Throwback: My Favorite Childhood Snacks

Fellow adults, I have a question: what gives you comfort after a stressful day? I have a bunch of things that give me comfort, but one of the things that helps me to de-stress is eating my comfort food. There is an even longer list of what types of food give me comfort which would make this too much to read so let me settle on one category: snacks from my childhood.

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There is something about eating snacks that I used to enjoy as a child that helps me to feel better after a long and tiring day. This is because these snacks remind me of simpler times, and it brings me back to memories of days when I did not have as many responsibilities and was able to do whatever I wanted. 

My family is aware of the comfort that these snacks give me. My sisters would often buy me these snacks whenever they find them in stores, especially on days when they know that I had been busy or stressed out with work. I know it makes me sound like a bratty toddler made to stop crying with a snack but that is how it feels sometimes. Just seeing the packaging or the wrapper of the snack as it is handed to me is enough to make my heavy days feel much lighter.

In the Fandesals Podcast, which I co-host with my friend Judith, we talked about our favorite childhood snacks. I have embedded the episode at the end of this post. We talked about our favorite snacks, but there were still some more that I forgot to mention, particularly those snacks that my family knows that I love the most. Here are the snacks that I forgot to mention:

Fibisco Choco Mallows – Of all the snacks listed here, this is at the top of the list. Just the sight of the bright yellow color of the box is enough to make me excited about this snack. I love the entire process of slowly opening the foil cover, then biting into the light chocolate that encases the soft and gooey marshmallow inside. I do not even have to eat the entire box to get those happy vibes from this snack. Just one is enough, so one box goes a long way for me. I end up being able to have one and then save the rest for future comfort whenever I get a box of these from family. 

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – I am not a major fan of peanut butter as a spread/filling for a sandwich, but I am a fan of that flavor in this type of chocolate snack. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter in that one cup is something that makes me feel good just after one bite. I know there are small-sized cups, but I prefer the bigger pack of two that I usually get. It is just the right amount of chocolate (and peanut butter) for me.

Iced Gem Biscuits – I do not get to see this snack often and it is not something I would go out of my way to buy but I love having it when I have the chance. I only get to have these when other people are snacking on them or when my sister buys them for her kids. I tend to eat it in a certain way: I eat all the biscuit parts first and I leave the icing behind to eat later. That was the way I used to eat it as a child, and it is something that stayed with me as an adult. I do not know if anyone else eats that way but for me, that is the most satisfying way to do it.

Uraro – Though not usually categorized as a snack for kids, it was a childhood snack for me. My grandmother used to have these in a jar all time in her home when I was younger. I used to spend time in her house, sleeping there not just on weekends but sometimes on weekdays too. This was my favorite snack of choice then. I only learned the name of these when I became an adult, and it was also only recently that I learned that this is a biscuit made from arrowroot flour. I have no idea what arrowroot is, but it is interesting to find out that is not an ordinary snack. 

Barquillo – Again, this is another Filipino snack that I used to love when I was a young girl. It is just a wafer roll, but I loved it back then precisely because it was just a simple thing to eat. I also enjoy eating the Barquiron, which is a barquillo that has a powdered filling. It is a bit messy to eat, but it is fun to bite into. I have not had these in a while, but I am sure I would love to have these as a snack again if given the chance. 

Twin Popsies – I loved these popsicles as a kid, and I still love them today. Someone told me the new name is Twin Pops now, but they still come in the two flavors of chocolate and orange. I prefer the orange one, which from where I am seems to be hard to find so I make sure to buy these when I do find them.

The list of snacks mentioned is my favorite not just because of the flavor but because of the memories that I have associated with these snacks. I am sure that everyone else has favorite food and snacks because of the same reason. The comfort that we get from things like these is precious, and I encourage people to enjoy them when they can – but in moderation, of course!