With a modest calorie count, they were the go-to nibble for many watching their waistline. Four flavors were included in the initial rollout: Chocolate, Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla and Raspberry.
Double Chocolate, Chocolate Mint and Caramel Nut varieties joined the lineup in the late 1970s — and in 1980, they introduced Figurines Yogurt Bars in three flavors to capitalize on the yogurt craze of the era.
Although they were discontinued around 1993 (for no particular reason we can discern), the memory of Figurines’ unique taste and texture still kindles a warm nostalgia among those lucky enough to have crunched on them. Check out the comments section below to see how other readers fondly recall these old-school weight-loss snacks!
Pillsbury introduces Figurines (1974)
The delicious solid diet food you munch… and munch… and munch.
Figurines are the new crispy, crunchy bar that give dieters the satisfaction of biting into good, solid food. Only about 138 calories a bar. Two Figurines give you the protein, vitamins and minerals of a complete meal. And a packet of two fits neatly into pocket or purse.
Four delicious flavors: Chocolate, Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla and Raspberry.
Why fight a losing battle with a diet liquid? Give your willpower a boost with Figurines. The delicious solid diet food that lets you munch… and munch… and munch.
ALSO SEE: 18 vintage discontinued foods & flavors we used to love
Figurines: The crunchy diet bars. (1974)
They somehow taste better than diets you drink.
It’s a funny thing about diet foods… if you can munch ’em, if they’re good solid food, like Figurines… they somehow taste better than diets you drink.
The flavors seem better: Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla, Chocolate and Raspberry. Only about 138 calories a bar, and two bars give gals the vitamins, minerals and protein of a complete meal. Figurines from Pillsbury. They somehow taste better than diets you drink.
New Figurines. Now they taste better than ever (1978)
Now they have a moister, creamier filling.
Now Figurines are more delicious than you ever dreamed a diet sweet could be. They have a moister, creamier center that makes them yummier than ever. And they’re still just 138 calories a bar. So you can satisfy your craving for an occasional sweet and still stay on your diet.
Another nice thing: Figurines come foil-wrapped, two bars to a pouch. You can take them anywhere, enjoy them anytime. Choose from six luscious Figurines flavors: Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Caramel, Caramel Nut, Vanilla and Raspberry.
New Figurines. Now more than ever, Pillsbury dieting was never so sweet. “Figurines are sweet revenge”
MORE: Vintage Breakfast Squares: The sweet frosted bars that General Mills used to make
Figurines. The crunchy diet bars.
You’ll love what they don’t taste like.
They don’t taste gooey, don’t taste bland. Figurines don’t taste like only 138 calories a bar.
Figurines from Pillsbury don’t taste like diet food. The flavors do taste like Chocolate Caramel, Vanilla, Chocolate and Raspberry. Two bars give gals the vitamins, minerals and protein of a complete meal. What do Figurines taste like? It’s what they don’t taste like.
Figurines are sweet revenge – TV commercial (1978)
Now you can satisfy your sweet tooth. And still keep your sweet shape. (1979)
Figurines let you give in to your sweet tooth without giving up your diet. Figurines Bars are a sweet, rich, and creamy diet treat. Yet they’re only 138 calories a bar.
And now for chocolate lovers, there’s new Double Chocolate Figurines — extra chocolate taste with no extra calories. It’s another delicious way to a delicious figure.
MORE: Remember Carnation Breakfast Bars & Carnation Instant Breakfast?
Figurines introduces the yogurt diet that’s better than yogurt (1980)
Two Figurines Yogurt Bars have more balanced nutrition than an 8-oz. cup of yogurt. You get the vitamins, minerals and protein of a complete meal. And there are three delicious kinds, Strawberry, Lemon and Honey. All are crunchy outside, moist and creamy inside. Yet only 138 calories a bar.
Next time you want yogurt for your diet, have something better. New Yogurt Bars from Figurines. New Yogurt Bars from Figurines. The first diet meal bar with real yogurt.
Figurines 100s: Pillsbury debuts a new diet bar (1986)
Adapted from an article in the Chicago Tribune (Illinois) June 5, 1986
Pillsbury Figurines, initially introduced in 1972, is about to disappear from the market, having tailed off badly from an estimated $30 million annual business in the mid-1970s. Until recently, a two-bar package of Figurine counted up to 275 calories.
Milk Break, a snack bar that contained the equivalent of half a glass of nonfat milk, was recently pulled off the market after disappointing results. It was brought out two years ago.
Figurine 100s are replacing the original. “We wanted to contemporize Figurine,” said a Pillsbury source. “Consumer needs have changed, and they told us (from research) they wanted a bar with fewer calories.”
Pillsbury has done this with 100s, a reformulated 100-calorie bar with the same flavors as before — chocolate, vanilla, chocolate peanut butter and chocolate caramel, plus S’Mores.
Figurine 100s, as a snack bar or meal replacement, will be competing in the measured diet-meal category, worth about $100 million in retail sales through supermarkets in 1985. This is the category, now in liquid and solid forms, once dominated by Metrecal. The latter’s initial success brought in a slew of competitors, including Sego and Slender.
