Introduced in the early 1950s, Eggo frozen waffles became a staple in American households – most children of the 1960s and 1970s will remember the slogan ‘L’eggo my Eggo’. The snack recently enjoyed a renaissance when it featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things as the favorite food of the character Eleven.

It’s hard to believe that Pop Tarts are more than 50 years-old but indeed they are. An instant hit, these toasted sweet pastries weren’t frosted when they arrived on shelves in 1964 – this extra touch was added a few years later. Originally available in four flavors, there are many more available now.

Originally called Cup O’ Noodles, the instant ramen snack in a foam cup was invented in Japan then launched in the US by Nissin foods in 1971. It’s become an indispensable, affordable snack for students and was famous for its steaming sign in NYC’s Times Square (pictured). Today, Cup Noodles are healthier than before with no artificial flavors and less salt. 

This snack would be eaten all day if McDonald’s allowed it but breakfast menus usually end by 10.30am in the US and 11am in the UK. Only franchises serving all-day breakfasts sell Egg McMuffins past morning. Consisting of a griddled egg, Canadian bacon and American cheese in a toasted English muffin, it’s been a key dish on the menu since the early 1970s.

Founded in the early 1970s, Snapple was one of the first iced tea and juice drink brands to challenge the soda industry by claiming to offer healthier beverages. The brand is well-remembered for its advertising campaigns and ‘real facts’ on the inside of the bottle caps – many of which turned out to be incorrect. It’s still around today.

A popular treat in the late 1970s Ring Pops, the jewel-shaped candy rings from Topps, were so big they made your hand ache. But they lasted for ages and came in some great flavors, such as cotton candy bubble gum and cherry. They’re still available to buy today.

Launched in 1978, Reese’s Pieces are peanut-flavored candies in an orange, brown or yellow crispy coating that were immortalized in the 1982 film E.T. – a great early example of successful product placement.

Marketed by Jello-O, chocolate and vanilla frozen Pudding Pops had a big following in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Not available in their original form, today’s fans have to buy molds and make their own.

AirHeads, a tangy chew reminiscent of taffy, has been popular nationwide since it launched in August 1986. The garish colors appeal to children, as do the 24 flavors that include grape, orange and for AirHeads’ 30th birthday in 2016, limited-edition birthday cake.

People were making marshmallow Rice Krispie cakes for years before Kellogg’s finally launched its own packaged version in 1995. Soft, crunchy and chewy, Kellogg’s also marketed a Rice Krispie Treats cereal.

Invented by a Canadian franchise in 1995 and rolled out across the US in 1998, the McFlurry has become an integral item on the McDonald’s menu. The soft serve ice cream is crowned with a vast array of toppings that include Crunchie, Oreo and Dairy Milk.

In a move towards healthier menu items, McDonald’s introduced the Chicken Snack Wrap in 2006. Made from crispy chicken, lettuce, cheese and dressing in a tortilla wrap, it contains 290 calories and 3.5g (0.1oz) of saturated fat. It was also thought to have been developed to appeal to drive-thru customers.

Known for a big celebrity marketing campaign that featured Katy Perry and Ashton Kutcher, Popchips are made in a similar way to puffed rice cakes, which makes them lighter and lower in calories, fat and saturated fat than conventional potato chips. Popchips are also GM-free and contain no artificial colors or flavors, but critics say they’re still just potatoes and salt, albeit a healthier version.

The cupcake trend was more of an explosion than a steady rise. In one episode of Sex and the City, Miranda and Carrie go to Magnolia Bakery and in 2010 the shop had to be taken off the NYC tour as it couldn't keep up with demand. The trend is thought to have peaked in 2012, with the closure of the cupcake chain Crumbs in 2015 being the final nail in the coffin. Cupcake lovers may vehemently dispute this.

This was the year of the cronut, a croissant-donut hybrid that was created by French chef Dominique Ansel in his NYC bakery. Curious customers lined the streets to try it and images of the creation went viral on social media. It’s regarded as one of the most talked about desserts ever, and even made it onto Time's list of the 25 Best Inventions of 2013.

Google called these homemade, Instagram-friendly mug cakes a national trend when it showed an 82% growth in web searches for the sweet snack between December 2015 and January 2016. 

Although baker and ‘world premier bagel artist’ Scott Rossillo has been making these striking bagels for nearly two decades, it took Jonathan Cheban, a friend of Kim Kardashian, to post about them on social media for the frenzy to start. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 2017 the world went mad for all things unicorn and the marketing magnate that is Starbucks decided it could cash in on this. The Unicorn Frappuccino was introduced in April of that year, a 500-calorie (24oz/683ml size) brightly-colored, sweet and sour drink. It contained ice, milk, mango syrup, vanilla cream, and pink and blue powder. It was only sold in the US and shops frequently ran out.

Buffalo cauliflower saw a peak in popularity in 2018. It consists of cauliflower florets fried in batter then dipped in buffalo sauce – the same method as used to make buffalo wings. Delivery service Grubhub indicates the vegetable dish rose in popularity by 124% that year. It's a reflection of the nation's increasing interest in plant-based diets. In fact cauliflower in general took the world by storm in 2018.

Now discover the incredible foods you can buy from a vending machine