I don’t know about you, but when I think about the ‘90s, I can’t help but reminisce about getting home from school and popping some pizza bagels in the microwave, cracking open a bottle of Koala Springs, and turning on my favorite talk show: Ricki Lake. I couldn’t wait to find out who was going to get an awesome makeover and go from ‘geek to chic’ or what family drama would unfold that day.

Since the fashion trends of the ‘90s are making their way back into the mainstream, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at some of the food trends of that era. Had anyone even heard of quinoa back then? I guarantee no one knew what the heck kale was. I don’t think we were as focused on healthy eating and dietary restrictions as we are today. In fact, we were pretty obsessed with convenience and novelty foods… and a whole lotta bread, cream and cheese.

Here’s a look back at some of the food trends of the ‘90s:

Pasta

Back before gluten took food-related discussions by storm, pasta wasn’t a bad word at all, and Italian food in general was a hot commodity. One dish in particular known as Fettuccine Alfredo was a big hit at my house. I mean, who wouldn’t love thick pasta noodles swimming in a creamy mixture of cheese and butter? And if the sauce wasn’t simple enough (this classic Italian dish is loved for its simplicity), you could also purchase pre-made Alfredo sauce in stores. It wasn’t until people started reading nutritional labels and noticing the insanely high fat and calories that they realized they probably shouldn’t eat it every night. 

Chicken Caesar Salad

Big salads were a big deal in the ‘90s, and just like we loved dousing our pasta in creamy sauces, we also loved drowning our lettuce in creamy dressings like Thousand Island, Ranch and Caesar. When someone wanted to impress at a dinner party, they’d bust out their Caesar dressing making skills, which involves a lot of whisking and mashing of intense flavors. Fancy restaurants wowed guests by making the Caesar dressing tableside. Caesar salads were transformed into a complete meal with the addition of chunks of chicken on top, usually crusted with some sort of Cajun seasoning. Oh yeah!

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes were also prolific in the ‘90s… people were mystified by the intense flavor they brought to dishes. They often came packed in oil and spices, boosting their tangy goodness even more. Want to make the quintessential ‘90s meal? Make some Fettuccine Alfredo topped with a sprinkle of sun-dried tomatoes and serve it with a side of garlic bread and chicken Caesar salad and there’s a good chance you’ll wake up from your food coma in 1996.

Fajitas

This one was another tableside entertainer with the added excitement of a high risk of third degree burns. If you wanted to turn heads at a restaurant in the ‘90s, just order the fajitas and watch the server struggle to carry a heavy, blazing hot cast iron skillet to your table while filling the air with spicy steam, surely coating everyone in its path in a pungent ‘eau de Mexican chicken or beef’. Mmmm.

Novelty Foods

Another big trend in the ‘90s was turning common food products into stuff that looked like it came from outer space. People weren’t concerned at all about the potential nutritional implications of drinking a beverage with jelly balls suspended in it, or what exactly turned the ketchup purple. Just let us have our fun playing with this string cheese ok?!

Convenience Foods 

Back in the ‘90s, we also gravitated toward anything that could be prepared and eaten as conveniently as possible. We didn’t give a crap about whole foods and local produce–we wanted everything quick, easy and tasty. There was a proliferation of foods in pocket form, packaged salads and lunch kits, and things you could cook in the microwave or toaster. Pizza bagels, pizza pockets, toaster strudels… Quick, grab-and-go meals were definitely trendy. Of course we still use microwaves today, but thankfully, the microwave offerings have become a little more nutritionally diverse (perhaps you would like to try some of our good-for-you options).

Hard Shell Tacos

It’s hard to believe there was a time when eating tacos in hard shell form was widespread. I mean, it’s got to be one of the least convenient ways to eat anything. You fill it up the shell with your ground beef, seasoned with whatever they put in those ‘taco seasoning’ packets that came in your taco kit, top with shredded lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, then pray your first bite didn’t result in a spray of taco shrapnel into your lap (at this point someone likely said ‘screw it’ and invented the taco salad). Eventually we smartened up when our eyes were opened to the more easily consumed world of soft corn tortillas.

Beef Stroganoff

Here come the cream sauces again! Another thing people loved to do was cook meats in cream sauces and maybe throw in some pasta or pastry for good measure. Beef Stroganoff, Chicken (or Turkey) a la King, and chicken potpies showed up on many family dinner tables.

Club Packs

‘Big box’ stores were a big deal in the ‘90s. I remember a time when Costco memberships were all the rage and everyone started asking the burning question: “Why the heck can’t I shop like I own a convenience store?!” Garages were full of flats of soda and boxes of fruit snacks that likely didn’t contain much fruit at all. Of course it made sense to purchase some things like this because it saved money, but did we really need that 10-gallon tub of peanut butter? Probably not. (Psst – did you know Luvo is now available at various Costco locations?!)

Eating in the ‘90s sure was delicious and fun, but thankfully we’ve started to pay a little more attention to the quality of food we’re putting in our bodies. I wonder which food trends of today will stand the test of time…

What were your favorite ‘90s food trends? Share them in the comments or over on Twitter at @Luvoinc.