NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Remember taking a lunch to school? Did you ever take a Lunchable? They're still a thing. But they've got some competition.
You may be familiar with Lunchables. But now there's Lunchly which claims to be a healthier spin on those popular kids' lunch kits. But just how healthy are these lunches?
Well, it turns out, there's more than just lunch in the box.
They look fun, they’re easy to pack, and your kid probably saw one on TikTok.
Lunchly kits—promoted by social media stars MrBeast, KSI, and Logan Paul—are the latest lunch box craze.
The pitch? A better-for-you take on the classic Lunchables.
“We tested these kits just like we did Lunchables," said James Rogers, Consumer Reports Director of Food Safety. "We found no reason to call them healthier and found similar concerning levels of lead to those we found in other lunch kits.”
Consumer Reports food safety experts put the Lunchly kits through the same battery of tests they used on Lunchables last year – Checking for
nutrition and safety. Its test results are a snapshot in time and may not be representative of the lead levels in every kit.
Lunchly markets its meals as lower in sugar and calories. But the full picture tells a different story.
“Yes, the sugar is lower, but it's replaced with two sugar substitutes," said Consumer Reports Nutritionist Amy Keating. "And overall, it's still a highly processed meal.”
Each Lunchly meal includes a savory food, a Prime Hydration drink, and a small candy bar. And that chocolate may be delivering more than just a sweet treat.
“We know from our past tests that chocolate can be a high source of lead. In this case, we found that skipping the chocolate bar would drop lead levels in the kit by about 30 percent. But let’s be honest, kids are going to eat the chocolate.”
In a statement to Consumer Reports, Lunchly said, “We take the safety and nutritional value of our products very seriously. We abide by all legal
requirements that apply to our products, while also providing high-quality food and ingredients to our consumers.”
Nutrition experts say there’s nothing wrong with eating a Lunchly kit now and then. But they caution against eating them every day, citing concerns over high sodium, processed meats, and phthalates that may leach from plastic packaging.
So what’s a busy parent to do? Try building your own lunch kits—using real food in fun, compartmentalized boxes.
Lunchly might be flashy. But when it comes to nutrition, experts say, the best lunch, and often the cheapest lunch, is still the one made at home.
One thing Lunchly doesn’t highlight on its website? Sodium. One kit can have nearly half of a young child’s daily limit. Experts say that’s one more reason to read those labels closely—no matter how cool the packaging looks.
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