Ever tear open a snack you used to love as a kid and think… “Was it always this small?” You’re not alone. It’s not a memory glitch or nostalgia playing tricks—it’s shrinkflation. The snack feels the same (technically), but something about it feels hollow — you’ll notice smaller scoops, thinner stacks, less inside the box.
And you’re paying more for them, even if the packaging says “same great taste!” or “new look!” It’s all spin. Essentially, many brands have quietly chipped away at their sizes over time while maintaining the same (or higher) prices. Some are open about it, most aren’t, but you can still notice.
To that effect, here are 12 snacks that prove shrinkflation is indeed a reality.
Oreos
You don’t need a ruler. You just know — Oreos still look about the same, sure, but they don’t hit the same. It’s the filling—there’s just less of it. Even the Double Stuf version feels like it’s faking it these days. And when you check the back of the package, the weight’s dropped too. One family-size bag used to be 566g. Now it’s 530g, maybe less, depending on where you buy it.
Mondelez (Oreo’s parent company) denies reducing crème, but third-party analyses and user reports contradict this. However, Mondelez has acknowledged shrinking package sizes to offset rising ingredient costs, with Oreo Thins also experiencing reductions in the number of cookies per package.
The cookies are still great, there’s just “less” of them.
Pepperidge Farm Cookies
Milano, Brussels, whatever your go-to cookie is, something seems to have changed. You can see it in the layers – they feel thinner and lighter. The package size has dropped from 6.25oz to 6, which doesn’t sound like much until you realize that means less chocolate, less mint, and less cookie with every bite. Reddit is full of people doing cookie post-mortems, and they’re not wrong. The luxury vibe is still there, but the substance, not so much.
Ben & Jerry’s (Canada)
This one stung a little more because they were honest. In Canada, Ben & Jerry’s tubs used to be 500ml, which is a bit more than a pint. In 2022, the American Ice Cream manufacturing company scaled down its tubs to 473ml to match the U.S. market. Although this is not the worst offense, Canadians now receive smaller tubs and pay more tax on them, as smaller tubs are considered single-serve and are taxed accordingly. Fun combo.
Häagen-Dazs
Quietly, sneakily, this one shrank back in 2009, from a whole 16oz pint down to 14oz. And it wasn’t a one-time thing, either. Other countries have also seen reductions. The company cited rising ingredient costs at the time as the reason for the change, preferring to slightly reduce size rather than significantly increase the price or compromise quality.
Similar size reductions have indeed occurred in other markets, such as the UK (e.g., from 500ml to 460ml at various points) and Canada, which often follow US trends or have their own ml adjustments. So if you go through the whole tub and wonder where it went… You know what happened.
Frito-Lay Chips
You know it. We know it. Even gas station clerks know it. One Reddit user actually weighed new deliveries against old ones and found that the newer bags had nearly half an ounce less per bag. Same price, though. And that’s not even getting into the air-to-chip ratio, which now feels like 80/20 (41% seems to be the purported figure, according to sources we’re being honest).
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
They’re still great. But they used to be bigger. In the 1980s, the standard two-pack was 51g (approximately 1.8 oz). Now it’s just 42g (1.5 oz). Doesn’t sound like a lot, until you eat one and think, “Was that it?”
Even the miniatures took a hit. Consumer watchdog sites, such as MousePrint.org, have tracked changes in package sizes over the years. For example, bags have decreased in size from 12 oz to 11 oz to 10.5 oz, and larger “party bags” or club store sizes have also seen reductions. One party bag lost nearly 5 ounces in just a few years. The Big Cups are still available if you want a proper bite, but the OGs are definitely smaller.
Kellogg’s Cereal
They kept the front of the box the same so you wouldn’t notice, but turn it sideways and you’ll see it’s way thinner than it used to be. Some boxes barely stand up now. In places like Australia, this shrinkage has been tracked down to the gram—Raisin Bran, Crunchy Nut, Froot Loops—all of which are skinnier than before.
Consumer groups and news outlets in Australia, such as CHOICE, have specifically tracked and reported on the reduction in grams for various Kellogg’s cereals, confirming this practice in the Australian market. Fewer bowls per box, more runs to the store.
Cadbury Chocolate
It started in 2012 with Dairy Milk dropping from 49g to 45g for the standard UK Dairy Milk bar, and it hasn’t let up. Crème Eggs? Smaller. Giant Buttons? Not so giant anymore. Some share bags have shrunk by 20% or more, and fans have been posting comparison pictures for years now.
While Cadbury (and its parent company, Mondelez) issues statements when asked by the media (usually citing rising ingredient and production costs and trying to avoid price increases), it does not proactively advertise size reductions. They simply change the sizes and hope that most consumers won’t notice.
Chobani Yogurt
Once upon a time, Chobani’s flagship Yogurt was a full 6 ounces. Now (since 2014) it’s 5.3 (or sometimes just 4.5 if it’s a Flip). And they didn’t change the price either. The company’s move drew widespread consumer criticism on social media and prompted complaints about feeling “cheated”.
Chobani said it was to match the “category standard,” which is basically code for “everyone else is doing it.” Maybe true, but it still leaves you digging around the bottom of the cup like you got cheated out of your last few bites.
Wheat Thins
Nabisco’s family-sized wheat thins used to be 16oz, now it’s 14 oz. Reduced-fat ones went from 14.5 to 12oz. And the worst part is that the box still appears full from the outside, but when you open it, what you get is mostly air. People online are calling it a “cracker scam,” and we kind of agree. You shouldn’t need a full sleeve just to make it through one bowl of dip, do you?
Pringles
Once upon a time, the Pringles can felt bottomless. Now it’s like five mouthfuls and you’re done.
All jokes aside, it has been reported that in some places, such as Australia, the weight has decreased from 195g to 165g, and in the UK, from 200g to 185g. In India, the cans are as small as 117g; elsewhere, the weight has been reduced to 128g or even 104g. People around the world are clocking the change. And the worst part is that the chips are shorter as well. You reach in, and it almost feels like your whole hand is inside before you get one.
There have been reports and consumer complaints that the individual Pringles crisps have become slightly smaller, and/or the diameter of the can itself has been reduced. This would lead to the experience described of having to reach further into the can.
Tillamook Ice Cream
Credit where it’s due: Tillamook told everyone they were downsizing. In 2021, they reduced the size of their cartons from 56 oz to 48 oz. Prices stayed the same, though. Which, yeah, still sucks, but at least they didn’t try to sneak it past us like most brands. If you’re going to scoop less, owning up to it is the bare minimum. Respect for that, but less ice cream is less ice cream, at the end of the day.