7 Nostalgic Snacks to Bring Back This Summer
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Summer tends to bring out the child in all of us, whether it’s because we’re actually spending more time outdoors or just that the warmer temps evoke the giddy feeling of being on school break. And there may be no season more associated with nostalgic foods, as many of us reminisce about grabbing a treat from the ice cream truck or snacking on popcorn by the handful during an outdoor movie night.
When is the last time you enjoyed one of these childhood treats? If the answer isn’t yesterday, let’s change that. Let’s fill this summer with gooey s’mores, slurpable sodas, and more. Read on for seven of our favorite nostalgic summertime snacks.
Popcorn
We can get on board for eating popcorn any time of day. Often found alongside chips and pretzels during a midday kid’s party or cookout, it is also, of course, the ultimate movie snack. “From county fairs to road trips to the circus, popcorn was always there during moments you were having fun,” says Rachel Krupa, founder of The Goods Mart, a better-for-you snack retailer. Now that your palate might be a little more sophisticated, consider livening up your next batch with a spoonful of chili-crisp oil or a spice blend like Cajun or barbecue.
Italian ices
You can recall the taste of that little wooden spoon as much as the lemon or strawberry flavor, right? Italian ices in petite cardboard cups were the perfect cooldown snack for those times when ice cream felt just a bit too heavy. Luckily, many of the companies from our childhood are still around, like Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices. And, hey, now that we’re all adults here, nothing’s stopping us from adding a cold scoop to our sparkling wine or vodka, right?
Ice cream bars
Does hearing the song of the ice cream truck make you want to go find your allowance money? While soft serve and sprinkles may have been the most popular order on a hot summer day, we’d like to propose that the true hero of the lineup was actually the ice cream bar. You know, the one on a stick, with chocolate or strawberry crunchies on the outside? Not only does the harder ice cream melt more slowly than its cone sibling, it’s pretty easy to eat on the go. So next time you hear that truck rolling down the street, remember: It’s there for you, too, not just your kids.
Ice pops
For many of us, a Popsicle may be one of our earliest summer memories. With no utensil needed, it’s one of the easiest foods to give a cranky, overheated toddler, after all. And whether you were a big fan of a patriotic rocket pop on July 4th or loved the old-school kind in the plastic sleeve, there are few snacks as simple and satisfying as these frozen treats. “They cool you down, but sweeten you up on the inside,” Krupa says. She loves GoodPop, which stocks all the nostalgic flavors, like Orange n’ Cream and Strawberry, but eschews artificial sweeteners.
Root-beer floats
A crisp, ice-cold root beer coupled with a big scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream: the perfect snack for a sweet tooth in the summertime. But when was the last time you actually sat down to slurp one? If you can’t even remember, we think it’s definitely time to bring back this throwback treat for your next barbecue. And why limit yourself to root beer and plain vanilla? How about cream soda and chocolate ice cream? Ginger ale and mango sorbet? The only limit is your imagination.
S’mores
Warm summer nights around a bonfire: There’s only one snack you’re eating, right? S’mores are somehow greater than the sum of their parts; chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers are all tasty in their own right, but put them together and it’s childhood encapsulated in a single bite. And luckily, for those of us with a few more dietary restrictions, Krupa notes that there are tasty brands of gluten-free graham crackers, like Partake, as well as fluffy vegan marshmallows from companies like Dandies.
Sour gummies
Remember eating so many of these, your tongue would be numb by the end of the afternoon? Whether you were into the worms or the sour-fruit variety, they were always a draw both at the pool concession stand and at the movies. Today, the world of gummies has expanded significantly—the Swedish variety, in particular, is having a huge moment. Krupa loves the sour selection from BonBon, which imports all their goodies directly from the Scandinavian country.
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