13 Foods Gen X Grew Up With That Gen Alpha Will Never Know

Every generation has its own flavor of nostalgia, and for Gen X, it comes wrapped in bright packaging, neon colors, and a good dose of artificial flavoring. These are the iconic eats that defined childhoods in the ’70s, ’80s, and early ’90s, foods that Gen Alpha might never see outside of a throwback TikTok or a vintage ad.

PB Max

A thick slab of crunchy peanut butter and oats coated in milk chocolate, PB Max was a rich candy bar that somehow didn’t survive the ’90s. Gen X kids remember it fondly, while today’s generation may never even hear the name.

Hi-C Ecto Cooler

Created as a Ghostbusters tie-in, this bright green citrus drink was a lunchroom icon. The flavor was oddly addictive, and the color alone made it feel like a radioactive treat from the future.

Jell-O 1-2-3

This dessert transformed into three distinct layers, gelatin, mousse, and fluff, all from one mix. Watching it separate in the fridge was half the fun, and eating it felt like magic.