Experts Are Pushing for Lunchables to Be Removed From School Cafeterias Because There Is 'a Lot to Be Concerned About'
It’s hard to feed kids these days. Really hard. On the one hand, parents have people telling them all the time that kids should be eating whole, unprocessed foods, and lots of green veggies to boot. On the other hand, there are actual children to contend with, who are often picky eaters (which is usually developmentally normal), and a store full of convenient and tasty foods that help shave time off cooking for the family and also reduce arguments about what’s being served for snacks and mealtimes. But according to Consumer Reports, the convenience of relying on prepackaged lunch kits comes with a cost: exposure to lead, cadmium, and sodium.
First, it’s important not to panic. That’s because Consumer Reports didn’t find that any of the brands of Lunchables-style kits that they tested exceeded the legal limit of any harmful substances. The concern is that these kits contain a high percentage of the maximum daily allowable amount of lead, while only representing about 15% of a child’s daily caloric needs. That means that as the children eat other foods throughout the day, this one snack could be what pushes them past the safe threshold (unfortunately, almost all of the food we eat contains trace amounts of lead, thanks to its presence in the soil).
Another concern is the high sodium content of this type of lunch kit. They usually contain crackers, cheese, and lunch meat. The Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stackers kit was the biggest concern for Consumer Reports, as it not only contains 74% of the daily maximum allowable amount of lead, but also 49% of the daily value of sodium for kids ages four to eight. Fulfilling 49% of a child’s sodium allowance with just 15% of their daily calorie allowance could mean that the child goes on to ingest much more sodium in a day than is recommended — not too suprising, considering that Consumer Reports says that 90% of adults and childrens in the U.S. get more dietary sodium than recommended. Unfortunately, the versions of these kits sold in schools aren’t much better. While they have been modified to have whole grains and higher protein, including extra protein also makes the sodium content higher, as deli meat contains a lot of salt.
Consumer Reports’ experts had stern words about their findings. “We don’t think anybody should regularly eat these products, and they definitely shouldn’t be considered a healthy school lunch,” Consumer Reports chemist Eric Boring, PhD, said.
But a spokesperson for Kraft Heinz shared a defense of their Lunchables products with Delish. “The fact is that all Lunchables products meet strict safety standards set by government agencies. Consumer Reports admits that none of the food they tested exceeded any legal or regulatory limits, but they chose to bury that fact.” They also shared that “We’ve received feedback that products like Lunchables are more trusted by school administrators due to our strict food safety and quality guarantee. We see our work with schools as a solution to valid struggles schools may face.”
TikToker Food Science Babe also had a great explainer about why parents shouldn’t panic over these findings, explaining that Consumer Reports was using California’s lead standards, which are much lower than those of the FDA.
So what to do? As always, this seems like a reminder that all foods can be enjoyed, but often in moderation. It also seems like a potential condemnation of our nation’s school lunch system, which probably won’t surprise many parents, school lunch workers, or nutrition experts. If your kids gets a Lunchables kit a couple of times a week, just balance out the rest of their food for the day, focusing on low-sodium foods. If you’re concerned about your child’s dietary lead or sodium intake, you can talk to their physician for advice.
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