In the 1980s, food was entering a new era of convenience. A big reason was more women continuing to enter the workforce throughout the '80s, a trend that began in the 1960s and peaked in the late 1990s, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With more women working jobs outside the home, convenience and frozen foods became more popular. Thus, the 1980s marked the height of microwave cooking.
By the mid-1980s, microwaves had become standard kitchen appliances, notes the Henry Ford Museum. Cooking was all about saving time.
"The act of eating, once a leisurely undertaking synonymous with pleasure and social interaction, has been reduced to a necessary function not unlike shaving or refueling a car," wrote New York Times reporter Dena Kleiman, according to The International Wine & Food Society.
While homemade meals were becoming more rare, they made way for a robust processed and snack foods market. Many of these foods defined Gen X childhoods and are now making a comeback in 2026 with the "newstalgic" food trend: modern consumers are craving nostalgic flavors, according to Food Dive.
On Reddit, Gen Xers got nostalgic about the foods that filled their pantries, fridges, freezers (and stomachs) back in the 1980s. From microwave meals to sweets and drinks, these are the '80s foods and drinks they miss most.
"Soggy fries [from MicroMagic] while staying home sick from school and watching either The Price is Right or Gilligan's Island." – CompleteTruth
"Chef Boyardee Smurf pasta. DEEEEEP memory unlocked!" – sevnthcrow, ButIAmYourDaughter
"I miss Pepperidge Farm Broccoli & Cheese Puff Pastries." – pixietulip
"Weaver chicken croquettes." – Klutzy-Reporter4223
"Yes! Jeno's Pizza [Rolls] Snacks. They were, like, dollar coin size and there was a row of cheese, a row of pepperoni, and a row of crumbled italian sausage. And anyone who comments with anything regarding bagel bites OBVIOUSLY never had Pizza Snacks. I would LOVE for them to come back. Bagel Bites SUCK!" – Accomplished-Push190
"Chef Boyardee Roller Coasters." – Chef Boyardee Roller Coasters
"Hot buttered Cheerios. When I told people I grew up eating buttered Cheerios, they thought I was nuts." – electric_pole_6
"Fruit Wrinkles fruit snacks. These were so good!" – JenaPet02
"Pizzarias pizza chips." – LittleWhiteFuzzies