7 Childhood Foods Every Adult Should Love

Being an adult is overrated, and so is eating like one. Who needs wedge salads, quiche, scalloppini and risotto when you’ve got chicken nuggets in the shape of dinosaurs? Below we’ve listed 7 foods that we loved as kids and aren’t quite ready to give up yet. If ever you get invited to a dinner party hosted by Daily Fork, don’t forget to bring the Nestle Quik and crazy straws.

7) Corn Dogs

We agree with what was said in There’s Something About Mary: there needs to be more meat on sticks. Until then, we’ll always have the beloved corn dog. We’re talking a hot dog of questionable origin encased in a buttery golden sweet cornbread pillow. The crunch of the breading and the savory beef (or pork, or chicken, or “miscellaneous”) center isn’t a combination you grow too old to enjoy.

6) SpaghettiOs

Yes, they’re kind of gross. But there’s something about the little tomatoey o-shaped pastas that still has us sneaking to the soup aisle as grown adults and stocking up on cans of the stuff that bears little resemblance to spaghetti but is presented in fun shapes and is ready to eat after just 3 minutes of heating.

5) Chocolate Milk

Doesn’t matter if it’s derived from syrup, powder, or comes pre-mixed: chocolate milk tastes great whether you’re sucking it up through a bendy straw (and blowing milk bubbles) or if you’re drinking it straight from the glass and rockin’ the milk mustache.

4) Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

No matter if it’s crunchy or creamy, grape or strawberry, jam or jelly, crust or no crust. All you need is two slices of bread, a knife for slatherin’, and a cold, tall glass of milk. The only people who can turn down a good ol’ PB&J; are soulless bastards and nerds with peanut allergies.

3) Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Nothing melts better than a couple of slices of American cheese. Slap some between two pieces of bread and grill it all up in a buttered pan until the bread’s toasted and the cheese starts to ooze. That’s how kids love it and that’s how adults should love it–none of this “add a tomato slice” crap. Cheese, bread, butter. That’s all you need.

2) Chicken Nuggets

No, we’re not talkin’ “boneless buffalo wings” or “chicken tenders.” By “chicken nuggets” we mean chicken nuggets. We’re talking about the “Mc”, crown-shaped and “dino” variety. Whether you prefer sweet and sour, barbecue, or just plain ol’ ketchup, there’s something about dipping a fried oval-shaped piece of chicken into sauce and popping it into your mouth that transforms you back into a five year old.

1) Macaroni and Cheese

Sure, you can fancify macaroni and cheese by adding truffles and prosciutto to it. Or hell, you can even spend $500 a year on gourmet mac and cheese shipments [link]. But honestly, nothing’s more satisfying than tearing open a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese, plunking half a stick of butter and a glug of milk into the pot and swishing around the neon orange powdered substance until it mixes into creamy oblivion.