Remember when the frozen food section was filled with tasty body parts and edible cartoon characters? These products may have disappeared from shelves, but they remain forever in our hearts.
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00:00Remember when the frozen food section was filled with tasty body parts and edible
00:04cartoon characters? These products may have disappeared from shelves,
00:08but they remain forever in our hearts.
00:11If you paid attention to the news at all during the summer of 2022,
00:14then you're probably familiar with the tragic disappearance of the Choco Taco.
00:18Parent company Klondike made the decision to pull it off store shelves nearly 40 years
00:22after it first debuted. The internet immediately and predictably went into a frenzy, with regular
00:27folks and celebrities alike voicing their displeasure. Chef Andrew Zimmern even called
00:31the death of the Choco Taco insanity. Other brands attempted to jump on the opportunity
00:36to cash in on the nostalgia before consumers even had the chance to miss it.
00:39Portland-based ice cream shop Salt & Straw began selling their own version,
00:43dubbing it a chocolate-chocolate. It was sold exclusively online and, unsurprisingly,
00:47their inventory was gone in a flash. Even though the Choco Taco has disappeared from the freezer
00:52aisle, there still may be some hope for its return. In response to fans' outrage over its
00:57demise, Klondike hinted on Twitter that they're looking into the possibility of bringing it back.
01:01However, any return will likely be a few years away.
01:05If you grew up in the 90s, then there's a strong possibility your refrigerator was
01:09well-stocked with this next frozen product. Nestle began selling their cylindrical push-up
01:13sherbet treats in the 80s, and shortly after their debut, they collaborated with an iconic
01:18cartoon franchise. Flintstones push-up sherbet treats arrived in 1990 and lasted for several
01:23years, with on-brand flavors like Yabba Dabba Doo Orange, Lime Rock Lime, and Bedrock Berry.
01:28Alas, Flintstones push-ups are now a thing of the past, nowhere to be found in any grocery store
01:33aisle. You can, however, still purchase generic push-up pops. If you keep your eyes peeled in
01:38the frozen food aisle, you may spot a variety pack that includes Cherry Blast, Turbo Grape,
01:43and Outrageous Orange. They may not sound as cool as the Flintstones varieties,
01:46but we'll take what we can get. Nestle also advertises these push-up pops on its website,
01:51but notably, our favorite cartoon residents at Bedrock are still missing. So don't expect to
01:55find the frozen versions of Fred or Barney anywhere soon, other than in your memories.
02:05Few breakfast items are as convenient as frozen waffles. There are many brands out there that
02:09sell their own version of this toaster-friendly treat, but the reigning champ in terms of brand
02:13recognition is surely Eggo. Owned by parent company Kellogg's, Eggo is responsible for
02:18producing a wide array of frozen waffles, from classic buttermilk and chocolate chip to various
02:23designs with popular cartoon characters. For a while, Eggo also offered a sweet and satisfying
02:27spin on its classic trademark product. In the early 2000s, the brand introduced Waffles,
02:32a frozen breakfast waffle with various fillings. Flavors included the usual suspects like strawberry
02:37and blueberry, but eventually, Waffles were discontinued after approximately eight years
02:42on the market. Fans were understandably disappointed to see them vanish, and a
02:46petition even emerged on Change.org in the hopes of one day resurrecting the waffles.
02:50Alas, Eggo has made it pretty clear on their social media that it's probably not going to happen.
02:56The name-brand gelatin dessert, known as Jell-O, remains a gastronomical mystery
02:59to pretty much everyone on the planet. Nevertheless, it's also a pantry staple
03:03to this day, especially for households with hungry children. Whether you buy Jell-O pudding
03:08mix to whip together at home or purchase the pre-made packs to include in school lunches,
03:12the brand has cemented itself in popular culture as a go-to snack option. But what
03:16about throwing some of that pudding in the freezer for a tasty dessert? Now we're talking.
