There’s A Very Real Possibility That All Of These Foods Could Disappear For Good
I've got some bad news to bring to light. Some of your favorite foods are going extinct. They're not going to be around much longer and it's depressing to think about, but as the old saying goes, 'all good things must come to an end.'
Climate change is not only making animals extinct, but it's massively impacting agriculture as well. So, savor the time you have with these foods that I've listed here because they're a dying breed.
Chickpeas
There's a reason that chickpeas are so expensive. They use a whopping 76 gallons of water for every ounce. Not surprisingly, water droughts around the world have caused a serious shortage of chickpeas.
Worldwide production of these legumes has gone down nearly 50% due to droughts all across the globe, and by that rate, hummus may become a thing of the past. It's unfortunate because they're so healthy for you.
Coffee
70% of the world's coffee could be wiped out by 2080. Most coffee is made from Arabica beans, which grow best between 64F and 70F. If the temperature rises above that, the plants ripen too quickly, which affects the taste of the coffee.
If the temperatures keep rising because of climate change, the coffee yield and quality are going to decrease. So, savor your morning cup while it lasts because you might have to get used to tea later in life.
Bananas
The Cavendish banana, the one that is loved in North America, is being taken over by a disease called Tropical Race 4. This disease affects the vascular system of the banana plant which means they can't properly absorb water and nutrients.
The disease is quickly spreading across continents, wiping out banana plantations. Why is it that the best fruits and vegetables are going extinct? I guess we'll still have our sweets.
Fish
We're killing fish, and we're killing them FAST. At the rate we're going, researchers say there will be no more eatable fish in the ocean by 2048.
This is due to overfishing, and destructive fishing practices, like trawling, which uses a weighted net to scoop up all the fish that come its way. Often times that means that endangered fish are caught and killed too. It created a deadly cycle under the sea.
Avocados
I don't know if you're aware, but it takes 72 gallons of water to make one pound of avocados. If you're wondering how much that is, it's about two medium-sized avocados. That's like, one slice of avocado toast.
72 gallons of water is the same amount of water that's used in four average showers. Not only that, but 80% of avocados are grown in California, which is currently in a drought. Yikes.
Peanuts
If you have a peanut allergy, you're probably very excited about this. Some say that they might be extinct by 2030, so I guess it's good and bad news. They're considered high maintenance plants because they require five months of warm weather.
They also need a combined 20-40 inches of rain. Too little rain and the pods won't germinate, too much and they will mold making the peanuts inedible, which isn't good.
Maple Syrup
Similar to peanuts, maple syrup requires quite the process to get made. They're produced from sugar maple trees and require a very specific and stable weather condition that our changing climate can't offer.
Maple syrup production has been greatly affected by global warming. The trees need freezing in the winter and warm spring days to produce the sap. The drought conditions and increasing temperatures aren't ideal by any stretch of the imagination.
Honey
This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but honey might be gone very shortly. As the bee population is continuing to decline, so is the production of honey.
The population of bees has decreased by more than 40% within the last decade all because of the Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder. Sure, we might hate the buzzing of bees, but they're a vital part of our ecosystem and we really need them.
Chocolate
This is scary to realize. We're eating chocolate faster than it can be made. Yes, this is not a joke. Last year, the world ate 70,000 metric tons more cocoa than was produced. By 2020, experts say that the number could skyrocket to 1 million more tons.
West Africa produces 70% of the world's cocoa and is seeing rising temperatures and less water. The cocoa plants are getting fungal diseases because of it.
Italian Durum Wheat
Grab your Nonna, and let her cry on your shoulder. Yet again, warmer temperatures are negatively impacting the growth of durum wheat, especially in Italy. If you don't recognize the word Durum, you might recognize it as pasta wheat or macaroni wheat. It's the second most cultivated species of wheat in the world.
It is predicted that wheat yields will start declining by 2020 and may be completely gone by the end of our lifetimes.
Wine
Oh no, hide your wine-loving mom from this knowledge. She might go on a little binge drinking streak thinking that wine is going to be extinct very shortly.
Grapes for wine are the best when picked after the rain after a long drought, but since droughts are lasting longer, some grapes are dying before they even get picked. If the grapes can't be harvested, wine can't be made. It's tragic.
Oranges
If you thought that you could maybe swap your morning coffee for some freshly squeezed OJ, you're wrong. Citrus Greening Disease is attacking the oranges nationwide and there's no cure once a tree becomes infected.
The disease is carried by an insect called Asian citrus psyllid and it has spread to every state where oranges are grown for juice. If this doesn't depress you then I don't know what will.
Heinz EZ-Squirt
Using ketchup hasn't been the same since '06. The funky ketchup colors like blue, red, green, and even a mystery bottle that could either be purple, orange, or teal made eating burgers fun.
I don't know about you, but seeing a teal colored ketchup on my burger would make me 10x more hungry. It was discontinued in '06 by the fun police, I guess, but EZ Squirts ketchup will live forever in our hearts.
3D / Mini Doritos
This has by far been one of the saddest discontinuations of all time. Not only did the 3D Doritos come in a sweet travel bottle, but they were the most fun food to eat.
They had the same delicious taste as a regular Doritos, but it was easier to munch on. You didn't have to open your mouth to outrageous sizes to fit one in like you did the OG Dorito.
Altoids Sour
I know what you're thinking, and yes, Altoids are still around today. But, the Altoids Sour that they discontinued was a real shame. They were the tangy treat that every kid loved to suck on when they weren't looking for a minty flavor.
These were the original flavors of Altoids that also came in tangerine, raspberry, lime, and apple. If you are a new fan of the candy, you really don't know what you missed out on.
