in

15 Popular Snacks We Should’ve Avoided as Kids

Craig Adderley/Pexels

Would you believe that some of your favorite childhood snacks contained more sugar than a can of soda? It’s true! While they tasted amazing, many of the popular snacks we grew up eating were packed with unhealthy ingredients. Here’s a look at 15 beloved snacks that weren’t nearly as good for us as we thought!

Pop-Tarts

Amazon

Pop-Tarts may have been a breakfast favorite, but they’re anything but nutritious. Loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients, each pastry packs around 30 grams of sugar. While they were a quick and tasty option, the high content of sugar and lack of nutrients made them a less-than-ideal way to start the day

Lunchables

Amazon

Convenient? Yes. Healthy? Not so much. Lunchables offered a fun, build-your-own lunch experience but were filled with processed meats, cheese, and crackers high in sodium and preservatives. With around 1,000 milligrams of sodium per serving, according to WebMD, they were far from the balanced meal we thought they were.

Fruit Roll-Ups

Amazon

Fruit Roll-Ups were a lunchtime staple, but don’t let the word “fruit” fool you. These colorful strips were packed with sugar and artificial dyes, not real fruit. According to Healthline, a single serving contains 14–20 grams of sugar and little to no nutritional value, which makes it more candy than a nutritious snack.

Twinkies

Amazon

The iconic golden sponge cake with cream filling, Twinkies, was a sugary indulgence we couldn’t resist. Each Twinkie contains about 19 grams of sugar and 150 calories. With a long shelf life and high levels of preservatives, they were far from healthy but remained a childhood favorite for many.

Doritos

Amazon

This was the go-to snack for a cheesy, crunchy fix. But behind that satisfying crunch, these chips were high in fat, sodium, and artificial flavors. According to WebMD, a serving of Doritos contains 8 g of fat and 210 milligrams of sodium, which makes them one of the least lean snack options.

Kool-Aid

 Amazon

Kool-Aid may have been the summer drink, but it was essentially sugar water. A single serving packs 16 grams of sugar, and that’s before you even add extra sugar during preparation! This brightly colored drink may have tasted great, but it was nowhere near a healthy beverage for kids.

Hostess CupCakes

Erik Mclean/Pexels

With 19 grams of sugar and 170 calories per serving, these snack cakes were more of a dessert than a midday snack. Hostess CupCakes were a lunchbox treat that packed a sugary punch. Their processed ingredients and high sugar content made them one of the most unwholesome snacks of our childhood.

Dunkaroos

Amazon

Who could forget Dunkaroos? The combination of cookies and frosting was a fun and tasty treat but unhealthy. Containing about 19 grams of sugar per serving, these bite-sized snacks were a sugar bomb. The high sugar content paired with processed ingredients made Dunkaroos a not-so-nutritious choice for kids.

Cheetos

Erik Mclean/Pexels

A small serving containing around 10 grams of fat and 250 milligrams of sodium makes these more of a guilty pleasure than a nutritious snack. Cheetos were known for their bold, cheesy flavor and the infamous orange dust left behind on your fingers. But they were also loaded with unhealthy fats and artificial flavors.

Capri Sun

Amazon

Capri Sun pouches were a go-to drink for kids, but they were mostly sugar and water. A single pouch contains about 13 grams of sugar and only 10% real fruit juice. While they were convenient and tasty, they lacked nutritional value and contributed to kids’ daily sugar intake.

Oreos

Shubham Kumar/Pexels

A single Oreo cookie contains around 4.7 grams of sugar and 2.3 grams of fat. Oreos were a snack-time favorite, but these classic cookies were packed with sugar and fat. While they were undeniably delicious, Oreos starkly contrasted with a lean snack option for kids or adults.

Bagel Bites

Amazon

These bites promised the best of both worlds: pizza and bagels in bite-sized form. But with processed cheese, meats, and high levels of sodium, these mini pizzas were more junk food than wholesome snacks. What makes them one of the least nutritious options is that each serving contains 190 calories and 340 mg of sodium.

Trix Cereal

Amazon

Despite being promoted to children, Trix cereal wasn’t a healthy option for breakfast. Packed with artificial coloring and sugar, each serving has roughly 12 grams of sugar. Healthline claims that Trix was more of a sugary delight than a nutritious meal and provided nothing in the way of nutrition.

Gushers

Amazon

Gushers were another childhood favorite, known for their fruity flavor and liquid-filled centers. But these chewy snacks were packed with sugar, 10 grams per serving, and artificial ingredients. According to WebMD, Gushers are more candy than fruit, which offers little nutritional value and contributes to the sugar highs of our childhood.

Hot Pockets

Amazon

A quick and easy after-school snack! However, hot pockets were nowhere near nutritious. Each serving is loaded with saturated fats and sodium. One pepperoni Hot Pocket contains 306 calories and 12 grams of fat. These convenience snacks may have been yummy, but they weren’t good for us.

Written by Adrian Berlutti

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *