I was so sad last year to learn that the food manufacturer Kraft Heinz started selling its famous Lunchables to school systems throughout the United States. But I am happy to read today that the ultra-processed product was so unpopular that the company has now stopped selling it to school districts. (Weber, 2024)
It seems that besides low demand, they were too expensive for schools to afford, creating bad publicity for schools that decided to carry them. Of course, they also had low nutritional value.
Now, whatever the reasons, I don’t want to get into politics, but this is good news for our children nationwide.
Why Are Lunchables So Controversial?
High In Sodium
Most of the sodium being eaten by kids in the United States comes from highly processed packaged foods, fast foods, and snacks. (“Sodium and Kids,” 2018)
Lunchables are notorious for their high sodium content, with many kits containing 600–1,200 mg of sodium per serving. This can make up a significant portion of the daily recommended sodium intake.
Here is a look at the sodium content in some of their kits:
| Sodium Value | Daily Value % | |
| Turkey and American Cracker Stackers Snack Kit | 750 mg | 33 |
| Pizza with Pepperoni Snack Kit Sodium | 760 mg | 33 |
| Extra Cheesy Pizza Snack Kit | 510 mg | 22 |
| Chicken Dunks with Chocolate Sandwich Cookies | 600 mg | 26 |
The American Heart Association recommends a sodium limit of 1,500–2,300 mg daily for adults and much less for children. (“How Much Sodium Should I Eat per Day?,” 2021)
According to the American Heart Association, on average, children ages 2 to 18 eat 3,330 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day—over 40% more than the American Heart Association recommends (less than 2,300 mg/day with an ideal limit of less than 1,500 mg/day). (“Sodium and Kids,” 2018)
High in Saturated Fats and Added Sugars
Some Lunchables Kits with pizza, nachos, or desserts (like cookies or candy) often contain 6–10 grams of saturated fat and 8–15 grams of added sugar.
The FDA recommended intake for added sugars in foods for kids is as follows:
The Daily Value for added sugars is less than 25 grams (g) per day (based on a 1,000 calorie daily diet) for children 1 through 3 years of age and less than 50 grams (g) per day (based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet) for adults and children 4 years of age and older. (Key Nutrients and Your Family’s Health, n.d.)
These components contribute calories without offering much nutritional value in terms of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
The AHA recommends limiting kids’ saturated fat content to less than 7% of their daily calories. (“Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children,” 2016)
For children ages 2-3, keep total fat consumption between 30% and 35% of calories; for children and adolescents ages 4-18, keep it between 25% and 35%. Most fats should come from foods high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. (“Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children,” 2016)
Let’s look at the fat and sugar content of some of their products:
Total Fat | Saturated Fat | Total Sugars | |
Crispy Grilled Cheesies, Pepperoni Pizza Sandwich | 35 g | 11 g | 4 g |
Pepperoni Deep Dish Pizza Meal Kit | 17 g | 4.5 g | 19 g |
Turkey & American Cheese Cracker Stackers Meal Kit with Capri Sun Pacific Cooler Drink & Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup | 14 g | 7 g | 21 g |
Ham & American Cheese Sub Meal Kit | 15 g | 5 g | 17 g |
Highly Processed Ingredients
Lunchables rely heavily on processed meats (e.g., ham, turkey, or pepperoni) and cheeses, often containing preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors.
We know that some processed meats can be associated with:
- Increased risk of certain cancers, including colorectal cancer, according to the World Health Organization. (“Item,” 2015)
- High levels of nitrates and nitrites can convert into potentially harmful compounds in the body. (Corliss, 2022)
- For a detailed look at the effects of Nitrates and Nitrites, please check out this post: Why Processed Meat May Be Bad for Our Health
The crackers, chips, and tortillas in Lunchables are also typically made from refined grains, which offer little natural fiber and contribute to blood sugar spikes.
There are a ton of ingredients in every kit, but I will mention only a few that I believe are important to look out for:
Sodium Nitrite in Ham.
Sodium Benzoate AND Potassium Sorbate in Bologa, Ketchup, and Pizza Sauce.
BHA, BHT in their pepperoni, which is made from pork and chicken.
This is their own ingredient statement on their Bologna kit:
LIGHT CHICKEN BOLOGNA – PORK ADDED (MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, WATER, PORK, CORN SYRUP, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH*, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, POTASSIUM SALTS, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM PROPIONATE, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, SODIUM ASCORBATE, FLAVOR, SODIUM NITRITE, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA, OLEORESIN CELERY SEED),*EXCEEDS AMOUNT PERMITTED IN REGULAR BOLOGNA (“Pizza with Pepperoni Meal Kit with Capri Sun Fruit Punch Drink & Crunch Candy Bar,” 2024)
High Fructose Corn Syrup in Ketchup, Chocolate Chips.
And this is their ingredient statement on Ketchup provided in their kits:
KETCHUP – STABILIZERS AND PRESERVATIVES ADDED (WATER, TOMATO PASTE, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED VINEGAR, SUGAR, SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH*, SOYBEAN OIL*, SODIUM BENZOATE* AND POTASSIUM SORBATE* [PRESERVATIVES], DEXTROSE, ONION POWDER, XANTHAN GUM*, GUAR GUM*, SPICE, NATURAL FLAVORS, *INGREDIENTS NOT NORMALLY FOUND IN KETCHUP) (“Chicken Dunks Meal Kit with Capri Sun Fruit Punch Drink & Nerds Candy,” 2024)
Anyone can see that Lunchables are not the healthiest option for our kid’s regular consumption due to their high fat, high sodium, processed ingredients, and low nutrient density.
Many lunchables lack important nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
For their sides, they often don’t include vegetables or fruits, critical components of a balanced meal. Instead, they focus on proteins, refined carbs, and sugary snacks or drinks.
I also want to talk about their portion sizes. While some Lunchables are small and can leave kids hungry (potentially leading to overeating later), others are calorie-dense due to added desserts and sugary drinks, such as Capri Sun.
Some Lunchables can exceed 500–600 calories, which is a lot for a child’s single meal, especially when paired with low physical activity.
I hope that companies like Kraft-Heinz can take this news as a sign of changing times regarding people’s desire to eat healthier and come up with better, healthier options for kids and their busy parents.
