13 Foods Every ‘70s Kids Had In Their Lunchbox

If it was packed, you ate it, preservatives be damned. That was pretty much the ethos of the '70s lunchbox. Times have changed, all right—now lunchboxes come with insulated compartments, organic snacks, and parents debating the sugar content of a granola bar. Back in the simpler era, you got what you got, and half the time, if you didn’t like it, it worked as cafeteria currency, and you swapped it for something else. 

We looked through many Reddit threads to highlight the lunch staples that fueled a generation — here are 13 of them. 

What we used to call a lunchbox — now rebranded as a bento box because… TikTok — was 90% of the ‘70s lunch experience. Whether it was The Six Million Dollar Man, Charlie’s Angels, Star Wars, or Snoopy (some of which could be worth money today) — every one of them had dents, rust, and a lingering smell that no amount of scrubbing could erase. 

The ‘70s were peak PB&J time, and honestly, it still holds up. Swap the Wonder Bread for whole wheat or sourdough and the Welch’s grape jelly for a less sugary option, and it’s still a solid lunch. 

“I remember the grape jelly and peanut butter sandwiches were endless. I never knew there were other types of jelly besides grape,” one Redditor reminisced.

Peanut butter and honey or banana was another ‘70s lunchbox staple. Today, however, many schools have nut policies, so peanut butter is … not invited. 

If your parents were blue-collar, chances are Oscar Mayer was the king of protein in your household — and your lunchbox. Either slapped between two slices of white bread with mustard or, when your mom was feeling fancy (shudder), upgraded with a slice of American cheese or a thick smear of Miracle Whip. Bonus points if it was slightly sweaty by lunchtime. 

“The cheese would melt, and the bologna would be warm since our lunches were never refrigerated,” one Redditor recalled.

Every lunchbox or bagged lunch came with either Lay’s or Pringles to go with that sandwich. Lay’s were the standard, but Pringles were the fancy choice. In the ‘70s, they were still new to the market—and never crushed (wonder why). 

Your lunchbox had to have Twinkies, Zingers, Ding Dongs, or those chocolate cupcakes with the white swirl. Any of them would survive being tossed around in a metal lunchbox all morning without falling apart because they contained enough preservatives to outlive a nuclear winter. But pfft, nobody cared. 

Slim Jims, baby — because chewing on a mystery meat stick is what childhood dreams are made of.  

If your mom packed Nutter Butter in your lunchbox, she understood the assignment. Nabisco launched them in 1969, and by the ‘70s, they had earned their place next to Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and Fig Newtons as one of the big-league packaged cookies.

Listen, your mom worried about your health, and she knew that banana with the PB&J or the apple slices didn’t stand a chance. So, she made sure you got your daily dose of fruit — even if it came swimming in sugary syrup.  

A thermos of soup was the OG hot lunch. Campbell’s Chicken Noodle, Tomato, or Vegetable Beef were top-tier choices. 

“Went to six different schools from elementary to high school. One constant was I always had hot Campbell’s soup, usually chicken noodle, in a wide-mouth thermos,” one Redditor recalls.

When soup wasn’t on the menu, the thermos was filled with lukewarm milk or Kool-Aid. 

Today, kids aren’t allowed to bring certain items due to school policies—like nuts, for example — to protect kids with allergies. Back in the ‘70s, your mom packed you a pudding that came in a metal cup that could very likely slit your tongue open. That’s how times have changed. In this case, for the better. 

Every school had that kid. The one whose parents packed a sweaty Chicken of the Sea smashed between two slices of Wonder Bread, which made the lunchbreak smell as low tide. As one Redditor put it:

“The grade school was NOT air-conditioned, so a half-day in a warm tin lunchbox made for an interesting science experiment.” 

Another nuclear lunchbox option was a hard-boiled egg, which had great nutritional value but catastrophic social influence. If the tuna sandwich kid was public enemy #1, the hard-boiled egg kid was a close second. Peeled or not, the second that egg cracked open, it was over for everyone at the lunch table. 

Nutty Bars, Oatmeal Creme Pies, Swiss Rolls — Little Debbie was omnipresent in ‘70s lunch breaks. Oatmeal Creme Pies showed up so often that some adults still have trauma. As one still visibly distressed Redditor put it:

"Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie every day from kindergarten through senior year. Could I, just once, get a Twinkie or a HoHo or… anything else. I'm now 53 years old. Still can't eat a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie.”