6 things you never knew about Flintstones Vitamins

"10 million strong and growing!"

Image: Dr. Miles Medical Company / Bayer

If you were a kid at any point in the last 50 years, you are likely familiar with the taste of Flintstones Vitamins. The cartoon family made nutrition as fun and delicious as Pez. 

The chewable vitamins have evolved over the years, adding characters and gummy varieties. But for Boomers and Gen-X, nothing beats the originals.

Let's tour the Stone Age history of children's vitamins through the courtesy of Fred's two feet.

1. They made their debut in 1968.

 

The Flintstones cartoon originally ran from 1960–66, but clearly did not leave the public consciousness, let alone the airwaves. Reruns of the former primetime series were running on Saturday mornings in 1968. Late that year, the Dr. Miles Medical Company of Indiana launched Flintstones Vitamins. The nifty, clear apothecary jars held orange, red, purple and green chewables. The vitamins were pressed and shaped to look like Fred, Barney, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, Dino and the Flintstones car.

Image: Dr. Miles Medical Company

2. Betty was not a vitamin for 27 years.

 

Over the years, more characters were introduced, including Wilma and the Great Gazoo. Meanwhile, pharma giant Bayer bought up Dr. Miles Medical Company. It would take decades for Betty to make her vitamin debut! The excuse was that the character's waist was too thin and would lead to the pills snapping in half. At last, in 1995, a campaign spearheaded by Rosie O'Donnell, who played the character in the live-action movie, and a fan vote, led to the introduction of Betty.

Image: Bayer

3. They were made by the company that introduced Alka-Seltzer.

 

Miles Labratories might not ring a bell, but the company innovated several products found in drugstores today (now bearing the Bayer brand). Miles' introduced Alka-Seltzer in 1931. Two decades later, the adorable mascot Speedy, seen here, entered the scene.

Image: Dr. Miles Medical Company

4. Miles also sold the first chewable vitamins for kids, Chocks.

 

Miles led the charge of the vitamin craze. The Midwestern manufacturer had sold loads of its adult One-A-Day Vitamins, which were first introduced in 1940. Looking to cash in on the Baby Boom, Miles developed Chocks, the first chewable vitamin for kids, which were essentially the precursor to the Flintstones Vitamin, minus the Hanna-Barbera shapes. Chocks had its own mascot, too, Charlie Chocks, a futuristic adventurer in a purple spacesuit.

Image: Dr. Miles Medical Company

5. You could mail away for these cool Fred and Dino cups in the Sixties.

 

For just 75¢, kids (well, their parents) could send away for plastic mugs shaped like Fred's head and Dino. "Vitamins Are Good to Chew," a raised message read on the back of the cups.

Image: Worthpoint / eBay

6. The musician behind the jingle became a major player in video games.

 

When you think Flintstones Vitamins, odds are the jingle pops into your head. "We are Flintstones kids — 10 million strong and growing!" Composer Martin O'Donnell used his own kids to sing that chorus. O'Donnell would go on to become an audio innovator in the gaming industry, primarily with the developer Bungie. He did the music for the blockbuster Halo series. Chic legend Nile Rodgers produced the Halo 2 Original Soundtrack (2004) which became the best-selling game soundtrack of all time in America.

