Popular Lunchables, Ranked From Worst To Best
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If you never seem to have enough time in the morning and just thinking about preparing lunch ahead of time gives you a headache, Lunchables are a godsend. These prepackaged lunch kits come in many varieties and with a reasonable price tag. Lunchables don't need to be heated up and can be eaten with or without assembly. Depending on the version you select, you may also get a dessert and a drink along with the main course.
Lunchables were born in the 1980s and proved to be an instant success for Oscar Mayer. In the first year after their release, this product racked up more than $200 million in sales. These days, more than a billion dollars worth of Lunchables are sold on an annual basis.
In this ranking, we've listed Lunchables in order from the worst to the absolute best. While not every Lunchables made the list, we've been sure to include all of the most popular varieties.
20. Lunchables Chicken Pizza
If you like chicken on your pizza, it's probably because you enjoy something like barbecue chicken pizza or chicken taco pizza that features grilled or shredded chicken. No one would dare put breaded chicken on pizza, right? Tragically, that's exactly how the abomination that is Lunchables Chicken Pizza was created. It's basically chicken nuggets on a plain pizza — and it tastes even worse than you're imagining.
It'd be one thing if these nuggets were tasty on their own like McDonald's McNuggets. Instead, they're more like a substandard version of Wendy's chicken nuggets that are extra dry and extra crumby. All the crumbs and the dryness of the nuggets on top combine with the crust of the pizza to make eating this creation feel like taking a big bite of the Sahara and forcing yourself to swallow what's in your mouth. Pick any other version of Lunchables on this list and you'll be exponentially happier.
19. Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar with Crackers
The worst of Lunchables' meats is their turkey. If you're concentrating just on health benefits, you can definitely make the case that turkey is healthier than beef and pork. However, your taste buds will be quick to inform you that the meat in Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar with Crackers is lifeless. It has very little flavor and a texture that's disappointingly limp.
Cheddar also happens to be Lunchables' worst cheese. Even if cheddar is your cheese of choice in other circumstances, you'll be unhappy with what Lunchables pass off as cheddar. Like the turkey, it has a minimal amount of flavor. The texture is an issue, too. Unlike other cheeses found in Lunchables, their cheddar is granular and seemingly impure. Combine the turkey and the cheddar, and your favorite aspect (and the most memorable part of your lunch) will be the crackers — and that's just sad. Unless you enjoy boredom, forget all about Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar with Crackers.
18. Lunchables Mini Hot Dogs
Even when Oscar Mayer hot dogs are their normal size, they're mediocre and certainly nothing to brag about. In fact, their wieners are near the bottom of the list when compared to other hot dogs that you'll find at the grocery store. When their wieners are miniaturized, it becomes a downright laughable situation. Lunchables Mini Hot Dogs are entirely forgettable and not something you should be spending your hard-earned dollar bills on.
First of all, the hot dogs are so small that the only thing you taste is the hot dog skin. The texture is also more fibrous than normal Oscar Mayer hot dogs. Secondly, the mini hot dog buns are a disappointment. They look like legitimate hot dog buns, but they are firmer to the touch and actually taste like they're stale. You'll like the Capri Sun drink and the Hershey's chocolate bar that are included in these Lunchables, but not enough to make up for the underwhelming mini hot dogs.
17. Lunchables Pepperoni and Mozzarella with Crackers
If you want to fulfill your craving for the Lunchables-style pizza you remember from your childhood, Lunchables Pepperoni and Mozzarella with Crackers sounds like it'd be a safe choice to do the job. The pepperoni and the mozzarella can serve as the toppings and the crackers can be the crust, right? That sounds logical, but it doesn't work out so swimmingly in real life.
The slices of pepperoni are thinner than expected, which limits the flavor and gives the pepperoni a flimsy texture. The slices of mozzarella are okay, but their flavor doesn't pop as much without the corresponding tomato flavor that you'd find on a genuine pizza. The crackers are what you'd expect from Lunchables crackers, but they don't truly work as a crust substitute.
If you want Lunchables-style pizza, there are a number of outstanding options. Despite what you might think, Lunchables Pepperoni and Mozzarella with Crackers isn't one of those options.
16. Lunchables 6-Inch Turkey and Cheddar Sub Sandwich
If you want a more filling lunch than what a typical Lunchables meal provides, you should look into the Lunchables Uploaded product line. The Lunchables in this line include a whole lot of food to ensure that your tummy is filled to the brim even if you're entering lunch with a ravenous hunger. One of the possibilities is Lunchables 6-Inch Turkey and Cheddar Sub Sandwich. Unfortunately, this sub sandwich meal can't be recommended and shouldn't find its way into your shopping cart.
The two issues are the same items that plagued the aforementioned Lunchables Turkey and Cheddar with Crackers: the turkey and the cheddar cheese. This sub sandwich includes the very same turkey slices and cheddar cheese slices from that Lunchables option. This one is higher in our ranking because the bread of the sub sandwich will fill you up and it camouflages some of the texture-related shortcomings of the turkey and the cheddar cheese.
