Is Lunchly actually healthier than Lunchables?

Not really. While it has slightly less sugar because of the artificial sweeteners in the Prime drink, the sodium and fat content are nearly identical to the competition. It's still ultra-processed food.

What's the deal with the lead and mold reports?

Independent testing found lead and arsenic levels that are high for children's food. Separately, many consumers reported finding mold on the cheese before the expiration date, likely due to packaging seal issues.

Does the Prime drink contain caffeine?

The Prime Hydration included in Lunchly is caffeine-free. However, it contains high levels of electrolytes (potassium) and artificial sweeteners that some nutritionists say are unnecessary for non-athlete children.

Why is my kid so obsessed with this specific brand?

It's the 'Avengers' of snack food. By combining the three biggest kid-focused creators on YouTube, the brand has created a social phenomenon where owning the box is more important than eating the food.

Lunchly – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Lunchly

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

Website2024

18%

WISE Score

The ultimate influencer crossover episode, but instead of a cool video, it's a box of processed cheese and lead concerns.

Lunchly

Website

2024

18%

WISE Score

The ultimate influencer crossover episode, but instead of a cool video, it's a box of processed cheese and lead concerns.

Jump to

Screenwise Verdict

Lunchly is a masterclass in marketing over substance. It’s essentially a 'greatest hits' box of influencer products—MrBeast’s chocolate and Logan Paul’s drink—wrapped around a mediocre pizza kit. From a nutritional and safety standpoint, it’s a mess.

Unless your kid is dying for the social clout of having one of these in their backpack once, there is no reason to make this a regular part of your grocery list. Between the lead concerns and the mold reports, it's a lot of risk for a very small reward of pepperoni and crackers.

Age Fit

Best (or worst) for kids ages 7 to 14 who are already fans of the creators. Older teens usually realize it's a cash grab, and younger kids won't get the hype.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's a celebrity-driven snack kit designed to maximize hype and sugar intake rather than modeling any kind of balanced lifestyle.

Imaginative

There is zero creative or imaginative play here; it's a passive consumption product based on brand loyalty to YouTubers.

Safe

Reports of lead, phthalates, and arsenic from Consumer Reports, plus documented issues with moldy cheese, make this a safety red flag.

Enriching

Provides no educational or developmental value; arguably negative enrichment due to high sodium and processed ingredients.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Social Currency: If your kid is deep into YouTube culture, having one of these at the school lunch table is a massive status symbol.
Built-in Hype: It combines three of the biggest names on the internet (MrBeast, Logan Paul, KSI) into one convenient purchase.
Palate-Pleasing: It’s engineered with high salt and sugar levels specifically designed to hit the taste buds of a ten-year-old.

⚠

What to Watch For

Heavy Metal Exposure: Independent testing by Consumer Reports found lead levels up to 50% of the daily limit in some kits.
The Mold Factor: Early production runs had serious quality control issues with the cheese; always do a visual check before your kid dives in.
Artificial Sweeteners: The included Prime Hydration uses sucralose, which can be tough on some kids' stomachs compared to water or juice.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think MrBeast and Logan Paul decided to sell lunch kits instead of just making videos?"
"If we look at the back of this box versus a regular sandwich, what's the biggest difference in the ingredients?"
"Do you think the food tastes better because it's from your favorite creators, or is it just the packaging?"
"How do you feel when you see your favorite YouTubers selling products like this?"

Deep Dive

The Influencer-to-Grocery Pipeline

Lunchly isn't really a food product; it's a physical extension of a YouTube thumbnail. By 2024, MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI realized they didn't need to just advertise other people's stuff—they could own the entire supply chain. The result is a kit that markets itself as a 'healthier' alternative to Lunchables, but that's a very low bar to clear, and they arguably missed it.

While they tout 'fewer calories' or 'less sugar,' those numbers are often achieved through artificial sweeteners in the Prime drink and highly processed meat substitutes. The real kicker came in 2025 when Consumer Reports flagged the presence of lead and phthalates. While these issues haunt the entire pre-packaged snack category, the 'healthier' branding on Lunchly makes it feel particularly deceptive.

"The modest sugar reduction comes from using artificial sweeteners... the kits are not significantly lower in sodium or fat than their competitors."

If you're dealing with a kid who is obsessed with the 'Sidemen' or MrBeast, this is going to be a hard 'no' to deliver. But given the quality control issues—specifically the viral reports of moldy cheese—you have a very legitimate safety reason to steer them toward something else. If you must buy it, treat it like a collector's item or a one-time novelty rather than actual sustenance.

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