A medical expert has weighed in on whether or not Lunchly products can be deemed as a ‘healthier’ food option compared to its tried-and-tested competitor.
Last month, YouTubers Olajide ‘KSI’ Olatunji, Logan Paul and Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson announced their collaborative snack kit, Lunchly.
If you’re not in the know, the Lunchly kits are the social media stars’ answer to Lunchables.
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First introduced in 1988 by Oscar Mayer, Lunchables usually consist of an assortment of crackers, cheese and small slices of meat.
Other varieties include everything from small burgers, nachos, subs and wraps as well as an assortment of drinks and desserts such as Capri-Sun juice drinks and Reese’s Cups.
Much like Lunchables, Lunchly consists of three components - a ‘main’ dish like pizza or nachos, a Feastables chocolate bar and a Prime Hydration drink.
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Lunchables have previously come under fire from nutritionists who have slammed the DIY meal kit for high sodium levels and the lack of healthy, wholefood ingredients.
“They aren’t healthy to consume often, period,” says YouTuber Doctor Mike.
“My own take on Lunchables. I don’t recommend parents pack them for their kids on a daily basis,” he explained. “A low-quality food with poor nutritional value.”
After giving his opinion on Lunchly’s direct competition, Doctor Mike went on to discuss whether or not the new grab-and-go product could be described as a ‘healthier alternative’.
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“If someone was to make a healthy meal kit for kids I would find that incredibly valuable,” he said. “I’d be most interest in calories, protein, sugar, saturated fat and sodium.”
The YouTuber went on to claim it was a ‘weird marketing choice’ for sodium to be replaced by electrolytes on the Lunchly kits featuring bottles of Prime.
“Given that 400 milligrams is not the amount of electrolytes… it’s not about nitpicking, it’s just about being reasonable and honest.
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The content creator claimed it was ‘quite hard’ to draw conclusions when comparing nutritional values between Lunchables and Lunchly kits because the portion sizes are different.
However, he claims he was able to conclude that the MrBeast product has less sugar than its original competitor and that it has slightly less sodium and saturated fat than its rival.
“Lunchly does use real cheese opposed to cheese product, signaling that at least one ingredient is less processed than in Lunchables but the entirety of the kit is still considered an ultra-processed meal,” the social media star continued.
He went on to say Lunchly has higher amounts of A and B vitamins before giving his final verdict on whether or not the influencer’s product could be deemed ‘healthier’ than Lunchables.
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“Is it fair to say that Lunchly is healthier? I guess one can say yes, but honestly, probably more so as a marketing tactic.
“[But] it’s clear Lunchly, just like Lunchables, misses the mark too many times to be considered meaningfully healthier, at least in my opinion.”
Doctor Mike added that he believes the criticism being pointed at KSI, Paul and MrBeast is marginally ‘unfair’ and that attacking them for ‘trying to make a successful influencer product’ isn’t ‘inherently problematic’.
Interestingly, Doctor Mike - who boasts 12.6 million subscribers on YouTube - isn’t the only expert to slam the new products.
Nika Pajda, head of policy & research at youth campaign group Bite Back, recently spoke to The Grocer, calling Lunchly: “The latest example of products that are high in fat, salt or sugar targeting young people, and it’s particularly worrying to see it being pushed by social media stars who are so influential to children.”
Ali Morpeth, chair of food & nutrition at Children’s Alliance, echoed that the product was just: “another example of how children are exposed to a constant stream of junk food marketing”.