15. Lunchables Ham and Cheddar Cracker Stackers
Compared to the turkey slices, Lunchables' ham slices are a giant step in the right direction. Ham isn't their best meat, mind you, but it has an enjoyable amount of flavor and a superior texture to the turkey slices. Since the ham is an upgrade, it makes sense that Lunchables Ham and Cheddar Cracker Stackers are higher on our list than the similar turkey-powered option. That said, the unsatisfying cheddar cheese stops it from rising any higher.
If you're purchasing Lunchables featuring ham, cheddar cheese, and crackers, make sure you're getting the one with "Stackers" in its name. That word signifies that your Lunchables come with their legendary vanilla creme cookies. These goodies are so awesome that they will be the highlight of your lunch. You can eat the vanilla creme cookies at the end of your meal as a dessert. However, if you're brave enough, just stack the ham and cheddar cheese on your cookies. It sounds like an odd combination, but it actually works well.
14. Lunchables Cookie Dunks
Over the years, Lunchables have featured many fantastic sweet treats. While Lunchables Cookie Dunks are decent-ish, they're nothing special. If you never try this dessert before you're six feet under the ground, you won't be missing anything of note. Lunchables has three dessert-only options that they call Lunchables Snacks, and this one is easily the worst of the bunch.
As is the case with all Lunchables, this treat comes with multiple parts: chocolate chip cookies, marshmallow creme, and sprinkles. The idea is that you first dip a cookie in the marshmallow creme, and then dip it in the container of rainbow sprinkles so that the sprinkles stick to your cookie. The problem is that none of the parts of the equation are memorable. The cookies are tiny and firm; if you like soft chocolate chip cookies, you'll shed a tear. Meanwhile, the marshmallow creme simply tastes like sugar, and the sprinkles just taste like lightly sweetened candle wax.
13. Lunchables 6-Inch Turkey and Ham Sub Sandwich
If you want the heartiest Lunchables option of them all, go with the Lunchables 6-Inch Turkey and Ham Sub Sandwich. Regarding the sandwich, you can load it with turkey slices, ham slices, Kraft American cheese, and mayonnaise. Beyond the sandwich, this Lunchables comes with a bag of Cheez-It crackers, a square of Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats, a bottle of Absopure spring water, and a single serving of Kool-Aid Tropical Punch to add to the water. This is so much food that you could eat this Lunchables for dinner and be completely satiated.
For an added boost of cheesiness, consider putting the Cheez-It crackers inside of your sub sandwich. The flavor of the crackers meshes seamlessly with the American cheese, while also adding a pleasurable texture to the sandwich. As an added bonus, it'll make it possible to totally ignore the bland turkey slices. Once you're done with the sandwich, the Rice Krispies Treats square is the perfect reward for your sweet tooth.
12. Lunchables 6-Piece Chicken Dunks
As long as you're willing to do some customizations, you'll be pleased with Lunchables 6-Piece Chicken Dunks. However, if you're unwilling to do any of the heavy lifting, you should pass on this option because it's not very appetizing right out of the box. As you can probably guess from the name, this Lunchables has six pieces of chicken nuggets playing the starring role.
While the nuggets have been designed to be eaten cold, you really should avoid that. You'd never order cold chicken nuggets from a fast food restaurant, so why would you settle for cold chicken nuggets for lunch? Yes, putting any Lunchables product in the microwave is borderline sacrilegious, because the whole point is that no microwave is needed — but these nuggets taste so much better after getting nuked for 15 to 20 seconds. Additionally, you should use your own dipping sauces, because the dipping sauces it comes with (barbecue sauce and ketchup) are gross. Polynesian sauce from Chick-fil-A or Hot Mustard from McDonald's would be optimal.
11. Lunchables S'mores Dippers
For those people who can never get enough of s'mores, you can bring that campfire feeling with you wherever you go with Lunchables S'mores Dippers. While Lunchables Cookie Dunks seems like a mishmash of half-baked ideas, this dessert has an obvious mission: bringing everything you adore about s'mores to your lunch table.
First, pick up one of the honey graham cracker-flavored sticks. Next, coat the end of the stick with marshmallow creme. Third, dip the creme-covered stick in the mini milk chocolate chips. Finally, put your creation in your mouth and take a bite. You'll be head over heels for how much this dessert-only Lunchables tastes like authentic s'mores. This product could have been even higher in our ranking, but its flaw is that it's a super light sweet treat. It'll feel like you're just getting started on your dessert when it disappears. Lunchables S'mores Dippers needs to be about double its current size to be a satisfying amount that won't just leave you hungry for more.
10. Lunchables Nachos Grande Cheese Dip and Salsa
The most polarizing of all Lunchables are the nachos. You either love Lunchables nachos, or you're absolutely disgusted to the point that you're offended by its very existence. There's no middle ground to be had. While everyone should agree that the tortilla chips taste exactly as would be fair to expect, what will cause either love or hate is what you think about the nacho cheese and the salsa. Neither is anything close to authentic, as the nacho cheese has a muted flavor and the salsa is so mild that it can almost be described as chunky ketchup.
