food nostalgia

8 popular snack foods that turned 50 years old this year

Yes, Fresca is as old as 'Star Trek.'

Sep 15, 2016, 2:25PM By MeTV Staff

It's hard to believe Bugles and Fresca have been around for half a century. But what better snacks were there to suck down as you watched the first season of Star Trek? They were like the foods of the future.

There were more miracles of food science introduced in 1966, the height of the space age. There was Cool-Whip! And a drink made from clams!

Okay, maybe we could live without the last one.

Here are a handful of popular foods celebrating their 50th birthday this year.

1. Bugles

General Mills launched their iconic crunchy cones alongside two other shapes, Whistles and Daisy's. However, those other varieties faded as the horns went on to become a snack staple. We'd put one Bugle on each finger, pretend to be a witch with long nails, and chomp them one by one.

SEE MORE: 8 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT BUGLES

Image: Sueism / Flickr

2. Clamato

Who's bright idea was this? Mott's. "Clamato is the unique blend of clam and tomato," the ad copy read when the product was introduced in 1966. "Not like clams, not like tomatoes, Clamato juice has a unique flavor—refreshing and delicious." Nothing quenches thirst quite like a tall glass of Manhattan clam chowder! These days, you can find it mixed with beer in cans of Budweiser Chelada.

Image: phil-are-go / Blogspot

3. Cool Whip

Sure, it's technically a "topping," but who didn't eat it out of the tub with a spoon at some point? Within two years, the whipped delight became Birds Eye's most popular product.

Image: VintageAdarama / Etsy

4. Crunch 'N Munch

In 2004, the Yankees decided to break from baseball tradition and sell Crunch 'N Munch in the stadium instead of Cracker Jack. You would have thought somebody punched Yogi Berra in the face. After fans went (popcorn and) nuts, Cracker Jack was quickly reinstated. C'mon, Crunch 'N Munch gets a bad rap. It's delicious, even if it isn't mentioned in the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

Image: Jason Liebig / Collecting Candy

5. Doritos

Frito Lay executive Arch West was buried under a layer of Doritos dust. Another fun fact: The "Cool Ranch" flavor is called "Cool American" overseas.

6. Fresca

Because of its grapefruit flavor and lack of calories, Fresca seems like a more modern invention, a drink born in the diet and aerobics craze of the late-'70s, early-'80s. Nope — it's as old as "Good Vibrations." You might remember that LBJ loved the citrusy stuff so much that he kept it on tap in the White House. That's an important piece of trivia to keep in mind if you're hoping to win a million bucks someday.

Bottle image: 1020ohiolbc / eBay

7. Quaker Instant Oatmeal

Of course, oatmeal is as old as the hills. But in 1966, Quaker sped up the cooking process with its Instant Oatmeal. "Just add boiling water, it's ready to eat," the ad proclaimed. (You might want to wait until the boiling water has cooled, however.)

Image: avalon-collectibles / eBay

8. Razzles

Do you remember the jingle? "First it's a candy, then it's a gum. Little round Razzles are so much fun." Originally, they were merely raspberry flavored, hence the name. In the modern age of a million varieties, you can chew on Blaze'n Blueberry, Gushin' Grape, Strawberry-Bana and so many other made-up fruit flavors.

Image: Dan Goodsell / The Imaginary World and Jason Liebig / Collecting Candy