Random '90s School Lunches Led Directly To Hipster Foods (15 items)

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  (#2) Lunchables Became Charcuterie Boards

  Thanks to Lunchables, we were prepared quite early in life for the coming popularity of charcuterie boards. You can trace a more or less clear line between the single-serving crackers and meat and cheese squares of Lunchables with those creative pilings of meats, cheeses, and assorted accompaniments on a large platter.

  Lunchables were "like a low-end version of a Parisian picnic," as one millennial described them. Charcuterie boards are just Lunchables all grown up.
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  (#1) Kudos Became KIND Bars

  Kudos are granola bars that most '90s kids grew up eating. Even though Kudos are still around, millennials have moved on to KIND bars, which has ingredients more focused on whole, healthy foods and minimal processing.

  This makes sense, considering millennials drive the healthier snack food market. They were also instrumental in getting KIND bars released in a smaller, snack-size variety.
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  (#7) Fruitopia Became LaCroix

  Fruitopia juice beverages were a slightly more mature take on Little Hug Fruit Barrels, and it was that maturity that likely helped them evolve into the millennials' eventual taste for LaCroix. LaCroix is one of those love-it-or-hate-it products, and millennials love it.

  Among the millennial palette, the hippie-inspired names and flavors of Fruitopia (Strawberry Passion, Kiki Karma) grew into the more sedate names and flavors of LaCroix (key lime, coconut, peach-pear).
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  (#11) Instant Oatmeal Became Quinoa Bowls

  Instant oatmeal has existed since 1966. But it wasn't until the '90s that it got something of a makeover, marketed as a microwavable breakfast in a snap and gussied up with lots of additional flavor options, like Maple & Brown Sugar, Strawberries 'n Stuff, Radical Raspberry, and Cinnamon Graham Cookie.

  Nowadays, millennials love another grain - quinoa - and they love meals in bowls. The quick oatmeal has gotten replaced by slower-cooked quinoa. The meal isn't limited to breakfast, and the flavors are more sophisticated. You can eat your quinoa with egg and millennial superfood avocado for breakfast, or you can have quinoa burrito bowls for lunch or dinner.
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  (#12) Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup Became Sriracha

  For a brief period at the turn of the millennium, Heinz EZ Squirt ketchup was the new food trend. It came in shocking colors like purple, pink, orange, teal, and blue. There's a strong correlation between Heinz EZ squirt, which was discontinued in 2006, and the millennial taste for Sriracha.

  One boldly colored condiment replaced another, and the fire of the Sriracha flavor is just another sign of the ripening of millennial taste buds.
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  (#15) Handi-Snacks Became Pâté And Liver Mousse

  Handi-Snacks were a natural precursor to crackers with pâté or liver mousse. What started as single-serving cheese spread across a cracker with a little red plastic stick transformed into something much grander as the millennial crowd grew up.

  And - surprise! - millennials love salty snacks. Now, the Ritz are table water crackers, ak-maks, or chunks of baguettes, and the spread isn't cheesefood but pricey pâté and duck, chicken, or even rabbit liver mousse.

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