38 Responses
Back in the 70s I lost 100 lbs on the figurine diet. I was heart broken to find it off the market. Now that I am older, I find that gaining my weight back is depressing. I must have tried 100s of fad diets since with no success.The only diet that was successful was the figurine diet. I beg of you to please make a come back of the original recipe. If it does come back, I know I would have success again.
You can still do it again now, about relying on a Figurine bar. You have the will power to put food down, because you know what it will do to your waistline. Keep the strength in yourself to conquer weight issues. We all can do it on our own, I know it’s hard, but just keep that thought in your head of the consequences of eating too much, too often. I remember Figirines, my mother would buy them for me, when I was a young teenager & I ate them like a dessert. I liked them a whole lot also. You can replace a Figurine bar, w` something else that is good for you. Just make certain it’s healthy, w`out loaded sugars or fats. GOOD🍀LUCK to you.
I had them with my mom also and we loved them all ! I’m not sure why they were taken off the market but I will buy them again they were wonderful!!!
Hey There –
Can anyone tell me what magazine either/both of these Figurines ads came from?
Thanks for any info!
why in the world don’t you bring back Figurine Diet Bars. They were so good, especially the vanilla ones.
Please bring back figurines!! They were the best!
Loved these. Bring them and food sticks back.
Why were they pulled off the market?
Please bring these back!! They were great and I loved them for snacking.
I googled 1970’s diet bars and found this! I loved these and they helped me lose some weight as a teenager. I was looking at protein bars at the store, wishing I could find something similar, and the Power Crunch protein bars are a lot like them! That’s what prompted me to look this up to remember what it was I had as a teen.
Hi the vanilla figurine bars were my FAVORITE!!! Please bring these bars back.
They tasted like white wedding g cake
Bring back Figurines
Bring the Figurines back onto the market. There are a lot of women that would buy them again including myself. The taste is remarkable and will be used again to lose weight. There is a need for them, I’m sure they will be a success again. Please bring them back.
Loved the vanilla figurines plz bring them back thank you
Figurines are back, people! They’re called Atkins Protein Wafer Crisps. Seriously, been eating Atkins style for three years now, have lost 30 lbs and the moment I tasted the Chocolate Mint flavored Atkins Protein Wafer Crisp bar, I was transported back to my high school lunchroom where I’d faithfully devour my Figurine bars. It’s true! Try the new bars and you’ll be headed down memory lane.
Editor’s note: The Atkins Protein Wafer Crisps can be found here
Atkins protein bars are not Figurines wafers diet bars the flavor is not the
same figurines flavor was very unique
so please Pillsbury bring back the diet wafers figurines bars with the original flavors recipe with new recipe flavors
too.
My mom used to buy these and the Ayds diet candy. She put them up on the top of the refrigerator but us kids would get them down and eat for snacks.
PLEASE bring back Figurines – I have not found any other diet that worked as well – why were they removed from the market? PLEASE BRING THEM BACK!!
didn’t they have some coated in a yogurt shell at one point? I loved these so much and remember the jingle-sing it to myself sometimes without thinking.
Please bring them back! They worked as a diet food.
I’d love to see these come back too. I also lost weight with these as a teenager. They tasted so good. A great snack also. Take a chance and make a “Come Back”!!!!
Please bring back the figurines bars I lost 40 lb when I used them I hate all these diet bars they have out now 🤮Why 💁🏼♀️don’t you bring them back ? If you want bring them back at least give out the recipe 🤦🏼♀️I miss them so bad 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Please bring back the chocolate Carmel figurines omg best tasting bar ever!!!!!
I would love to see Figurines come back! It was my favorite in the ’90’s. My favorite was peanut butter.
I really think they would be a success. Please consider bringing them back!!!
PLEASE BRING THEM BACK. THEY WERE AWESOME,
I loved these figurine bars. It was like eating a nutty bar without guilt. The Atkins wafer crisps are very similar. But they are not covered in the chocolate or the coconut (?) sprinkle on top. Mmmm so good. Precious memories 😊
I loved the too! I ate one before work and another at work….. they were delicious! I really really miss them!
Bring them back for nostalgia’s sake!
you can even use the same packaging and ads if it helps.
Just bring it back.
Figurines are sweet revenge!
I came here looking for an ingredients list. I want to know what was used to sweeten these snacks.
I truly wish they would bring back the figurine bars, especially the Vanilla, I loved those and still crave them. Nothing is comparable.
The vanilla were the best. I was a kid but would eat my mom’s. LOVED them!
Would love for these to come back, I absolutely loved the Chocolate bars!
I loved these bars . I would absolutely love them to come back . Pleaea
Bring these back!!!!
Pillsbury the best diet wafers bars you create was the Figurines please bring
back I miss them so much and now you
can make them with new more flavors, I was a little girl in the early 90’s when my sister let me eat one of the Vanilla ones and the Limon and also peanut butter and I loved instantly but later on you discontinued the Figurines I would love
to see the diet wafers bars Figurines in
the stores again I’m going to buy all them
Please bring them back,
I remember the theme song, sung to the old tune “Tangerine”.