03:20And, in fact, Jell-O's Pudding Pops were actually quite the hit for a number of years when they
03:24were initially launched around 1980, reaching $100 million in sales in their first year.
03:29Despite that encouraging development, these Pudding Pops flopped due to an eventual drop-off
03:34in customer demand. Jell-O confirmed on Twitter in 2018 that the Pudding Pops were ultimately
03:38discontinued due to insufficient sales. However, while you may not be able to buy a box of Jell-O
03:43Pudding Pops these days, copycat recipes are readily available online.
03:47Get your pudding face on.
03:49When TV became a focal point in the homes of more and more Americans throughout the 1950s,
03:54frozen prepared meals became the perfect accompaniment for daily viewing. However,
03:58the introduction of Swanson TV dinners was less about the search for the perfect meal to eat while
04:02watching the boob tube than it was a correction for a surplus in Thanksgiving turkeys. The
04:06overabundance of poultry was repurposed into ready-made meals, and the rest is history.
04:11After the popularity of the turkey dinners took off, additional meals were introduced
04:15to the lineup during the 60s and 70s. Swanson then became a household name,
04:19with one of their main selling points being that the meals were so easy to prepare,
04:22kids could make themselves something to eat while mom and dad went out for a real dinner.
04:26While Swanson TV dinners are no longer on store shelves today,
04:29you might still be enjoying them without even realizing it. The Swanson TV dinner brand was
04:33retired, but the products themselves were relabeled as Hungryman, which is still sold
04:37in grocery stores to this day. If you're someone who likes your breakfast to taste a little sweet,
04:42then Pillsbury Toaster Strudels are a convenient way to treat yourself first thing in the morning.
04:47They're part of a long line of successful products from the brand,
04:49which is basically the champion of packaged baked goods. The Toaster Strudel comes in a
04:54variety of flavors and is still sold in grocery stores to this day, but there's one flavor that's
04:58no longer available in your local frozen food section — or any frozen food section, for that
05:03matter. The Boston Cream Pie Toaster Strudel was noticeably different from the majority of other
05:07strudels on the market. Whereas most varieties have a jam filling, such as strawberry or
05:12blueberry, the Boston Cream Pie had a creamier custard inside, and it was pretty delicious.
05:17Unfortunately, it was ultimately discontinued, which Pillsbury confirmed on Twitter in November
05:212021. Fans took to Change.org to start a petition to bring it back, but the company has given no
05:27indication that that's a possibility beyond tweeting,
05:29We'll share your request with the team.
05:32Nothing says I love you like something from — hey, what the hell are you doing?
05:36While Swanson TV Dinners provided parents with a quick and convenient meal option for the entire
05:40family, the products weren't necessarily marketed for kids. But then soon enough,
05:44that corner was filled as well. Starting around the 1970s, Libbyland TV Dinners hit the shelves
05:49and gave youngsters their own option when it came to frozen meals. The brand even had its own mascot
05:54called Libby the Kid, and each meal came with colorful crystals that could change the color of
05:58a glass of milk. There were various themed dinners available for purchase, inspired by the likes of
06:02pirates, safaris, and deep-sea diving. Alas, Libbyland TV Dinners didn't have a very long
06:08lifespan, as they only lasted on the market until 1976. They clearly had all the traits of a product
06:13that was marketed to children, but ultimately, it was up to the people with the buying power,
06:17i.e. their parents, to decide what foods actually ended up in their grocery carts.
06:22Before Eggo Waffles, there were Care Bear Waffles. The Care Bears franchise was pretty
06:27big when they arrived in the 80s. And so, much like any other successful,
06:30modern-day kid-targeted media property, the characters could eventually be found everywhere,
06:35even as part of your breakfast. The waffles themselves were a bit nondescript. If you
06:39didn't see the box beforehand, there really was no indication that they were inspired by
06:43the Care Bears, other than the rainbow sprinkles baked in. However, the packaging was decorated
06:47with Care Bears, which was the only thing kids needed to spot in the grocery store
06:51in order to beg their parents to add it to their cart.
