Dr. Merali’s Warning Against Serving Lunchables in School Meals

As an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University with a recently published book on toddler development, Dr. Hasan Merali shares his opinion that serving Lunchables as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is not beneficial for children’s health. The author points out that nutritional research has come a long way since the 1990s when he enjoyed eating ultra-processed foods like Lunchables without realizing their negative impact on his body. Now, Consumer Reports reveals that two kits of Lunchables sold in schools have higher sodium levels than those found at grocery stores despite carrying “excellent source of protein” labels due to the high concentration of preservatives such as sodium nitrite which gives the turkey and cheese meals their artificial flavors. Accordingly, Dr Merali cautions against mistaking Lunchables’ statement that they guarantee 100% freshness for being healthy since ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contain chemical additives like artificial flavorings. The author highlights a study published in February this year which found an association between eating UPFs and increased risks of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, depression, cognitive decline in adults, and other adverse health outcomes among consumers. Additionally, reducing the consumption of such foods can significantly reduce childhood obesity levels. The author recognizes that it’s vital to get low-cost meals distributed throughout food deserts which the USDA caters through their school nutrition standards implemented for 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act passed in response to dietary guidelines, thus limiting excessive eating while discarding food more less consistently compared to high calorific meal options. The author suggests that it’s time we start incorporating language around UPFs explicitly into national dietary guidelines as other countries have done already. Countries such as Colombia introduced taxes on processed foods last year (2023) due to the increasing number of households experiencing marginal food security, and Chile banned all ultra-processed goods sold within its premises three decades back considering the potential influence exerting from food marketing activities towards young children who are vulnerable. France is another example worth following in reducing processed foods by setting up target reduction goals during the course (up to 20% for instance). To bring these school meals guidelines according with contemporary standards, the author advocates taking initial steps of introducing policy-related measures while refraining from radical reforms such as food bans or advertising restrictions on UPFs at this juncture.