10 Types Of Lunchables For Your Inner-Child To Enjoy

Life moves pretty fast, according to the wise words of Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick). So why are we always rushing towards the future? Tomorrow will be here before you know it, after all, and — as Ralph Waldo Emerson (allegedly) once wrote — life is about the journey, not the destination.

Of course, while making the most of life's moments ensures we're not spending our time pining for the past, occasionally yearning for our younger days is inevitable. A life well lived is chock full of positive memories, and reflecting on one's past is hardly an indication of regret. In other words, it's perfectly normal to bask in your cheerful childhood memories — like those days you'd get to the cafeteria, open your lunchbox ... and find a bright-yellow Lunchables container lurking inside.

Frankly, crafting a ham and cheese cracker tower or an uncooked, unheated so-called pizza before devouring it is the height of joy for an elementary school kid. Since we can't even fathom how children survived before Lunchables were first introduced in 1988 (via The Atlantic), it's somewhat comforting to know the product line still exists in 2022. Luckily, Lunchables aren't like Trix, so the craft-your-own-meal option isn't just for kids. With that in mind, whether you're 7 or 70, here are 10 types of Lunchables for your inner-child to enjoy — each of which your outer-adult can purchase in 2022.

When it comes to Lunchables, there's a decent chance the first image that pops into your head is a molded plastic tray containing several crackers, slices of orange cheese, and perfect meat circles. Now, which type of circular cold cut you're envisioning may be influenced by your personal preference. But if you were raised by a more nutritionally focused family, there's a better-than-average chance that a turkey and cheese cracker stacker was most prevalent in your lunchbox.

Like many other meat-and-cheese cracker stacker Lunchables, there are multiple options available as of 2022. But if we were in third grade today, some varieties, like this turkey and cheddar option, might make us hate our parents. After all, that particular variety doesn't include a dessert — and if a Lunchables doesn't have a dessert, is it really even a Lunchables?

At least there's some hope when it comes to turkey and cracker-centric varieties. There are, of course, several available types of turkey cracker stackers that come with a dessert. One includes a turkey and American cheese variety (sold by Target) that comes with Oreos — or, rather, generic chocolate crème cookies. We're not sure how many cookies come in each package, but if it's more than one, our inner-child would be sincerely impressed.

Hot pizza hardly has a monopoly on the pizza market. As former video store magnate (and resident of "Schitt's Creek") Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) would tell you, cold pizza can be quite good, too. The culinary minds behind Lunchables certainly understand this notion — along with the simple fact that kids absolutely love pizza. Thankfully, then, if you're eager to experience a youthful flight of fancy — but are too impatient to wait for a pizza to cook or arrive — Lunchables has you covered with several miniature pizza varieties.

Mothers around the U.S. weren't sure about Lunchables mini pizza upon its introduction in the mid-1990s (via The Atlantic), perhaps because it seemed to stretch the very definition of pizza. But kids harbored no such doubts, and, as of 2022, several different versions of Lunchables mini pizzas remain for sale by the Kraft Heinz subsidiary. The website displays an extra cheese and pepperoni variety, each with a drink and dessert, as well lighter-snack varieties that forgo the drink and dessert entirely (available at Target).

Of course, if you want your inner-child to truly enjoy an adult Lunchables experience, you may be best served reaching for the Uploaded deep dish pizza. Featuring a buildable deep dish pepperoni pizza, a drink, dessert, and additional snack on the side, it's a meal fit for a king or queen — even if you were only royalty when playing make-believe with your friends.

If we had to guess the Lunchables variety most people instinctively envision, we'd place our bets on the ham and cheese cracker stackers. We're not entirely sure why ham rises above the other two cold cut varieties (turkey and bologna) in our mind's eye — nor do we remember the various cracker stacker Lunchables being all that distinguishable from each other. But with several different ham and fill-in-the-cheese options to choose from, you'll certainly be able to recall those days of stacking pork and cheese on crackers.

Naturally, according to the website, Lunchables offers a number of cheese options to pair with its ham, including American, Swiss, and cheddar. As with the other types of meat-and-cheese cracker stackers, there are multiple varieties, including ham-centric selections with a dessert and others without one. If you really want to maximize your inner-child's enjoyment, though, consider a ham cracker stacker that includes a dessert and drink, like this ham and cheddar Lunchables, which includes a Capri Sun and gummy worms.

