most kids today haven’t even heard of it.
10. Canned Fruit Cocktail with Maraschino Cherries
United States Department of Agriculture on Wikimedia Commons
These syrupy fruit mixes were often packed in metal cans or small plastic cups. The mushy fruit and overly sweet syrup weren’t exactly refreshing by lunchtime. The single red cherry in each cup was supposed to be the prize, but the rest of the mix wasn’t very appealing. Now, fresh fruit or unsweetened cups are the norm.