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12 Diet Foods You Forgot You Were Obsessed With

How could you forget these throwback snacks that helped you "get your figure back" and "pinch an inch"?

Headshot of Rheanna O'Neil BellomoBy Rheanna O'Neil Bellomo
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If it wasn't fat-free, you probably didn't buy it.

1

Tab

The sugar-free cola "for beautiful people." 

2

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

Made to mimic the real deal—minus the cholesterol, and plus Fabio.

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3

Special K

Kellogg's decided sometime in the 1980s that if you can pinch more than an inch, you apparently needed to start buying Special K. Mhm, okay. 

4

Slimfast

These chocolate and vanilla shakes were arguably the most popular diet drink around in both the '80s and '90s.

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5

Quaker Rice Cakes

Crispy, crunchy, sweet, and seasoned, these puffy rice snacks were probably always on hand at home and at the office. 

6

SnackWell's Fat-Free Cookies

Ah, the peak of the fat-free fad gave us "guilt-free" cookies we could chow down in mass quantities. 

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7

Fig Newtons

Again the fat-free trend is at the forefront here, but so is the stress that these aren't "just cookies." 

8

Low-Fat or Skim Milk String Cheese

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You wouldn't be caught dead with the full milk-fat version of these skinny sticks. 

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9

Carnation Breakfast Bars

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An entire meal in one grab-and-go pack, these peanut butter bars debuted in 1975—and fans were distraught when they were discontinued in the early '90s. 

10

Crystal Light

Marketed mostly to women, this sugar-free powdered drink was almost always paired with '80s-tastic workouts in commercials. 

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11

Clearly Canadian

Like all other diet sodas on the market, Clearly Canadian pegged itself as a healthier alternative to standard Coca-Cola and Pepsi. 

12

Stouffer's Lean Cuisine

What goes better with under 300-calorie meals than high-cut leotards and leg warmers? 

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