Speaking of our inner-child, our youthful obsession with Lunchables' cracker stackers wasn't solely related to the offered food. Frankly, the ability to customize (and play with) our food before eating it may have been our favorite thing about Lunchables. Unsurprisingly, the company recognizes this appealing aspect, as well. It even encourages customers to creatively craft items with Lunchables' products, and displays some of the best fan concoctions on its website.

If Lunchables neglected to sell chicken nuggets in any form, it'd be a fairly egregious oversight on the brand's part. After all, common knowledge dictates kids absolutely adore chicken nuggets, and even a cold, potentially soggy piece of breaded poultry might appeal to a finicky child eater. Of course, since 49.7 million Lunchables were consumed in the U.S. in 2020 (via Statista), the company clearly understands its market — hence its line of Chicken Dunks products.

We're not entirely sure why Lunchables Chicken Dunks — including this variety, which contains a drink and Nerds snack — aren't simply called "nuggets." Frankly, it doesn't seem like there's any rationale beyond the desire for an additional layer of branding. But if we're being honest, that doesn't matter to our inner-child. And we're fairly confident that, at 8 years old, we'd be far less concerned with the semantics surrounding this amalgamated chicken product's name than our adult self.

We remember loving Lunchables, at least in part, because of how different they were from our average lunch. In that sense, there's no doubt the Chicken Dunks perfectly fit that bill. Even a version with no drink (available at Walmart) would be enticing, because our parents' weren't packing leftover chicken nuggets (or tenders) in our lunch.

One of the main draws of Lunchables' products is the ability to consume normally hot foods completely cold. Frankly, there's something mischievous about defying expectations, and even something as benign as eating food sans-heating can feel rebellious to a little kid. That could help explain the existence of Lunchables' nachos with cheese options (including one available at Target) — and why it's described as "nachos" rather than tortilla chips with queso.

We can't say we recall any nachos with cheese Lunchables during our own childhood, like this Uploaded version from its website. But the seemingly now-retired Taco Bell taco kit, on the other hand, we remember with vivid clarity. No Lunchables option could top that version's room temperature ground beef paste product and somewhat hard tortilla (at least in this writer's estimation) — meaning we can't imagine the on-the-go food brand's nachos with cheese is anything but delightful.

Now, to be sure, when it comes to types of Lunchables, chances are good that the nachos with cheese variety ranks on the lower end of the nutritional scale. But without perusing the nutritional information — because kids don't care about nutrition — if you're looking to satiate your inner-child with a culinary stroll down memory lane, nothing may top a nachos with cheese Lunchables.

Of all the 2022 Lunchables varieties that weren't available during our own (ancient) childhood, the type we're most disappointed to have missed out on is hot dogs — or, rather, mini hot dogs, according to the website. After all, there's a reason why 944.3 million pounds of hot dogs were sold in 2020 (via National Hot Dog and Sausage Council): Hot dogs are amazing.

Clearly, children love hot dogs as much as adults. Maybe it's because hot dogs have a cool shape, like the nursery owner (Frank Collison) in "The Happening" declares while preparing to flee the deadly plants (spoiler alert). But the unbeatable flavor profile of the sort-of-American sausage product certainly doesn't hurt. And knowing Lunchables hot dogs are Oscar Mayer wieners means there's literally no doubt of the quality — and gives your inner-child reason to sing the iconic jingle while eating.

Additionally, since we've always been partial to mini hot dogs and sausages as party snacks and appetizers, we'd be absolutely thrilled with this type of Lunchables. Quite frankly, there's no reason to suspect your inner-child wouldn't be thrilled, too.

This isn't the first time we've mentioned the innate connection between meat-and-cheese cracker stackers and the Lunchables brand. But it's simply impossible to deny the iconic nature of the Lunchables cracker stackers, particularly when more than 15 different varieties are available for sale as of 2022, according to the website. Of course, when you're looking for a specific type of Lunchables containing meat, cheese, and crackers for your inner-child's sake, you may want to pass on its mozzarella and pepperoni options.

