We've Never Stopped Mourning The Loss Of Kudos Bars
Few things inspire a deep-seated fit of nostalgia more than snacks from bygone eras. Take Kudos Bars and their accompanying TV ads, which oozed '90s dress sense and sensibilities. According to the commercial, these "granola snacks" were available in three flavors — "nutty fudge, chocolate chip, or peanut butter" — which were apparently tasty enough to cause a person to break into interpretive dance. Despite the appeal of Kudos Bars, the original product was sadly discontinued at some point in the '90s or early to mid-2000s. And while it's been a long time since they appeared on store shelves, people still can't get over them.
According to a Reddit thread, the discontinuation of Kudos Bars remains a hot topic in snacking circles. As one commenter put it, "Why show me a treasure I can no longer posses [sic]." Others state that no modern product can come close, with one even proclaiming, "I LIVED for these as a kid!" It's fair to say that Kudos Bars made quite an impression on the public, particularly those who were young when the snack was in its prime. As a result, people are still wondering what happened to their favorite afterschool treat many years later.
Why did Kudos go the way of the dodo?
Because there is no official answer regarding the discontinuation of Kudos Bars, consumers are left to their own conjecture as to why the product is no longer available. One possible answer is that the "healthy" snacking trend of the '90s eventually fell out of favor. Per Delish, Kudos Bars had a reputation for being a wholesome snack during their heyday, despite the not-so-healthy ingredients like chocolate chips and peanut butter.
In this case, Kudos Bars joined many other supposedly healthy '90s snacks with questionable reputations. Consider this list compiled by Well+Good, which features products like Yoplait Yogurt, Snackwell's Cookies, and SlimFast. At some point, people stopped caring to pretend that their snacking habits were good for them and instead wanted to freely indulge their taste buds without remorse. This proposition may also explain the slight resurgence experienced by Kudos Bars a few years after the product was discontinued, albeit with a completely different look and feel.
Not your cool older sibling's Kudos Bars
As stated by the ubiquitous Kudos TV ad in the '90s, a big part of the treat's appeal rested in the fact that it was "simply nutritious." However, when Mars re-released Kudos Bars in 2011, nutrition was no longer a part of the equation. Consider that the new flavors were all candy-based, including Snickers, Dove, and M&M. And while the new release was technically designated as a "cereal bar," the delicious ingredients seemed to be its prime selling point.
Like its predecessor, the revamped Kudos Bars were eventually discontinued, much to the chagrin of the snacking public. And as commonly happens, there's no indication why Mars discontinued the treat. When a disgruntled snacker took to Facebook to question Mars about the availability of Kudos Bars, a spokesperson for the candy manufacturer replied, "The product has unfortunately been discontinued — our apologies for any inconvenience!" That's little more than cold comfort to millennials still pining for simpler days replete with tasty snacks.