If there was one thing that the 1970s were good at, it was color.
If you were kicking around at the time, you may recall that the color in person was far more vibrant than on TV and in the movies, where everything was a bit muted and, well, brown-ish.
1970s Food Scene
READ MORE: 79 Photos That Scream Life in the ’70s
But food culture in the ’70s had a style all its own. From avocado green kitchens and harvest gold appliances to the parties where it always felt like something interesting [wink, wink] was happening behind the scenes, complete with towering Jell-O molds, bubbling fondues, shrimp cocktail, and a bowl of … keys.
READ MORE: It Wasn’t a ’70s Kitchen Without These 22 Classic Essentials
As moms headed back to the workforce, latchkey kids had no issues with fending for themselves with frozen TV dinners and a little warmed-up meatloaf on a TV tray.
’70s Food Was a Lifestyle — and We Kind of Miss It
The ’70s were also when fast food really kicked into high gear. McDonald’s was super colorful and more akin to an indoor theme park than the muted, modern version we see today. Many families headed weekly to the local Denny’s, where they downed their Grand Slam breakfast in a vinyl booth under the drone of the fancy fluorescent lighting.
Denny’s in Eugene, Oregon, circa 1977
We raided the archives to uncover photos that capture the gritty, glorious, and sometimes questionable food vibes of the 1970s. Some might make you cringe (meat + Jell-O + canned fruit?), but every nostalgic road trip has its potholes.
These Deliciously Retro Food Photos Will Make You Hungry for the ’70s
From perfectly chilled shrimp cocktail to fast food that felt like a night out, ’70s food wasn’t just about eating, it was a full-on cultural moment.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
If You Grew Up in the ’70s and ’80s, These Foods Were Super Fancy
From Babybels to Toblerone chocolate, take a nostalgic bite out of these ‘fancy’ childhood foods that made us feel way more elegant than we really were.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
