Laptop Meal: The KFC Kids Box Deal You May Have Forgotten About

There are a lot of discontinued KFC menu items people wish would make a comeback. Amidst public yearnings for departed nuggets and grilled chicken, one particular item giving the internet nostalgia is the kids laptop meal, which joined the KFC menu in the early 2000s. The meal came with the choice of a crispy chicken strip, drumstick, or popcorn chicken, plus two sides. Side options varied by location, but mashed potatoes with gravy and macaroni and cheese were popularly advertised. Other items added to the boxes at various times were Teddy Grahams, Baked Cheetos, Fruit By The Foot, and a Quaker Oats granola bar. A Tropicana juice box or a small drink of choice rounded out the meal.

KFC's cardboard box design took inspiration from laptop computers, which were becoming increasingly prevalent in American homes at the time. The rectangular tray of food was covered by a lid that opened like a laptop. It sat pretty well on a lap, too, and each food item was nestled in its own little nook within the box. Like other fast food kids meals, the KFC laptop boxes were often tied to a popular children's cartoon, but they did not come with a toy. Instead, the box was printed all over with games and puzzles for kids to solve. Some versions had images printed underneath where the chicken and sides were placed, perhaps to encourage kids to eat all of their food.

It isn't known why KFC got rid of the kids laptop meal. Maybe our computer technology has just progressed too far for laptops to remain a novelty. Nowadays, KFC kids meals are much simpler with fewer items. Choose either five-piece nuggets or two tenders, one side, and a drink (Capri Sun has replaced Tropicana) for about double the $2.99 price of the early-2000s laptop meal. There's no cool box with puzzles, either, but the KFC kids meals of today do come with a toy.

If you want to order a laptop-inspired meal with chicken, two sides, a bonus food item (a biscuit can stand in for those bygone Cheetos), and a drink, the closest option is the KFC Big Box. At one point, the Big Box also disappeared from KFC's menu, but appears to have returned. You can also try to recreate the laptop meal experience at home by frying up your own KFC-like chicken alongside some copycat KFC mashed potatoes and gravy. As for how to design and fold your own laptop box, that will require some creativity.