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Like mom jeans, neon windbreakers and combat boots, food trends also circle in and out of popularity. Case in point: cottage cheese. Who could have imagined that the texturally challenged health food our moms used to stock at the back of the fridge would reappear on TikTok as the latest healthy food trend!? There truly is nothing new under the sun.
I hopped on the bandwagon a few weeks ago by purchasing my first tub of cottage cheese. I scrolled social media for a suitable trial recipe and went with sourdough toast slathered with cottage cheese and topped with chili crunch oil and arugula. I’m pleased to report that it exceeded my expectations as a high-protein savory breakfast.
That got me thinking — what other discarded food trends deserve another spin in the spotlight? Here are my proposals:
Jell-O
Who had an Aunt Debbie who never failed to bring Jell-O salad to Thanksgiving and Christmas in the ’80s? I’m raising my hand. Jell-o molds, Jell-o Jigglers, Instant Jell-o, Jell-o cups in lunchboxes — where did they all go? They went the way of history. But it's not hard to imagine another go around, perhaps with an emphasis on the health benefits of gelatin. Or a rediscovery of the pure fun of a wiggly semi-transparent food — I’ve seen little slurpable cubes that look suspiciously like jello in my daughter’s boba drinks.
Easy-Bake Oven Treats
This toy was coveted by countless children over many decades and many Hasbro models. Tiny cake pans, adorable mixes, and, of course, the sugar high at the end — what’s not to love? One could argue that the cake mug trend is a riff on the idea of a tiny single-serving confection. But perhaps we need a new wave of marketing for this vintage toy. I know my kids would go crazy over a tiny oven that popped out treats baked by a light bulb. I could see a modern take that includes gluten-free mixes, salted caramel swirls, and countless DIY recipes on TikTok, naturally.
Snapple
Hear me out. I know there must be an absolute pile of sugar packed into those glass bottles. But tell me you didn’t love a cold kiwi-strawberry or mango madness. Pair it with some salty takeout. Divine.
SpaghettiOs
Pasta in a can. I have to say, I was never fond of SpaghettiOs. I always preferred my mom’s actual spaghetti with meat sauce. But let’s not be too hasty in ruling out the pasta in a can idea. Surely, modern culinary technology could improve the texture, taste and nutritional value. Just imagine a non-mushy fusilli in a spicy fire-roasted veggie sauce, all accessible with a little turn of the can opener. Now that I could get behind.
Fruit Cocktail
My grandma Maxine, without fail, served a side of fruit cocktail with dinner. She scooped it into little white bowls, carefully placing at least one cherry in each. It’s rare to see a fruit course at dinner nowadays, much less one from a can. Maybe the snack aisle is a better place for it, where dried fruit snacks abound. I could see a modern fruit cocktail with added probiotics or a kombucha twist. Or, what if fruit cocktail was an actual cocktail and lived in the beer, wine and liquor aisle?! I can already picture myself pulling a vodka-spiked fruit cup out of the ice chest on a beach day this summer!
Now it’s your turn: which other vintage foods should be candidates for re-entering the popular food scene? Let us know in the comments below.
Andrea D'Aquino
Follow Article Topics: Lifestyle
