Prime examples of said nostalgic products, Bukowski says, include frosted and fruity cereals, dairy-free chocolate sandwich cookies, and almond-milk-based funfetti ice cream. Thrive Market, an e-commerce membership-based retailer offering natural and organic food products, has identified a similar rise in sales of throwback foods: “Year-to-date sales of nostalgia goods have doubled versus last year,” says James Ren, head of food merchandising at Thrive Market. 

Numerous new brands have launched amid this spike. “I started Nowadays to create a delicious, nourishing, and affordable vegan protein source that breaks into the mainstream by giving consumers something familiar and approachable: nuggets,” says Elder about Nowadays’s pea-protein-based nuggets, which are made with just seven ingredients and taste, well, like chicken. There’s also GOODLES, a boxed mac and cheese company that launched in 2021 with flavors like Shella Good and Vegan Is Believin’. A single serving of the brand’s pasta (some, but not all, of which are plant-based) is deliciously reminiscent of the Kraft mac many savored in their youth, yet it packs 12 grams of protein and seven grams of fiber (thanks to ingredients like chickpeas, broccoli, and nutritional yeast) and is made with no artificial flavors or preservatives. “Adults are excited to both re-enter the boxed macaroni category and feel great about it,” says Paul Earle, co-founder and board director of GOODLES.

Meanwhile, Emily Elyse Miller, CEO and founder of OffLimits Cereal (which launched in 2020) and a Well+Good Wellness Trends Advisor, says she was inspired to start the brand after realizing that many of her favorite childhood breakfast cereals weren’t friendly for those who stick to a plant-based diet. “It was super surprising for me to find out that a lot of the cereal that we grow with or grew up with aren’t actually vegan—Lucky Charms obviously has marshmallows, for instance, which contain animal products,” she says. Today, OffLimits offers four types of plant-based cereals, including a gluten-free coffee cereal made in partnership with Chamberlain Coffee that looks (and tastes) like a grown-up version of Cocoa Puffs.

In October, Partake Foods, an allergy-friendly snack food company founded in 2016, raised $11.5 million in a Series B funding to support continued growth in the coming year. And just in time for the holidays, the brand released two new Christmas cookie flavors. There’s also Immi, a plant-based instant ramen noodle company that successfully raised $3.8 million in seed funding ahead of its 2021 launch and sold over a million bowls worth of ramen this year alone, according to Kevin Lee, a co-founder of the brand. Immi’s line of vegan ramen packets includes options like Black Garlic “Chicken,” Spicy “Beef,” and Tom Yum “Shrimp,” all of which pack 22 grams of plant-based protein per serving. 

When asked why products that evoke nostalgia continue to rise in popularity, particularly among Millennials, many brand founders point to a consumer longing for warm-and-fuzzy feelings in the face of an ever-challenging political, social, and economic climate. “Since the pandemic, consumers have turned to comfort, whether that be with food or other products that bring them happiness, and this typically is rooted in nostalgia," says Katlin Smith, founder and CEO of Simple Mills, a food company focused on nutritious products, such as Nut Butter Stuffed Sandwich Cookies. 

“Brands always balance future innovation with an acknowledgment of the past—this creates an immediate moment of joy, comfort, and familiarity,” Elder says. And between the comfort, convenience, and vegan-friendly factor that the new wave of nostalgia foods is bringing to the table, it’s easy to see why so many consumers think they’re “Grrrreat!” “The most important aspect of food is taste and enjoyment, so it’s no surprise that nostalgia-inducing packaged plant-based food brands are on the rise. I anticipate the growth of these brands to continue—as long as they taste good,” says Ren. ✙