A few months ago, KRAFT HEINZ announced that Lunchables will now be a part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in 2024. The NSLP provides cheap and free lunches to children in 100,000 school districts in the US.
The Lunchables and NSLP Pilot will contain two "meals":
1. The Lunchables Turkey & Cheese Stackers
2. The Extra Cheesy Pizza
Why is this a problem? These are legitimate nutritional abominations.
Take a look at the ingredient lists below:
SUGAR, SEED OILS, REFINED GRAINS, and a laundry list of ingredients that extends for paragraphs. When your child is now getting their lunch at the cafeteria, they will be able to select one of these options as a meal.
In fact, the nutrition is so poor in Lunchables that Kraft Heinz actually needed to play around with the macronutrients of the product just to get it approved in schools. For this project, Lunchables is offered a "special" recipe not sold in retail stores.
This recipe will include more protein & whole grains with less saturated fat and sodium, plus an increased serving size. So essentially they are just removing beneficial components to the meal (saturated fat/sodium) and not changing the laundry list of the actual product.
This entire situation should infuriate you. We are currently at war for our health & the health of our children. Currently:
- 70% of all adults are overweight or obese
- 7 out of 10 Americans are dying from modern diseases
- 40% OF OUR CHILDREN ARE NOW OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE
The web of big food is greater than you can possibly imagine. They have the exact contacts and relationships to push their agenda on an organization like the NSLP. It would be incredible to know how big the contract is with the NSLP, and how much Kraft Heinz will benefit.
It is even more interesting when you learn the actual origin story of Lunchables, which is based on a cheap way to sell more Bologna for Kraft Heinz. Now, Lunchables does $1.8B in Sales, all at the expense of your child's health.
We must say no to processed sugar, oils, grains and frankenfood, especially when it comes to our children. An emphasis on REAL FOODS is the answer. Meat, Fish, Eggs, Dairy, and only maybe Fruits. But certainly not those abominations.
It is crucial that we make the time to prepare healthy options for our children or leverage brands like The Carnivore Bar that offer nutritious snacks & meals that you can send your child to school with.
Stop letting other companies that are profit maximalists cook for your family. Your health cannot be outsourced.
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