Food trends flare up, fade, and sometimes crash spectacularly. In the realm of foolish food, history is littered with experiments that made headlines, raised eyebrows, and often ended in regret. Below we count down the ten most outrageous foolish food fads that left a lasting (and usually unpleasant) taste.
Why Foolish Food Fads Matter
Understanding these foolish food moments helps us spot the next hype before it turns into a health hazard or a cultural cringe‑fest.
10 The Goldfish Swallowing Craze of 1939 American Colleges
If you ever hear an older relative lamenting the stupid things your generation did, you can point them to the 1939 goldfish‑swallowing craze that erupted across American campuses. It all began when a Harvard student gulped a live goldfish to prove his machismo. The stunt caught on, spreading like wildfire from one college to another, and before long someone boasted a record‑breaking 101 goldfish in a single sitting.
But the novelty quickly sputtered. Swallowing a wriggling goldfish isn’t exactly gourmet. Participants often salted and peppered the fish, then chased it down with milk or mashed potatoes, and many reported feeling the scales scrape their throats—a decidedly unpleasant experience.
Animal‑rights activists and legislators soon moved to ban the practice, and doctors warned that the challenge could introduce tapeworms and cause anemia. All told, it became one of the briefest and most bizarre college fads on record.
9 Marijuana and Delta 8 Edibles That Look Like Candy
Recreational cannabis is gaining legal footholds across the United States, and many newcomers shy away from smoking. Instead, they reach for edibles, which often come in candy‑like forms. Adding to the mix is Delta 8 THC, a legal‑by‑default cannabinoid that offers a high similar to Delta 9.
Manufacturers package these products in brightly colored sweets that look indistinguishable from regular candy, and state regulations vary wildly on labeling requirements. The result? A growing number of children unintentionally ingesting these potent treats.
Hospitals have reported rising admissions for accidental THC poisoning, and tragic cases have occurred—a child died after consuming Delta 8 edibles, and a toddler in Las Vegas narrowly survived after ingesting a Delta 9 candy.
8 Cannibal Sandwiches and Steak Tartare at Home Can Make You Sick
Steak tartare—a classic restaurant dish of raw beef mixed with seasonings and often a raw egg yolk—relies on stringent safety protocols and top‑quality meat. At home, however, most cooks lack the necessary know‑how and access to premium cuts.
Preparing tartare safely means avoiding pre‑ground beef (which carries a higher contamination risk), using fresh, high‑grade cuts, and grinding the meat moments before serving in a meticulously clean environment—conditions most home kitchens simply don’t meet.
Worse still is Wisconsin’s infamous “cannibal sandwich,” a holiday tradition that mixes pre‑ground beef with spices and serves it raw. Health officials advise cooking it thoroughly—or skipping it altogether—to avoid food‑borne illness.
7 The Unicorn Fad Even Gave Starbucks Employees Nervous Breakdowns
A few years ago, the unicorn craze exploded across social media. Everywhere you looked, products were drenched in pastel rainbows and glitter, perfect for Instagram selfies. The trend quickly morphed from harmless novelty into an all‑consuming lifestyle.
Communities formed around the unicorn aesthetic, but the over‑saturation exhausted participants and, more importantly, put immense pressure on service workers tasked with delivering these eye‑catching creations.
Starbucks’ unicorn Frappuccino—color‑changing and flavor‑shifting—proved especially problematic. Baristas complained about the messy, time‑consuming preparation, and a viral video showed a barista drenched in “unicorn gunk.” Even the coffee giant eventually reconsidered the product after the backlash.
6 Bacon Everything: Tacky, Expensive, and Also Bad for Your Health
In the early 2010s, bacon became an omnipresent meme. Restaurants served bacon‑topped sundaes drizzled with maple syrup, and the craze spilled into non‑food realms: bacon‑flavored lollipops, scented soaps, deodorants, you name it.
A rumor of an impending bacon shortage even sparked panic, though it never materialized. After a few years, the novelty wore thin—diners began to see bacon‑laden menus as desperate attempts to cash in on a tired joke rather than genuine culinary creativity.
Beyond the meme fatigue, the over‑indulgence in bacon raised health concerns. Prices rose, but Americans kept buying the salty meat, proving that while the meme died, the appetite for bacon persisted.
5 Too Much Carrot Juice or Sunny Delight Can Turn Your Skin Orange
Jus‑obsessed health enthusiasts often champion single‑fruit or vegetable extracts, and carrot juice quickly rose to fame thanks to its eye‑health reputation and vitamin boost.
However, over‑consumption of beta‑carotene‑rich drinks can literally turn you orange. One UK parent discovered her daughter’s skin had taken on an Oompa‑Loompa hue after drinking 1.5 liters of Sunny Delight daily.
The condition, known as carotenemia, is harmless and fades within a few months once the excess beta‑carotene intake stops, but it certainly isn’t a look most people desire.
4 The Olestra Debacle Proved That Sometimes You Just Can’t Have It Both Ways
During the 1990s, snack lovers chased zero‑calorie, fat‑free options. Enter Olestra—a fat substitute approved in 1996 that promised the texture of fat without the calories.
Manufacturers poured Olestra into Pringles, Fritos, and other popular chips, and consumers devoured the “miracle” snack. But the trade‑off was brutal: because the body couldn’t digest Olestra, it passed through the gastrointestinal tract unchanged.
The result? Loose, greasy stools and occasional bowel discomfort. Strict warning labels were required until 2003, after which the ingredient fell out of favor and the fat‑free snack craze faded.
3 Preworkouts: Totally Unnecessary and Can Even Be Dangerous
Gym culture has embraced pre‑workout powders as the shortcut to instant gains. Teens, eager for rapid results, often grab these supplements without fully grasping the risks.
Formulations vary wildly, and the supplement market’s lax regulation means you can’t always trust the label. Overconsumption can trigger caffeine overdoses, and the “dry‑scooping” trend—tossing powder straight into the mouth—has led to heart attacks and, in one tragic case, a fatal overdose in Liverpool.
While some ingredients can boost performance when used responsibly, the consensus is clear: pre‑workouts are unnecessary for most people and can be hazardous if misused.
2 Activated Charcoal Had Problems as a Popular Food Dye
Just before the pandemic, activated charcoal surged as a trendy food dye, turning everything from ice cream to lattes a dramatic black.
Enthusiasts claimed it offered health perks, even promising hangover cures, but the reality is less glamorous. Charcoal’s adsorptive properties can strip medications of their effectiveness, leading to dangerous drug interactions.
Excessive consumption at home can cause severe constipation, bowel blockages, and even perforations. Scientific evidence supporting any therapeutic benefit in everyday diets is scant, and the fad quickly fizzled.
1 The Keto Diet: A Fat Burning Fad Meant Only for Extreme Epilepsy Cases
The ketogenic diet, originally prescribed for children with refractory epilepsy, has been repurposed as a weight‑loss shortcut. The regimen slashes carbohydrates, emphasizes high fat, and includes modest protein—a formula that forces the body into ketosis.
While some tout rapid fat loss, the diet was never designed for the general public. Short‑term side effects include constipation, low blood pressure, nutrient deficiencies, and an elevated risk of heart disease due to high LDL cholesterol. Other concerns are kidney stones, brain fog, mood swings, and irritability.
Because the long‑term health impacts remain largely unknown, medical professionals caution against adopting keto without supervision, especially when the original intent was a last‑resort therapy for severe epilepsy.