Tic Tac Cinnamon
I don't want you to confuse this with Cinnamon Spice Tic Tacs, which still exist. They aren't the same, and they never will be. Cinnamon was one of the original flavors and it gives me chills just thinking about the opportunity of shoving a handful in my mouth.
One of the main selling features of the original Tic Tacs was that they were only one and a half calories per Tac.
Crystal Pepsi
Remember this? The transparent Pepsi that had the whole world scratching their head? It was discontinued in '93 and then reintroduced in 2015.
The drink tasted weirdly the same as the original Pepsi, but it looked more like Sprite. There was a petition to bring it back because it was so loved in the 90s. But, other than the short stint in 2015, there are no plans of bringing it back long term.
Sprite Remix
It's safe to say that most of us are down for a little remix here and there. A little change doesn't hurt, even if the original product is good. The Sprite Remix tried to break into the market, and failed.
The Berryclear and Aruba flavors were discontinued in the early 2000s. The Tropical Sprite Remix was reintroduced in 2016 and it's still around, kind of. You can only get it in select states and stores.
Oreo O's
Remember when Oreo made a breakfast cereal and it was really good but people didn't think it was really good? Are we, Oreo lovers, still bitter about it? Yes, we are.
It was introduced in 1997, the greatest year of all time. They lasted for nearly 10 years which was great, until they got the boot in '07. The Oreo O's cereal was probably the closest thing you can get to eating cookies in the morning. Yum.
Butterfinger Bites
With a slogan like "crispet-y, crunchet-y, peanut butter-y" you know you can't go wrong. Well, I guess you can because the Butterfinger Bites were canceled in '06. These were the smaller versions of the full chocolate bar.
They tried to bring them back in '09 but people weren't having it. I thought the consumer base had moved toward a "more convenient" demand. The bites are easier to eat, but I guess they wanted the full bar.
Rice Krispies Treats
This cereal was first introduced by Kellogg's in 1993. No, it's not the original Rice Krispies, it's a spin off of them. They didn't last long on the shelves, and it only took a couple of years for them to completely disappear which is why you've probably never heard of them.
Well, if you go onto the Kellogg's website, they'll tell you that they're not canceled, but good luck finding them.
French Toast Crunch
Okay, this is one of the lowest points in human history. You can't make the GOAT of cereals and then just take it away without repercussions. This toast-shaped, maple-flavored bites cereal was discontinued in 2006.
Thankfully, due to mass protest, General Mills had to bring it back after a short hiatus because people were demanding it. This goes to show that if they take something you like away from you, protest it.
Fruit Shaped Trix
Kids were robbed of their childhood when the Trix Berry Berry Kix cereal was taken off of the shelves. These were a spin-off of the original Trix, but in fruit-shaped bits.
They came in grapes, watermelons, bananas, and even oranges. When you put milk onto the cereal, it changes color to purple. It would also turn the Trix into a delicious turquoise color which added the experience of eating the Trix Berry Berry Kix.
McDonald's FRIED Apple Pie
If you're a fan of the baked apple pies that McDonald's sells, you know that they're actually pretty good and don't taste too fast food-y. But, you'll be grossed out to know that before they made baked pies, they made then fried.
Yes, fried apple pies. If that doesn't gross you out than I don't know what will. Okay, just kidding, they're not that bad. But, they did get discontinued because people found them gnarly and I don't disagree.
Burger King Chicken Fries
I bet you'll be shocked to find out that Burger King's chicken fries were discontinued in 2012. Yes, banned from their menu. Gone, boom, bang. They were replaced by some lacklustre chicken strips that no one cared for.
So, the chicken fries were recently resurrected due to popular demand. If you're going to cancel one of the most popular items on your menu, at least replace it with something unique.
Crispy M&Ms
Yes, this was an actual thing. Crispy M&Ms were actually a thing that existed. Apparently they were supposed to be crunchy, but have the same taste as the originals.
They were discontinued in 2005, but are still available in some European countries. I guess it's a good idea? I don't know, though, the best part of M&Ms is that they melt in your mouth, so I can see why people would not want the crispies.
Black Cherry Vanilla Coke
Can we all just agree that Vanilla Coke is the best kind of Coke? They introduced a Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and it was very good. It was launched in 2006, but was sadly discontinued in 2007.
This was a horrible decision. They took it away from us just as soon as we were getting addicted to it. I don't know who runs their product management, but they need to have a talking to.
Nestle Wonderball
It's kind of like the Kinder Surprise, but not really. The Wonder Ball is a delicious chocolate treat with a prize inside. Sometimes the prize is stickers, sometimes the prize is toys.
Many of them are choking hazards for kids, which is one of the reasons that they discontinued this delicious treat. At any rate, it was discontinued in 1997, brought back in 2000 with an edible prize, and then discontinued again in 2007.
Skittles Bubble Gum
Skittles Bubble Gum, sounds great in theory, but it's awful in practice. The point of having a fruit explosion in your mouth is to experience all those different flavors at different times, not chew them up and mix them up for the next 20 minutes.
The Skittles Bubble Gum was actually around in the mid-90's, but didn't gain much of a following and was discontinued just a short time later.
Reeses Swoops
Remember these? It's like Reese Cups meets Pringles. I don't know why they were discontinued because I haven't heard one bad review about them.
Another Reese spin-off was the Reese's bites, those little rabbit turd looking things. Remember those? They were amazing. But, they got discontinued in 2008 when Hershey's discontinued all of their "Bites" line. I don't know what it is, but they need to keep these more convenient options around.
