Bon appetit! Totally common kids' dinners from the 90s you haven't thought about in ages
Long before the days of flashy food trends on TikTok, we feasted on Shake n' Bake pork chops.

Burnt Tuna Helper was even better than the regular version.
The 90s aesthetic might be finding its way back into being fashionable, but certain gems from the era remain only in memories. The food, for instance, probably won’t be trending on TikTok anytime soon, as it is nowhere near as fancy as whipped coffee and watermelon pizza.
In fact, for many 90s kids, certain childhood staples might be hidden deep in the recesses of their memory, because, let’s face it, our taste buds—and our collective views on food—have advanced far beyond the comforts of yesteryear.
Still, Redditor u/kammikazzie asked 90's kids to share common dinners they had growing up that aren’t so common anymore, and it’s hard not to feel wistful about the answers. Sure, the meals were basic as hell, but there was a simple charm to it all. They were easy enough to make that any parent could provide something tasty without being Gordon Ramsey. In fact, you might find your inner child having some nostalgic cravings after reading this list.
Go ahead, sample from the memory buffet and sink your teeth into these dinners only a 90s mother could love.
"A bowl of baked beans with sliced hot dogs. I always looked forward to this meal as a kid, but my mom recently admitted that she only made it when she barely had any money for dinner."
"Shake and bake pork chops. It was a staple in our dinner rotation."
"Tuna noodle casserole. It was a total abomination that I'm thrilled to never again have plonked down in front of me. Miss you, mom, you terrible yet beloved cook."
"Cream of mushroom soup on spaghetti. I didn’t realize until well into my 20s that this was a meal my mother fed us to make us full for three bucks."
"Pot roast made with chuck roast covered in a packet of onion soup mix. Of course, it was always accompanied by cut carrots, halved potatoes, and mushrooms on the side."
1. “Taco night with all the fixin's, featuring crunchy shells, ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, and jarred salsa."
2. "Kid Cuisine frozen dinners. Mmm, that blazing hot brownie that I burned my mouth on every single time...."
3. "Fried bologna. My dad made a mean fried bologna sandwich with a slice of American cheese on wonder bread with mayo. On special occasions we also got our sandwiches with a fried egg or Lays potato chips added between the layers of bologna."
4. "Pizza bagels, or really any kind of pizza-on-toast if we're being honest."
5. "I had a lot of Manwich growing up in the 90s."
6. "Grilled cheese and canned tomato soup. It's the best combo ever. This would instantly revive me after riding my bike home from school in the cold weather."
—u/staticthreat7. "Fish sticks with ketchup, obviously. Plus a side of heated, limp, canned string beans. And a piece of toasted Wonder-bread, dry."
8. "Chicken breasts baked in Italian dressing with Pasta Roni. Mom's go-to."
9. "My mom used to cook lasagna with an amazing made-from-scratch meat sauce. But then she discovered Stouffer's frozen lasagna, and we never had the homemade version again."
10. "We always had this one salad with crunchy, uncooked ramen noodles and canned mandarin oranges. I remember people making it a lot for picnics and potlucks in the '90s."
—u/Mila1023
11. "My mom would heat up a family sized pack of those cheap, frozen Salisbury steaks with gravy and serve them with instant mashed potatoes. I'd always make a messy sandwich out of everything. I remember being so stoked when she said that's what was cooking for dinner."
12. “Goulash. My mom kinda over killed it, but I miss how she made it.”
—u/tblazertn
13. "Chili rice. It's made just the way it sounds: Prepare some rice, heat up a can of chili, and then mix together and enjoy. I usually ate it with some sliced white bread or Saltine crackers."
14. "Meatloaf. My mom was an awful cook, and meatloaf is generally awful, but for some reason my mom's meatloaf was amazing."
15. "Hamburger Helper. It was so quick and easy, and I loved it as a kid. That plus Shake and Bake Pork Chops and Stove Top stuffing. Ahh, the staples of the '90s..."
16. "We used to have chicken breaded in crushed up Ritz crackers. I actually made it a few months ago, and I still absolutely love it."
17. "Pizza Hut buffet. Mostly we could only afford Pizza Hut when I read enough books to get my free personal pizza."
- People share totally normal things from the 90s/00s that are now considered 'luxuries' ›
- Gen Xers are explaining that weird moment in the late '90s when everyone got into swing music ›
- Here are 17 things people really miss the most about living in the '90s ›
- Expert tips for forming deeper family connections over dinner - Upworthy ›
- Millennials reminisce on the best 90s snack foods - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.