New Lunchables-like Product Debuts

Revolution Foods, a company based in Oakland, Calif., has launched a new retail product line that stands to compete with Kraft's "Lunchables" by offering a similar - but more healthful - alternative called "Meal Kits."

Revolution Foods is offering 4 options:

1. Turkey & Cheddar Meal Kit
2. Ham & Cheddar Meal Kit
3. Cheese Pizza Meal Kit
4. Peanut Butter & Jelly Meal Kit

All boast being without artificial flavors, colors and preservatives and without high fructose corn syrup. The meats are nitrites/nitrates and the cheese comes from cows not treated with hormones. Instead of a cookie or pudding dessert, kiddos will get 1-serving of fruit in the form of dried fruit rope. These aren't going to win the approval of the food purists, but they're certainly a better alternative to Lunchables.

Speaking of Lunchables, according to the New York Times:

"The Kraft Food Group’s Oscar Mayer brand created the concept of prepackaged lunch meals for children in 1988 and has effectively owned that business ever since, with sales accounting for 76 percent of the small but lucrative $1.35 billion niche product category, according to IRI, a market research firm in Chicago" [source].

Lunchables has been getting a bad rap since the '90s, but even recently, its name came up when Michael Moss published his book Salt Sugar Fat. Mr. Moss seems particularly fascinated with how Kraft manufactured the product and consistently tried new tactics to monopolize the market share in this niche despite the product offered questionable nutritional value (to put it mildly).

Revolution Foods' retail lunch line might very well give Lunchables a run for its money - though it really depends on price point, availability (right now, they're limited to Nor Cal) and whether kids can give up their nitrate-filled mystery meat with enriched wheat cracker and pudding cup for something more healthful.

Kids are having enough trouble with their more healthful school lunches. Perhaps Revolution Foods can find a market in the growing number of kids who will be bringing lunch from home?

© Annabel Adams, Smart Snacks In School, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Annabel Adams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

What Got Left Out of Smart Snacks In School?

Based on the USDA's "Smart Snacks In School" rules, school snacks & beverages must be whole-grain-rich, protein-rich, and/or fruit- & vegetable-rich. Then, once that initial rule is met, there are nutrient limits set on the item's calories, fats, sugars, and sodium that must be met.

But, what didn't get limits or even a mention at all in Smart Snacks In School?

[Source]

• artificial food dyes
• artificial preservatives
• high fructose corn syrup
• partially-hydrogenated oils (there is a cap placed on trans fat, but it still allows less than 0.5g per item)
• artificial sweeteners

Based on these rules, items like diet sodas and whole-grain snack bars with HFCS could make the cut and be a staple in school vending machines.

Do you think these ingredients should be limited from school snacks and beverages?

In an article in MSN, Michele Simon, a food policy lawyer and author, says of the rules, "'Diet soda is fine – which is an abomination as far as I am concerned.'" She adds: "'They [the USDA] are still focused on nutrients and grams of fat, and not grams of sugar' explaining that under the new rules, flavored milk has a size limit but no sugar limit" [read full article here].

What do you think? 

© Annabel Adams, Smart Snacks In School, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Annabel Adams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Smart Snacks In School Resources

Where should you go for Smart Snacks In School information?

There are plenty of resources available!

• SmartSnacksInSchool.com - the entire site has great resources, including videos and handouts, on what the rules are & how schools can comply with them seamlessly
• Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project has a great "7 Questions" resource page here
• The USDA's page here is useful (& official!)
• The blog post on the Jamie Oliver Foundation page here, written by Momsrising.org is useful

Video resources:
 
 
© Annabel Adams, Smart Snacks In School, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Annabel Adams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.