To be clear, it's not that we don't think we'd enjoy this variety of Lunchables, nor do we take issue with the pepperoni and mozzarella slices inside. After all, we've always been fond of the Lunchables mini pizzas, so there's no reason to suspect any dip in quality would exist with this option.

But when we're talking about types of Lunchables our inner-child might enjoy, well ... we can't help but imagine being a tad bit annoyed with this option instead of the mini pizza. Seriously, what's more enticing to a child's palate: a party-type cracker appetizer or pizza? Exactly. Of course, if you're looking for a grown-up twist on the classic cracker stacker from Lunchables, this may be your best bet.

If you weren't aware of the story behind Lunchables' invention, you might have assumed it was always intended as a prepackaged midday meal option for kids. But according to The Atlantic, the concept was first envisioned as an on-the-go snack for adults. More than that, Lunchables were originally conceived as a potential way to reignite the public's demand for Oscar Mayer bologna products — which explains the bologna and American cheese cracker stackers still sold in 2022 by Lunchables.

Given its origin story, we were somewhat surprised to learn Lunchables only sells a single type of bologna and cheese cracker stacker. After all, our bologna spells its first name O-S-C-A-R (or H-O-M-E-R), so we know just how tasty Oscar Mayer's processed product is. But the lack of bologna Lunchables options likely speaks more to the general public's perception of the cold cut in the 21st century and less to the company's bologna quality.

It may not be as unhealthy as its reputation suggests, but there's a reason why bologna isn't the first protein sought out by health-conscious adults. Of course, few things are likely to excite your inner-child more than knowingly indulging in unhealthy foods — which makes the bologna and cheese cracker stacker Lunchables a perfect pick when turning back your mental clock.

When it comes to satisfying our inner-child, it's not just our elementary school-aged self we need to keep in mind. Frankly, even older kids deserve a Lunchables treat every so often. Of course, while many types of Lunchables offer different sized versions — including varieties that may or may not include a drink and dessert — some growing children require a bit more bang for the buck. Thankfully, Lunchables offers several different sub options in its Uploaded line, which include a small sandwich in lieu of the traditional cracker stacker fixings.

Coming with several different cold cut meat options, according to the website (including ham and American cheese, turkey and cheddar, and a combination of turkey, ham, and American), the Lunchables Uploaded sub varieties may not offer as much hands-on fun as other types. But that's sort of the point, isn't it? After all, when you're a tween creeping towards young adulthood, you're probably more concerned with projecting a mature image than playing with your food.

If you're looking to tap into your inner-child from, say, fourth or fifth grade, it's unlikely you'll find a better Lunchables than the Uploaded subs. It doesn't hurt that, of all the Lunchables available in 2022, this presents the most complete meal for an adult's consumption, as well. In other words, it you're seeking out a Lunchables variety your inner-child will enjoy that will also leave your adult self full, the Uploaded subs have you covered.

Obviously, the idea that Lunchables are meant to be played with before consumption is sort of implied (and even embraced by the company itself). Consequently, it makes sense that at least one type of Lunchables product is designed, quite literally, for a child to play with before eating: chicken nugget kabobbles, which comes with pretzel sticks and Kraft cheddar cheese slices as edible construction materials.

Now, to be completely honest, we're not entirely sure what a kabboble is, nor can we say why this type of Lunchables has "chicken nugget" in its name. After all, the brand sells several types of breaded chicken chunk Lunchables under the Chicken Dunks label, as seen on the website. But we suppose that doesn't matter in the grand scheme. Because — inconsistent naming practices aside — there's no possible way your inner-child would be disappointed by the chicken nugget kabobbles.

Featuring a Capri Sun — the go-to drink for 9-year-olds across the U.S. — and a side of chocolate chip cookies (score!) to eat at your leisure, it's a good thing chicken nugget kabobbles come cold. Quite frankly, we'd be apt to lose track of time while erecting our pretzel, cheese, and chicken nugget monstrosity (which may, in fact, be the product's titular kabobble). But at least we wouldn't need to worry about reheating our food when we're finally ready to eat.