Combinations
Lunchables offers 30 different kinds of meal variety combinations, which include crackers, pizzas, chicken nuggets, small hot dogs, small burgers, nachos, subs, and wraps. A typical package, such as the cracker meal combination, contains an equal number of crackers and small slices of meat and cheese. The brand also created two versions targeting adults, by increasing the amount of food offered in each package, but these have since been discontinued.[8] The first was called the "Deluxe" and contained two types of meats and cheeses, as well as a mustard condiment and a mint. The second version, called "Maxed Out" (originally "Mega Packs"), was available with 40% more food than a regular Lunchables.
Lunchables also carries an assortment of drinks and desserts. In certain meal combinations, Capri-Sun juice drinks are offered, either in a traditional flavor or the "Roarin' Waters" variant. Other drinks included are bottled water and a generic, unlabeled small can of cola; however, it was later replaced with Capri Sun drinks due to health concerns. As for dessert, some packages contain Jell-O gelatin or pudding or a candy alternative, such as Butterfingers or Reese's cups.[9] Other desserts also include Oreos, chocolate chip cookies, and vanilla cookies.[10]
As of 2022, the varieties of Lunchables (as they were then known) available in the UK were more limited in comparison to the 1990s and 2000s. The burger, pizza, hot dog, and sub varieties were no longer sold, and the product was mostly limited to crackers, cheese, and ham or chicken although there was a Snackers brand of cheese and crackers with Cadbury Buttons, mini Fingers or Oreos.[11] Many varieties, including turkey, ham, sausage, hot dogs, and pizza, are still sold in Canada, but they are sold by Maple Leaf Foods under the name "Lunch Mate".[12]
A line of trays called Maxed Out was eventually released and had as many as nine grams of saturated fat, or nearly an entire day's recommended maximum for children, with up to two-thirds of the maximum for sodium and 65 grams (13 tsp) of sugar. Regarding the shift toward more salt, sugar, and fat in meals for kids, Geoffrey Bible, former CEO of Philip Morris USA (prior owner of Kraft Foods), remarked that he read an article that said: "If you take Lunchables apart, the most healthy item in it is the napkin."[13]
