Snacking Through The Decades: 1930s and ’40s - Canteen (2024)

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Snacking Through The Decades: 1930s and ’40s - Canteen? ›

Many of today's favorite snacks were also introduced during this decade: Twinkies, Snickers, Tootsie Pops, Fritos, 3 Musketeers, Ritz Crackers, Kit Kat Bars, Five-Flavor Life Savers, 5th Avenue Bars, Rolo, Smarties, Heath Bar, Lay's Potato Chips and RC Cola.

Here are some snacks that were developed or popularized in the 1930s, according the The Food Timeline: cheese puffs, Fritos, Marshmallow Sandwich cookies, chocolate-covered pretzels (chocolate-covered potato chips date to the 1920s), Ritz crackers, SPAM, and Cho Cho ice cream treats.

The evolution of snacking in America has transitioned from simple indulgences like popcorn and potato chips in the early 1900s to a diverse industry today, reflecting changes in society and dietary preferences. The 1940s-50s saw the rise of convenience snacks, while the 1990s introduced health-conscious options.

: If you judged the 1930s by its snacks alone, you would have no idea that the economy was tanking. Twinkies, Snickers, Tootsie Pops, Fritos, 3 Musketeers, Ritz Crackers, Frito corn chips, 5th Avenues, and Lay's Potato Chips were all produced during the lean years of the Great Depression.

The Goo Goo Cluster is an American candy bar created in 1912 by Howell Campbell and the Standard Candy Company in Nashville, Tennessee. The disk-shaped candy bar contains marshmallow nougat, caramel, and roasted peanuts covered in milk chocolate.

Other favorites of the time were Bazooka Bubble Gum, Licorice candies, Turkish Taffy, DOTS Candy, Jolly Ranchers, Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, Mike & Ike, and Rain-Blo Bubble Gum. Snacks that emerged during the '40s include Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Chiquita Bananas, Junior Mints, Almond Joy, V8, and Cheetos.

Including ingredients like lobster, squab, oysters, tongue, crab, fruit punch, prunes, peaches, pineapple, honeydew melon and orange marmalade in the menu helped gentrify the meal and add that touch of elegant refinement that was so important.

Several hundred years ago, people didn't follow the three meals a day rule. In fact, Native Americans employed a practical approach to food. They ate when they were hungry. The three meals per day concept originated with Englanders who achieved financial prosperity.

Much like today, families usually ate three daily meals. The main meal in the 1800s, however, was not the large evening meal that is familiar to us today. Rather, it was a meal called dinner, enjoyed in the early afternoon. Supper was a smaller meal eaten in the evening.

Many cheap foods still common among the poor today made their debut during the Depression: Wonder Bread (1930), Bisquick (1931), Miracle Whip (1933), and Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (1934). Ragu spaghetti sauce, Kraft mac-n-cheese, and Hormel Spam all appeared during the Roosevelt Recession in 1937.

What was a popular food in the 1930s? ›

From Hunger to Hope. From frozen foods to Jell-O molds, the 1930s and 40s saw a huge upsurge in convenience foods. Building on the popularity of brands like Wonder Bread, Kool-Aid, Velveeta Cheese, and Hostess Cakes, American supermarkets stocked up on mass-produced items.

1930s: A Grapefruit a Day

To get the lithe frames of Jean Harlow and Katharine Hepburn, dieters turned to calorie-counting, preceding three protein-centric meals a day by eating half a grapefruit. While it didn't hurt to add extra vitamin C to diets, the low-calorie, strict meal plans led to malnutrition.

Products introduced by food entrepreneurs of the 1930s are familiar to contemporary families. Some of those products include Fritos, Kool-Aid, Skippy peanut butter, Spam, Pepperidge Farm baked goods, Toll House chocolate chip cookies, and Birds' Eye frozen foods.

While Tootsie Rolls have been around since the 1800s, Tootsie Pops made their first appearance in the 1930s. This 1930s candy is remarkably the world's #1 selling lollipop. In addition, these are great for kids' birthdays or any wedding candy buffet.

Featured inventions include: the helicopter, xerography, the parking meter, the walkie talkie, and the electric guitar.

What was the culture of the 1930s? American culture in the 1930s revolved around the ever increasing need to be frugal and the desire to escape the struggles brought on by the Great Depression. Jazz and swing music became popular, as did movies, board games, and Art Deco.