Image: Bungie

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49 Comments

Johnnyquest 14 months ago
I remember Flintstones Vitamins my mom would lay one out for me before going to school. They were cool looking but tasted AWFUL bitter as gall tasted like a piece of iron. But like my grandma said if it dont taste bad it wont work
timrooney2005 43 months ago
Flinstones vitamins tasted like Pez candy
46 months ago
I don't remember Chocks. Just Flintstones Vitamins.
46 months ago
I loved Flintstone Vitamins growing up. I don't remember the mugs though. They must have been before my time.
Mob39 46 months ago
I also loved pink panther cereal, kaboom! Oh those were the days! Eating kids cereal and a Saturday morning and the only thing I used to worry about was where I was going to ride my bike in the afternoon with my friends.
Mob39 46 months ago
Oh my gosh… I remember chocks! My mom used to give them to me… And then we used to eat the Flintstone vitamins too! Fond memories of my childhood. When things were less complicated.
AnnieM 49 months ago
I remember Chocks, but my folks bought me Flintstone vitamins as a kid. I still have one of the glass bottles, as I used to keep Barbie shoes in it. It's now in my china cabinet with other special nick-nacks. Say, does anyone remember the name of a children's medicine that came in a small, square glass bottle with a cartoony lion's head on the label? They were tiny pink pills, but I don't remember what they were for.
Kelley1 AnnieM 46 months ago
Maybe some form of children's aspirin. I remember mine in a square bottle but I couldn't read and Mom kept it carefully put away so I didn't get a good enough look at it to say whether it had anything on the label!
Mob39 AnnieM 46 months ago
I tried to look it up every way possible and couldn’t find it. I’m curious to know what it was now. If anybody finds it let us know!
dsmokov 52 months ago
I just bought a bottle for my grandson! He loves em.
JewelsChuck 52 months ago
I’ve never had a Flinstone Vitamin ever! 😏
Kelley1 JewelsChuck 46 months ago
Oh what goodies you've missed! They say children's vitamins are stronger than the adult version. You might consider getting some. It's never too late. I could have taken more than Mom gave me.
Redheadedwoman 52 months ago
I had both Chocks and Flintstones vitamins when I was a kid. I loved ‘em.
passh2o 52 months ago
I still take them and I'm 62. Doc says I have take them because they are easy to digest.
DAX 52 months ago
I'd eat a bunch of Flintstones vitamins at a time. I thought they were really yummy! It really blows hard that they moved all the jobs. There isn't much left in Indiana
TheresaF 52 months ago
Growing up in Elkhart IN just about everyone worked for Mile's Labs.
It was a GREAT PLACE for women who received great pay, benefits and retirement packages.
We were the testing kids for many of the products.
Do you remember Root Beer or Orange Alka-Seltzer, no that's because us kids did not approve. If we didn't like any of the new flavors, we would put the raw disc's in our mouths and let them foam, the researcher's caught on quickly that this flavor wasn't going to be a top seller.😀
BAYER of Germany bought out Mile's Labs with the promise that the Elkhart jobs were safe.
Everyone knew that a hometown factory started by Dr Beardsley in the 1900's, created of Alka-Seltzer, One A Day Vitamins, Test Strips for Diabetics and many other products would soon be gone.
By the late 80's all had been moved to New Jersey taking with it a top manufacturing job from our town.
Were once people from all over the world would take tours of the facility and get sample bags at the end is now only a memory.
Today the HUGE Complex, that covers acres, is an empty field that used to support thousands of people.
THANKS BAYER For Destroying Our History!
Hogansucks1 TheresaF 51 months ago
The foreign countries are buying up everything they can - especially now-, Marathon/ Speedway just sold out to 7-11, a Japanese held company now too! But they Can’t buy Me !!! 🙃. Bottom line- it’s all about the $ ! “(Pull down your pants, and slide on the ice)”- Sidney Freeman / M*A*S*H*. 🙂
AgingDisgracefully 52 months ago
Back then, I didn't need Chemical Enhancement.
I just thought of Barbara Bain.
jholton30062 52 months ago
We took Chocks. They had kind of a funny taste. Miles Laboratories also made One-A-Day vitamins that came in a similar bottle.
Ann_Margrock jholton30062 52 months ago
We took chocks & later Flintstones. I remember that taste, yuck! So bad they tried hiding it with a chocolate version much later.
DarrylHeine 52 months ago
When was the Wilma vitamin introduced?
Hogansucks1 DarrylHeine 51 months ago
When Fred married her 🤣
BubbaPacha77511 52 months ago
all i know is they taste like what i imagine chalky butthole tasting
Wiseguy BubbaPacha77511 52 months ago
Why did you eat something you imagined tasting like butthole? Or are you exaggerating?
espalmer 52 months ago
I know I ate a whole bottle when I was a kid and mom took me to the hospital. No such thing as a “child proof” lock back then 🥴
BAEprod espalmer 52 months ago
Well... you survived!
mememememe66 52 months ago
How did they come up with the name “ Chocks”?
Mitchell mememememe66 52 months ago
They tasted like wheel chocks.
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