06:53Much like the Care Bears themselves, their waffles declined in popularity over the years,
06:57and they were eventually discontinued. Even the popularity at their peak appears to be
07:01somewhat debatable. That's evidenced by a thread on the 1980s subreddit in which commenters revealed
07:06that they didn't even realize this product ever existed. Perhaps that had something to
07:10do with its inevitable fate of being pulled off of shelves.
07:13Bye-bye. Bye-bye.
07:16Growing up in the 90s meant that you probably tried some unique culinary items,
07:20like Dunkaroos, Dippin' Dots, and Fruitopia. Another staple in many 90s kids' freezers
07:24were kid cuisine meals. Everything from the bright blue microwavable tray to the penguin mascot to
07:29the brownie that may or may not have been actual food culminated in the unforgettable kid cuisine
07:34experience. This craze continued into the 2000s and even the 2010s, and to this day,
07:38the brand is still available in grocery stores. But not every frozen meal that kid cuisine ever
07:43offered is included in their current lineup. The brand once sold a Friends Forever mac and
07:47cheese variety inspired by the iconic Nickelodeon cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants,
07:51which was a big hit among many customers. But this particular product has since been discontinued,
07:56along with other varieties that have come and gone over the years,
07:59including the Constructor Beef Patty Sandwich and All-American Fried Chicken.
08:02In fact, a quick trip to the kid cuisine website will show only three options currently listed —
08:07All-Star Nuggets, Mini Corn Dogs, and Popcorn Chicken. But don't worry,
08:11as the questionable brownies are still included with all three varieties.
08:15Another brand that plenty of shoppers are probably quite familiar with when it comes
08:19to frozen meals is Marie Callender's, which began baking pies in the 1940s.
08:23The real-life inspiration behind the company grew into a household name over the years,
08:27and even opened pie and coffee shops before the brand name was licensed to ConAgra Foods in 1994.
08:32This resulted in the launch of a widely popular line of frozen meals, but the heart of the company
08:37is still the dessert that started it all — and that is none other than pie. You can find plenty
08:42of different pies sold by Marie Callender's, including the Savory Chicken Pop Pie and the
08:46Sweet Lattice Apple Pie. Unfortunately, though, not every flavor they've ever sold is still
08:50available today. Some of the dearly departed include the Pumpkin Pecan Streusel, along with
08:55a few other frozen food offerings like the Chili Pop Pie and the Herb Roasted Chicken Dinner.
09:00A lot of strange things happened in the 1980s, and Funny Feet Ice Cream is no exception.
09:05It's the 80s, do a lot of coke and vote for Ronald Reagan.
09:10It's not that a strawberry-flavored ice cream popsicle is bizarre in and of itself,
09:14but the idea to mold it into the shape of a foot certainly is.
09:18Weirdly enough, this treat has actually enjoyed a resurgence a couple of times in recent years,
09:22though not in the United States. You'd have to head to Great Britain,
09:25where fans voted to bring Funny Feet Ice Cream back in 2013. It then returned yet again in 2021,
09:31this time courtesy of Iceland Foods. So if you really need Funny Feet back in your life,
09:35start saving up for airfare.
09:38Trader Joe's has been known to make its customers fall in love with certain items,
09:41only for those items to then be discontinued before buyers can stock up. This was certainly
09:46true in the case of their Cheeseless Cheesecake. This vegan dessert was made with a base of lima
09:50beans instead of any dairy products, and reviews were mixed. Some complained that the taste wasn't
09:55very strong, while the FreezerMill Frenzy blog pointed out that despite it being a vegan dessert,
09:59it still had many of the characteristics one would look for in a typical cheesecake.
10:03The Cheeseless Cheesecake amassed a bit of a cult following,
10:06with shoppers voicing their disappointment online at the news that it was discontinued.
10:10Not only did they lose out on an enjoyable dessert, but anyone avoiding dairy products
10:14was back to square one in their search for a tasty, sweet treat.