10 Underrated Vintage Snack Brands You'll Still Find On Store Shelves Today

Snacks are a ubiquitous part of our lives. Watching movies without popcorn or candy just feels weird, while cookies and milk are iconic to kids coming home from school. Even the National Health Institute acknowledges that snacks are a staple of American diets, contributing approximately 20% of our energy intake. In fact 90% of Americans report having a snack at least once a day, with an average of between 1.2 and 3.0 snacks per day. That's a lot of snacks! 

Most people have a favorite snack, something salty, sweet, or even sour that they've eaten for years or even decades. Some of our most popular snacks come from brands that have been around for 100 years or more, such as Oreos or Lay's chips. While such snacks may be the first to come to mind, they're far from the only tasty treats with a long history. Plenty of classic snacks can still be found on store shelves or ordered online, making it easy to relive nostalgic afternoons no matter how old you are. Whether you're looking for something new to add to your regular pantry brands or simply want to introduce an old favorite to new family members, these underrated vintage snacks are worth picking up again.

More than a few snacks offer fun along with great taste, but Bugles continue to be a playful snack decades after their release. The recognizable conical shape is where the corn chip gets its name, but plenty of kids and adults poke fun by putting Bugles over their fingers, like a delicious form of fake nails. The trend is so popular, that bags of Bugles proudly proclaim that the chip is "America's #1 finger hat." For years, people have played with these chips, pretending to be everything from super models to scary witches, all before munching away on the crunchy cones. 

Originally created in 1964, Bugles were released alongside two other chips that didn't do so well: Whistles and Daisy*s. Eventually, multiple flavors were released for fans of Bugles, including limited editions like ranch and hot buffalo. Today you can get them in Original, Nacho Cheese, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Caramel varieties. The chips are still widely available, sold in grocery stores across the nation and online. You can even grab them in Canada, China, Saudi Arabia and several other countries in Central America and the Caribbean. The snack didn't quite crack our list of top 20 chip brands, but that just makes them more alluring to those who want a truly underrated snack.

Cookies packed with fruit is nothing new, especially with Fig Newtons on store shelves. These little treats feature soft-baked cookie wrapped around a fig jam, creating a filling, yet not overly sweet snack that are perfect for a quick bite. Although they are widely available, the stuffed cookies aren't everyone's favorite, and plenty of debate happens online as to whether they're iconic or boring. Even without massive popularity, Fig Newtons continue to delight millions of people, as they have done for over 100 years. 

Fig Newtons were originally created in 1891 thanks to the combined efforts of two cookie pioneers. Charles M. Roser, a cookie maker working for a bakery in Philadelphia, created the jam filling, likely basing his recipe on the British dessert called fig rolls. At around the same time, an inventor from Florida named James Henry Mitchell created a new kind of cookie manufacturing machine. This machine made it easy to create hollow cookies, then fill them with all kinds of jams and creams. The two innovations were a match made in heaven, and soon enough Nabisco was selling Fig Newtons wherever it could. Despite rumors that the cookie was named for the famous scientist, Isaac Newton, the truth is that the cookie is actually named after Newton, Massachusetts, where the company Roser first sold his recipe to was based, shortly before they merged into Nabisco.

Cracker Jack may be one of America's oldest original snacks, considering that it was patented all the way back in 1896. Additionally, Cracker Jack is inextricably tied to the sport dubbed, "America's Pastime", baseball. The familiar tune that fans chant from the stands, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," includes the line, "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack," referring to this age-old snack. What is Cracker Jack, exactly? This simple, crunchy mix consists of caramel coated popcorn and peanuts. The sweet and salty food is just one reason to love Cracker Jack, as the snack has included a fun prize ever since its inception. Today, the prize is a free sticker that can unlock access to online games. 

Cracker Jack can still be found at numerous baseball stadiums throughout the country, though outside of the ballpark it is known to hang around at your local grocery store. One of the best places to grab a box or bag of Cracker Jack is at Wal-Mart, though it can be ordered online and at a few other select stores. The extra crunchy mix doesn't have the same pizazz as some of our more modern snack options, but for those who just can't get enough of sweet and salty combos, Cracker Jack is still a home run.

Not all snacks have to be unhealthy. In fact, there are plenty of snacks that are low in fat, have reduced sugar, or provide hydration alongside flavor. One smart snack that tastes great comes from Quaker Oats, and it comes in the form of rice cakes. These round discs of rice can be pretty healthy as far as snacks go, which has made them not as popular as other snacks. Most flavors have zero fat, sugar, or cholesterol, and have limited carbs and calories. For instance, the salted version is just 35 calories, while the white cheddar cakes are just 60 calories each. Even the chocolate variety comes with just 4 grams of sugar with its 60 calories. In total, there are nine flavors of Quaker Oats rice cakes to choose from. 

Not only are there a wide variety of flavors available, but there are plenty of ways to use Quaker Oats' rice cakes for even tastier recipes, all provided by the brand itself. Of course, you could always opt for a different form of rice cakes too, since Quaker Oats offers bite-sized crisps and thin versions for an even lighter snack. These underrated snacks can be found at pretty much any grocery store, or you can order them online. Either way, you'll be able to enjoy these rice snacks with a bit less worry over the detriments of snacking.

Long before Flamin' Hot Cheetos hit the scene, another potato chip was making waves with its intense flavor. Originally named after a problematic comic strip character from Great Britain, this so-called "unique alternative to regular potato chips," went far beyond it's ugly namesake. Andy Capp's Fries were first released by Goodmark Foods in 1971 and offered a french fry shape with a fried chip crunch, but made with a combination of corn and potato. The first flavor to be released was a simple cheddar fry chip, a variety still available today. According to Mental Floss, the arguably more popular variety, Hot Fries, were released two years later, in 1973. 

