What is the buzz about Lunchables?

Lunchables are a very popular lunch kit for kids.  And Lunchables are served in some school lunch rooms.  Consumer Reports is out with an article, Should You Pack Lunchables for Your Kid’s School Lunch?  This article created a firestorm in the media.  The reason is that Consumer Reports found that some of these popular prepackaged meals contain relatively high levels of lead, cadmium, and sodium. 

What products did the Consumer Reports test?

They tested 12 store-bought Lunchables and similar prepackaged meal kits for lead and used the food label for sodium content. CR measured lead in terms of percentage of California’s maximum allowable dose level.  The sodium % is the percentage of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.  What products were tested and what are the lead and sodium percentages? (Table adapted from Lead and Sodium in Lunch Products .)

Lunchable

Lead %

Sodium %

Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers

74

49

Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni

73

45

Lunchables Extra Cheesy Pizza

69

34

Armour LunchMakers Cracker Crunchers Ham & American

67

45

Armour LunchMakers Cracker Crunchers Turkey & American

44

40

Good & Gather (Target) Uncured Ham and Cheddar Cheese Lunch Kit

57

33

Good & Gather (Target) Smoked Turkey and Cheddar Cheese Lunch Kit

30

34

Greenfield Natural Meat Co. Smoked Turkey & Cheese Lunch Kit

37

35

Oscar Meyer Natural Honey Smoked Turkey Breast

24

46

Oscar Mayer Natural Hickory Smoked Uncured Ham

21

46

P3 Turkey Ham Cheddar (A better option as lower in lead and sodium.)

10

36

P3 Turkey Colby Jack Almonds (A better option as lower in lead and sodium.)

7

31

What did Consumer Reports Find?

  • Highly Processed Meat:  Registered Dietitian Amy Keating states, “There’s a lot to be concerned about in these kits. They’re highly processed, and regularly eating processed meat, a main ingredient in many of these products, has been linked to increased risk of some cancers.”  (For more about processed foods, see Is your favorite snack an ultra-processed food? ) 
  • Sodium:  The sodium content in the kits raised concerns as the amounts ranged from 460-740 milligrams per serving.  This equates to about 25% to nearly 50% of a of a child’s daily recommended limit for sodium.
  • Lead and cadmium:   Finding these in the meal kits are particularly concerning because they are classified as probable human carcinogens, and there is no safe level of lead consumption for kids according to CDC.  None of the meal kits exceeded legal limits but the amounts are concerning.  As one news caster said, if a kit contains 74% of the maximum amount of lead in one serving, what if a child ate 2 meal kits?  Lead as a % of the maximum allowable dose level, ranged from a low of 10% in P3 lunch kit to a high of 74% in Lunchable Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers.
  • Phthalates:  All but one of the meal kits contained this chemical.  According to CDC, phthalates are used in plastics and have “affected the reproductive system in animals”.   EWG notes phthalates “are associated with health harms, including risk of cancer, asthma, and allergies, and learning attention and behavioral difficulties in children”. 

What did Consumer Reports recommend?

Based on these findings, a chemist at Consumer Reports suggested these products should not be considered a healthy school lunch option and advises against their regular consumption. 

Conclusion:  Parents of children may want to review the report and see the findings for themselves.  There are so many alternative lunch options for kids like the tried-and-true peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Why not make your own healthy lunch kit?  For ideas, see my blog post, What are some healthy lunches for at home or to pack?   For even more lunch ideas, Eat This, Not That! Has over 70 healthy lunch ideas for you to try.  



 

Sources:  Should You Pack Lunchables for Your Kid’s School Lunch? , products , states , Is your favorite snack an ultra-processed food? , sodium , Finding these, Lead , CDC , notes , findings , chemist , What are some healthy lunches for at home or to pack? , healthy lunch ideas  Image sources:  Homemade Lunchables , Launchables , PB and J  sandwich

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