Before Kid Cuisine, There Were These '70s TV Dinners With Hidden Treats

KC the penguin wasn't the first mascot of kid-friendly frozen dinners. Decades ahead of Kid Cuisine, there was Libbyland. A 1972 commercial narrated by the one and only William Schallert marketed the kid-approved meals as "the first frozen dinners with fun in 'em," long before other brands hopped on the concept. In the early '70s, Swanson was the leading name in TV dinners and had held that place for nearly two decades, but their namesake meals — Salisbury steak and its questionable and long forgotten frozen international TV dinners – weren't packaged with children in mind. Apart from sneaking leafy greens into meals, any parent can vouch for how tough it can be to force-feed a picky child their daily nutrients. Libbyland's TV dinners solved a lot of those hurdles by making dinner fun and interactive. 

The line of child-oriented TV dinners was released by the well-known canned goods company, Libby's, in the early 1970s – giving parents a break while considering what kids really wanted to eat. Not only were the meals tasty, but they were engaging. The adventure-themed meals were specifically designed for kids, featuring comfort foods like hamburgers, sloppy joes, and spaghetti with meatballs, but so was every element of the packaging. The box itself unfolded into a placemat with fun illustrations and puzzles to keep kids entertained and occupied as they ate. Each meal had a fun surprise at the bottom of the aluminum tray, encouraging kiddos to finish their entire meal. The Safari meal, for example, had printed animals waiting to greet hungry youngsters at the bottom of each separate section of the dinner tray.

Before Libbyland's TV dinners, kids were an afterthought in the frozen foods market. The brand's goal was to stand out in the freezer aisle and catch kids' eyes amongst the other, much less exciting pre-made options. Kids had five Libbyland TV dinners to choose from: Safari Supper, Pirate Picnic, Sundown Supper, Gold Strike Supper, or Sea Diver's Dinner. As the quirky names suggest, each meal had a different theme, with enough content to keep tots busy for hours. The Pirate Picnic meal, for example, came complete with a hot dog, "beefaroni," french fries, corn, and chocolate pudding. 

As if the meals couldn't appeal to kids further, they also included playful treats like "milk magic," a mix-in powder to make plain milk more exciting, and interactive games printed on the outside — getting them hooked before even leaving the store. On top of the fun each box entailed, each came with two different entrees. The pre-portioned meals with separate sections for each food appealed to the pickiest of children. Despite only having a five year run, Gen-X kids still talk about Libbyland's frozen "Adventure Dinners," adding them to the list of old-school TV dinners we miss today.