Are Lunchables healthy for kids?

Lunchables: snack check

• Added sugar
  2 g added sugar per pack (lunchables.com label)
• Highly processed
  Modified cornstarch, carrageenan, sodium nitrite (label)
• Has protein or fiber
  7 g protein per pack, above 5 g (lunchables.com label)
• Not on choking lists
  Sliced meat and cheese, not chunks; crackers plain

Each check is a yes-or-no fact with its source: a green check means the flag does not apply, an amber mark means it does. The count is not a health score. Our sources and how we check them.

Numbers: Lunchables Turkey & Cheddar Cheese with Crackers Snack Kit label, lunchables.com, checked Oct 23, 2026. Checked October 2026.

What's in it

Three parts, per the label: cured roast white turkey (with modified cornstarch, dextrose, carrageenan, sodium phosphates, sodium nitrite, and natural and artificial flavor), a cheddar pasteurized prepared cheese product, and crackers (enriched flour, palm oil, sugar, oils, leavening, soy lecithin, natural flavors). Per package: 150 calories, 8 g of fat (4.5 g saturated), 12 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of sugars (2 g added), 0 g of fiber, 7 g of protein, 390 mg of sodium. Allergens: milk, wheat, soy.

Consumer Reports testing (2024)

In April 2024, Consumer Reports said it tested 12 store-bought Lunchables and similar lunch kits and found lead, cadmium, or both in all of them. CR said none exceeded a federal limit, and that 5 of the 12 would expose someone to 50% or more of California's maximum allowable level for lead or cadmium. CR reported 460 to 740 mg of sodium per serving in the store-bought kits and petitioned the USDA to remove Lunchables from the National School Lunch Program; in September 2024, CR and More Perfect Union delivered nearly 50,000 signatures. On November 12, 2024, Kraft Heinz told Reuters it would stop making the school versions (Turkey & Cheddar Cracker Stackers and Extra Cheesy Pizza), saying "the demand did not meet our targets"; it said CR's testing did not influence the decision.

For kids 4–8

Protein (7 g) is above the FDA's 10% Daily Value mark of 5 g; fiber is 0 g. Sodium is the number most families compare: 390 mg in this pack against an under-1,500 mg daily limit for ages 4–8. The AAP and CDC name chunks of meat and cheese; this kit has sliced meat and cheese and plain crackers.

Swaps and pairings

Adding fruit or cut vegetables brings fiber the kit lacks. A build-your-own box with whole-grain crackers, sliced cheese, and leftover roast chicken lets you choose the sodium and skip cured meat.

Are Lunchables bad for kids?

We don't rate foods as good or bad. The Turkey & Cheddar pack has 150 calories, 390 mg of sodium, 7 g of protein, and 2 g of added sugar per lunchables.com. Packs with drinks and candy list more sugar and sodium.

Did Consumer Reports find lead in Lunchables?

In April 2024, Consumer Reports said it found lead, cadmium, or both in all 12 lunch kits it tested, including Lunchables, with none above a federal limit. CR asked the USDA to remove Lunchables from school lunches.

Are Lunchables still in school lunches?

Kraft Heinz said in November 2024 that it would stop producing the Lunchables kits it made for the National School Lunch Program, citing demand.

How much sodium is in Lunchables?

390 mg in the Turkey & Cheddar with Crackers pack and 540 mg in the Turkey & Cheddar pack with a drink and candy, per lunchables.com. CR reported 460 to 740 mg per serving across the store-bought kits it tested in 2024.

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