Lunchly has been marketed as the Lunchly has been marketed as the “healthier Lunchables,” but after a side-by-side comparison of both the nacho lunches, its supposed superiority falls short. While the online hype is strong, the taste and quality leave much to be desired.
Starting with the Lunchly, the packaging is immensely similar to that of the Lunchables. From similarities in the lettering (how the “L” extends below other letters) to the provided products in each, Lunchly is clearly designed to directly compete with Lunchables.
Moving onto the food itself, the cheese dip, despite being more authentic looking and tasting than the Lunchables cheese, has an extremely basic and unremarkable taste. The salsa dip lacks flavor and tastes watered down. The nacho chips themselves are less salty than the Lunchables ones, which could be an improvement, but ultimately fails to bring flavor into the overall product. Additionally, the Prime drink that comes with it is overwhelmingly sweet even though it contains zero sugar. The only reason I drank it was to try it, and to wash down the food.
Although Lunchables has their flaws–chiefly, the artificial appearance of the cheese and overly salty chips–the flavors are significantly more pronounced and enjoyable. As a result of the chips being generally salty, the combination of the chips and cheese were excessively salty. However, the option to dip the chips in both the cheese and salsa allows the flavor to become more balanced. Additionally, the salsa itself has a more distinct fresh tomato taste, making it more flavorful than the Lunchly dip. The other contents in the product (Capri Sun and Kit Kat chocolate bar), are also more enjoyable than the Lunchly. First of all, the Capri Sun is refreshing while not being overly sweet like the Prime. Furthermore, the familiarity of the Kit Kat bar gives it the upper hand over the Feastables chocolate bar in the Lunchly meal.
Beyond that, the marketing strategies employed by the creators of Lunchly (Mr. Beast, KSI and Logan Paul) have drawn criticism for falsely promoting unhealthy foods as a nutritional meal, especially to younger children. Their promotional tactics often prioritize flashy branding over nutritional value, leading impressionable audiences to associate these products with fun and excitement. Even if the cheese in Lunchly is marketed as “drippy,” that may be its only redeeming quality.
From a health perspective, neither Lunchly nor Lunchables should be eaten on a daily basis. Despite Lunchly’s claims as being the “better” option, it remains heavily processed and contains over 20% of the recommended daily sodium intake per serving. Ultimately, while taste preferences vary, Lunchables offers a more flavorful product with a wider variety of options, rendering Lunchly’s claim to superiority questionable.
