The Most Disgusting Foods That All '90s Kids Ate, Ranked

Updated June 21, 2024 723.6K views 21 items

Ranked By

229.3K votes

23.3K voters

Voting Rules

Vote up the grossest foods all kids who grew up in the '90s ate, despite their appalling nutritional value and ingredients lists.

The '90s were really a gross time for kid's food. The decade saw the rise of Lunchables, the appearance of fruit snacks that had no fruit in them, and so many artificial flavors that your tongue would sometimes turn green. When you get down to it, kid's food from the '90s was disgusting. From fake ingredients to sugar contents so high that your parents instantly regretted letting you eat the offending food item, there were some seriously gross '90s snacks that kids ate regularly.

However, let's be absolutely clear: just because these disgusting foods from the '90s were terrible for you and horrifying to look at doesn't mean they weren't delicious. Really, who wouldn't like to see a resurgence of Butterfinger BB's or Ecto Cooler? These unhealthy '90s snack foods were a part of life and, nostalgia aside, some of them were more addictive than anyone cares to admit.

So, as a child of the '90s, which of these were your neon, sugary, artificial bread and butter? Get ready for a blast from the past as you vote up the grossest '90s foods, and prepare to have your mouth water. Even if you hate yourself for it a little.

1
Purple Ketchup
Photo:
Metaweb
CC-BY
OK, why did Heinz think this would be a good idea, again? Regular ketchup was fine, and red by nature, but apparently purple was a better plan. Even though everyone tried it once or twice, purple ketchup quickly went the way of the dinosaur. At least it still tasted like ketchup and was made from tomato paste. Mostly.
9,516 votes
So gross?
2
Orbitz
Photo:
chrissam42
flickr
CC-BY-NC 2.0
If you ever wondered what those little bits of stuff floating in these strange drinks were, this will ruin some of the magic for you: they were xantham gum and gellan gum. While they looked cool and you kind of had to try it, some of those flavor combos were kind of off the wall, and the texture was... less than perfect. But still, drinking a lava lamp just seemed like fun sometimes.
7,916 votes
So gross?
3
Kid Cuisine
Photo:
WordShore
flickr
CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
There are plenty of kids who will attest to loving these during childhood, but have you tried one recently? They're pretty much nothing but sogginess and the flavor of lingering plastic. They're also incredibly high in sodium, and these things just don't heat evenly when you cook them. Still, at the time, they were a great special occasion dinner... or just whenever mom didn't want to cook.
9,333 votes
So gross?
4
Crystal Pepsi
Photo:
Distressed Volatility
Flickr
What. No, seriously, what was going on here? Who said, "Hey, I know, let's make Pepsi clear, the kids will love that!" Well, the kids generally didn't, which is why it didn't stick around for very long. Neither did its later brother, Pepsi Blue, which should tell you one thing: stop messing with Pepsi. We like it the way it is. However, Crystal Pepsi did get a short comeback in 2015, so we'll see if it ever rears its ugly head again.
7,928 votes
So gross?
5
Surge
Photo:
Magnus Kolstad
flickr
CC-BY-ND 2.0
It's making a comeback, and many of us can see why. As a kid, if you wanted a sugar high that was comparable with drug trips you heard about in movies, then this was the soda for you. Where else can you find a drink that gives you the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of granulated sugar in a single can? That's 56 grams.
8,389 votes
So gross?
6
Bologna Sandwiches
Photo:
Richard Elzey
flickr
CC-BY 2.0
Do you know what's in bologna? Because kids in the '90s sure as heck didn't. Twelve percent of your daily fat intake in a single slice? That doesn't even include the bread or any condiments!
9,800 votes
So gross?

Purple Ketchup

Orbitz

Kid Cuisine

Crystal Pepsi

Surge

Bologna Sandwiches