Kids Today Would Love This 1970s TV Dinner Sensation

Who doesn't love a themed meal? Whether it's inspired by culture, a classic film, or a bygone decade, a menu built around a theme is a great way to make dinnertime more memorable. And it doesn't have to be elaborate or pricey, either. Libby's, the brand behind your favorite canned veggies, perfectly captured the appeal of a themed meal — along with the need for something quick and easy — when it launched Libbyland Adventure Dinners in the early 1970s. Out of all the vintage TV dinners we wish we could try, Libby's probably takes the cake in terms of taking a kid-friendly approach to a product.

Each Libbyland Adventure Meal contained two entrees, two sides, and a chocolate pudding dessert. The box also included a "Milk Magic" powder you could use to make flavored milk. The four themes offered were Sundown Supper, Safari Supper, Sea Diver's Dinner, and Pirate Picnic. Some of the themes seemed a little more relevant than others. The Sea Diver's Dinner had fish sticks, while the Pirate Picnic came with a hot dog and sloppy Joe. Honestly, it seems the food may have left something to be desired, with comments comparing the taste to that of sewage. However, the idea was solid, and the marketing even more so.

Beyond the engaging themes, Libby's invented a whole world and cast of characters to market its TV dinners. The main characters populating Libbyland were Libby the Kid and his nemesis, Mean Gene, whose villain origin story centers around a lack of kid-friendly meals during his childhood. The pair would appear in commercials and printed cartoon ads for Libbyland Adventure Meals: Gene attempting to steal the meals from kids, and Libby giving them right back. True Libbyland fans could also purchase lenticular mugs depicting Libby and Gene, or even mail in a Libbyland "citizenship application" in order to receive a Libbyland poster and citizenship card. 

The boxes that the meals came in were works of art, even if the food wasn't outstanding. The cover illustrations look like a mix of claymation and hand-drawn cartoons, with plenty of details to take in. They usually included a hidden object game to make mealtime more engaging. Furthermore, the perforated boxes could be transformed into a diorama backdrop set behind the tray; and the backs included a nice, large photo of the meal's contents so you knew exactly what you were getting. Sadly, it's difficult to find a Libbyland Adventure Meal box for sale online, but if one did pop up, perhaps the price might be comparable to that of some collectible vintage cereal boxes. Yes, the boxes look a little dated, but that's part of the charm.