Even more flavors were released in the following years, from ranch to barbecue to an onion ring variety. Andy Capp's Hot Fries may not be as popular as Takis or Cheetos, but their spicy flavor has a kick that's strong enough for plenty of fans. Despite being around since the 1970's, it's still fairly easy to find Andy Capp's Fries. Just order them online or check out your local grocery store. If you want a hotter fry chip, opt for the brand's Fire Fries flavor, which brings more heat with the same iconic crunch.

Some snacks are truly innovative in their design and combination of flavors. One such example is a snack that many people haven't even heard of, while plenty of others really do not like the taste. Chicken in a Biskit tastes exactly how it sounds, like chicken baked right into a cracker. This cracker snack was developed in the 1960's, releasing in 1964, with ads originally placed in Ebony magazine. The potent poultry flavor is thanks to the addition of real, albeit dehydrated, cooked chicken. There are currently two flavors available: original, which is a lightly salted cracker, and ranch. 

Although it is debatable whether Chicken in a Biskit is delicious, there's no denying the fact that it is an underrated snack that people have enjoyed for decades. You can still find Chicken in a Biskit in most grocery store chains, but if your area doesn't seem to have any, you can always order them online. According to Snack Works, the brand that owns Chicken in a Biskit — under the Mondelez International umbrella — periodically releases special, limited edition flavors, so you may be able to try different flavors of this savory snack. It's unclear when the next special edition flavor might be released, but with chip companies experimenting with different recipes, it may only be a matter of time.

When anyone mentions snacks made with dehydrated potatoes, it's likely that they're talking about Pringles, one of the top-selling potato chips in the world. That's not the only brand that makes chips this way though. Munchos is another brand with decades of experience offering potato chips made from dehydrated potatoes. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Munchos applied for a patent in 1963, famously going on to tap Jim Henson for some of its early commercials. Although the Munchos bag touts itself as a, "light tasting crispy snack," each serving is 160 calories, the same as Lay's chips, the difference is Munchos' serving size is one higher than Lay's. 

However, that's probably because the chips are a bit thicker than Lay's chips, and come with significantly more sodium. Overall, these crisp chips are reminiscent of baked potato chips, making them an addicting snack to keep on hand. Munchos aren't as popular as they once were, but they're definitely underrated. The extra-crunchy, lightly salted flavor gives them a premium taste that comes with an added bit of nostalgia with their vintage design. Munchos are a great vintage snack to bring some chip variety to your life, and you can find them at most grocery stores and online.

Cookies are always popular with people, no matter which flavor you choose. According to a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Crumbl Cookies, the average American estimates that they eat just under 200 cookies every year. In that same survey, chocolate chip cookies came out on top, but it's not tough to imagine a more vanilla cookie failing to rank among more mainstream brands like Chips Ahoy. Nilla Wafers are a simple cookie, flavored with butter and vanilla, similar to shortbread cookies. Despite first being sold by Nabisco in 1898, the cookie itself had already begun to spread among bakeries. Originally, they were called Nabisco Vanilla Wafers, but in the 1960's that was shortened to Nilla Wafers. The cookie gained a lot of popularity in the 40's and 50's, when Nabisco started printing a recipe for banana pudding on the boxes.

Still, the cookie itself is a delicious snack. The light vanilla flavor and buttery, soft wafer cookie is just as sweet as shortbread cookies, but has a much softer feel. Too many people turn to Nilla wafers just to make banana pudding. Try these cookies with ice cream, hot chocolate, or just with a glass of milk the next time you're looking for a sweet vintage treat and you won't be disappointed.

Mallomars are an iconic marshmallow cookie, and not only because of their chocolate coating. This is one of the few vintage snacks that is still packaged seasonally, a tradition kept alive well past the brand's 100-year anniversary. Nabisco first sold Mallomars in 1913, in Hoboken, New Jersey and just like back then, the cookies are only sold between September and March. Given the success of other annual limited time releases, such as Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte, Mallomars may have been ahead of the game all this time. 

It's really a shame that the cookies aren't available during the summer, because it's the perfect s'mores treat. The cookie base is actually made with graham crackers, which is an excellent match for the marshmallow and chocolate topping. That massive marshmallow is sweet and fluffy, too, while the dark chocolate shell balances everything with a touch of bitterness. Mallomars itself suggests sticking the cookies in the freezer if you prefer a tasty cold snack instead. Of course, some online retailers, like Amazon and Wal-Mart, still have Mallomars available well into July, so if you can't wait to try this underrated vintage snack for yourself, you may still have a chance before September rolls around. There are few other cookies quite like Mallomars, and if you love the taste of s'mores, this cookie has everything you want, for a limited time.

Plenty of people have seen Funyuns and assumed they are chips made with onions, but they aren't quite that strong in flavor. Even though Funyuns are actually just corn chips shaped like onion rings, they do come with a powerful onion taste that not everyone enjoys, especially those who have an important meeting after lunch. These iconic chips have been gaining fans since they were first released by Frito-Lay in 1969, after one of their employees, George Bigner, invented them. At first, they wanted to call the new chips OnYums, but the name was already taken by a much lesser-known snack. 

Funyuns are an underrated snack to have alongside other pantry brands at home, especially since they have such a unique taste. There are two other flavors to choose from now, too. Spicy Queso Funyuns promise a little kick, plus a cheesy finish. Flamin' Hot Funyuns take a note from Cheetos and adds the spicy red powder to the outside of each chip, no doubt a dream come true for fans of both chips. Funyuns are much more than onion-flavored chips, as its vintage status and wide availability proves.