Retro Food & Drink Trivia

12 nostalgia questions about retro food & drink, each with four choices and the correct answer explained underneath. Read them here, or play the same set in the trivia room for instant scoring and a printable quiz sheet.

Background

Kitchens of the 1940s through the 1970s had their own cast of characters: the casserole dish, the gelatin mould, the electric mixer and a freezer stocked with new convenience foods. Meals were planned around what was on sale and what came from the garden.

These twelve questions celebrate retro food and drink — real dishes, real brands and the habits of mid-century tables. Each has four choices and a factual explanation, and the trivia room offers the same questions as an interactive round with printing.

This is the Retro Food & Drink set served by the trivia room.

Play this set

In the trivia room, set the era to Mixed and the topic to Everyday Objects.
You can also combine an era and a topic to narrow a round down.
Rounds are 10 questions at a time, always with four choices.
You see the right answer and an explanation immediately after each pick.
After a round, press Print this round for a quiz sheet — questions on page one, answer key on page two.

Play in the trivia room Printing help

Questions and answers

1. Which frozen novelty, popular since the 1920s, pairs vanilla ice cream between chocolate wafers?
- AIce cream sandwich — correct answer
- BDrumstick
- CFudgsicle
- DEskimo Pie
Answer: A — Ice cream sandwich. The ice cream sandwich, sold since the early 1900s and hugely popular in the 1950s-60s, is vanilla ice cream between wafers.
Did you know… Priced at a few cents, it was one of the first treats sold from a pushcart.
2. TV dinners, the frozen tray meals that defined 1950s convenience eating, were introduced by which company in 1953?
- ASwanson — correct answer
- BKraft
- CGeneral Foods
- DCampbell's
Answer: A — Swanson. Swanson's 1953 'TV Dinner' trays turned frozen dinners into an American staple.
Did you know… The divided tray was designed so a whole dinner could be eaten from the lap.
3. Which soda, introduced in 1963 by the Coca-Cola Company, was a diet cola?
- ATab — correct answer
- BDiet Pepsi
- CFresca
- DMello Yello
Answer: A — Tab. Tab, Coca-Cola's first diet cola, launched in 1963 and was a 1970s icon.
Did you know… Its pink-and-white can was meant to look unmistakably modern on the shelf.
4. The Jell-O salad with fruit and marshmallows was a signature dish of American gatherings in which era?
- AMid-20th century (1950s-60s) — correct answer
- BThe 2000s
- CThe 1920s only
- DThe 1980s only
Answer: A — Mid-20th century (1950s-60s). Molded gelatin salads peaked in 1950s-60s America, a hallmark of mid-century cooking.
Did you know… Moulded salads turned up at church suppers and family holidays alike.
5. Kraft's orange box of pasta with powdered cheese, introduced in 1937, is known by what name?
- AKraft Macaroni & Cheese — correct answer
- BVelveeta Shells
- CEasy Mac
- DCheese Whiz
Answer: A — Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, 'the blue box', became a beloved budget dinner for generations.
Did you know… The blue box has kept much of its original look for generations.
6. Which breakfast cereal mascot is a leprechaun named Lucky?
- ALucky Charms — correct answer
- BFroot Loops
- CCap'n Crunch
- DTrix
Answer: A — Lucky Charms. Lucky the Leprechaun has promoted Lucky Charms, with its marshmallow pieces, since 1964.
Did you know… The little marshmallow shapes were the whole point of the cereal.
7. Tang, the powdered orange drink that went to space with Gemini astronauts in 1965, was made by which company?
- AGeneral Foods — correct answer
- BNabisco
- CQuaker Oats
- DCarnation
Answer: A — General Foods. General Foods' Tang gained fame after NASA used it on Gemini missions.
Did you know… Labels later added a line about the drink's part in the space flights.
8. Which candy, a peanut butter cup in a brown wrapper, was introduced by H.B. Reese in 1928?
- AReese's Peanut Butter Cups — correct answer
- BSnickers
- CMounds
- DBaby Ruth
Answer: A — Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. H.B. Reese invented Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in 1928; Hershey acquired the brand in 1963.
Did you know… Its inventor had worked on a dairy farm that supplied the chocolate company.
9. The McDonald's 'Big Mac' sandwich made its national debut in which decade?
- A1960s — correct answer
- B1950s
- C1970s
- D1980s
Answer: A — 1960s. The Big Mac was introduced in 1968 after being created in 1967 by franchisee Jim Delligatti.
Did you know… An advertising jingle listed each layer of the sandwich, in order.
10. Which lemon-lime soda did the Coca-Cola Company launch in 1961 to compete with 7 Up?
- ASprite — correct answer
- BFresca
- CMello Yello
- DBarq's
Answer: A — Sprite. Sprite, Coca-Cola's lemon-lime soda, launched in 1961 and became a global favorite.
Did you know… The green bottle made it easy to spot on a crowded shelf.
11. Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup became the secret ingredient in which classic American casserole?
- AGreen bean casserole — correct answer
- BTuna noodle casserole
- CPotato salad
- DChili con carne
Answer: A — Green bean casserole. The green bean casserole, invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly of Campbell's, uses cream of mushroom soup.
Did you know… The recipe was written for a company cookbook and is still printed on the soup tin.
12. Which soft drink, created in 1886 in Atlanta, was originally sold at Jacobs' Pharmacy soda fountain?
- ACoca-Cola — correct answer
- BPepsi-Cola
- CDr Pepper
- DMountain Dew
Answer: A — Coca-Cola. John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in Atlanta in 1886, launching a global icon.
Did you know… It began as a fountain drink, mixed by hand at the drugstore counter.

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