These Ridiculous Diet and Food Ads From the 80s and 90s Will Actually Shock You

Nutrition guidelines get an update every five years because new research emerges about certain diets, the health benefits of different foods, and the role of eating habits. And the more we learn, the more info we have to make healthy food choices. So when you think back over the past few decades, you might remember how fast food seemed like the ultimate convenience (and menus lacked smaller, better-for-you options).

A jog down memory lane will also remind you of a time when fat-free and sugar-free snacks and desserts were all the craze, and when sodas and other sugary drinks stocked most families’ refrigerators over water and milk. To show you just how far we’ve come with nutrition science and today’s healthy eating guidelines, we rounded up the most ridiculous food commercials from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, so you can see what types of foods came into the scene and the trends we’re so glad we put on ice.