Considering that Lunchables are primarily produced with children in mind, it's understandable that these nachos don't have many spices in the mix. If you find the idea of gentrified nachos offensive, you should stay away. If you're a fan, grab Lunchables Nachos Grande Cheese Dip and Salsa to get your hands on the best bang for your buck. This Lunchables version is jam-packed with tortilla chips, nacho cheese, salsa, and other goodies.
9. Lunchables 6-Inch Ham and American Sub Sandwich
If you want to feast on the best sub sandwich you can find in the Lunchables universe, go find Lunchables 6-Inch Ham and American Sub Sandwich. The sandwich is exactly like the previously mentioned Lunchables 6-Inch Turkey and Ham Sub Sandwich minus the loathsome turkey slices, which definitely classifies as addition by subtraction. On the side, you get Pringles potato chips and chocolate sandwich cookies. The Pringles are dependably scrumptious and the cookies are comparable to Oreos. Add in the Kool-Aid Tropical Punch and this is a winner of a meal.
That said, you should obviously keep your expectations in check when you buy a Lunchables sub sandwich. You're not getting something that can compete with the best of the best from sandwich chains like Subway, Jersey Mike's, or Jimmy John's. Lunchables sub sandwiches shine in terms of convenience, portability, simplicity, and universal appeal — so be sure to keep things in proper perspective.
8. Lunchables Dirt Cake
The top of the line dessert-only Lunchables has the worst name. Lunchables Dirt Cake doesn't sound tantalizing in the least. In more circumstances, if someone offers you a dirt cake, you wouldn't hesitate to decline. But if you're offered Lunchables Dirt Cake, you should gladly accept, because you're in for a glorious treat.
This dessert comes in three parts: gummy worms, chocolate frosting, and cookie crumbles. The gummy worms have a delightful texture and a yummy taste. The chocolate frosting is actually chocolate-flavored marshmallow creme, and will dazzle your taste buds with its powerful chocolate flavor. The cookie crumbles add more interesting texture and even more chocolatey goodness. Your favorite aspect of this dessert might be that the entire package has only 200 calories. For a filling sweet treat that is a joy to eat, that's a shockingly low calorie total that gives you a reasonable excuse to eat Lunchables Dirt Cake every day.
7. Lunchables Ham and American Cracker Stackers
If you're shopping for Lunchables with a picky eater in mind, Lunchables Ham and American Cracker Stackers is the safest possible choice. Even if your daughter seems to hate just about everything you put in front of her, you'll be surprised by how fast she gobbles up her lunch when she's presented with this timeless combination. Alternatively, if you're buying Lunchables for a group of people and you want to find something that everyone is sure to like, this is the one.
In this Lunchables, you'll discover American cheese, ham, crackers, and chocolate chip cookies. As a drink, there's a Capri Sun Roarin' Waters to enjoy. Every item you find in the box is above average. The ham is much better than the turkey. The American cheese is much better than the cheddar cheese. Roarin' Waters is arguably the best type of Capri Sun. And who could possibly turn down delectable chocolate chip cookies? Not even the most stubborn eater in your household could resist this grouping.
6. Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni
If you ate Lunchables when you were growing up, you undoubtedly remember Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni. This is a classic that will never get old. There's something magical about putting together a tiny, cold pizza with your own two hands and then shoving it into your mouth. Sure, it's far from the best pizza you've ever had — but the sense of accomplishment is real, and your taste buds won't even consider complaining.
Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni starts with a hearty crust made from whole grain. On top of the crust, the stunningly delicious pizza sauce gets spread. The sauce is so scrumptious that you'll be licking your fingers to make sure every last drop is savored. The next step is to place the mozzarella cheese. The final step is to top the pizza with pepperoni. The only reason Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni isn't higher on this list is that this product isn't as good as it used to be. Compared to what you enjoyed growing up, this Lunchables now has less cheese, and the pepperoni slices don't pop with as much flavor as they used to back in the good old days.
5. Lunchables Chicken Kabobbles
The idea behind Lunchables Chicken Kabobbles sounds a bit corny. This product is basically a lunch kit that allows kids to build stuff with their lunch. For example, you can build a pretzel horse and then eat the elegant beast you created. At first, you may think this is just something kids will enjoy. But after you see the tasty creations that can be made, you too will want to get your hands on this version of Lunchables.
The building blocks included in Lunchables Chicken Kabobbles are pretzel sticks, breaded chicken poppers, American cheese, and mini chocolate chip cookies. When you're building, the pretzel sticks are your most valuable tool. When it's time to eat what you've put together, you'll be thrilled by the breaded chicken poppers and the mini chocolate chip cookies. The breaded chicken poppers are infinitely better than the chicken nuggets available in other Lunchables. Likewise, the mini chocolate chip cookies are better than any other chocolate chip cookies you can find inside of a Lunchables pack.
4. Lunchables Ultimate Deep Dish Pizza with Pepperoni
If you like Lunchables Pizza with Pepperoni, you will be deliriously in love with Lunchables Ultimate Deep Dish Pizza with Pepperoni. Lunchables took an old-school favorite, modernized it, and improved upon it. The result is something that blows the original out of the water. Once you taste it, you'll never go back.
What obviously takes center stage when you open this Lunchables is the deep dish pizza crust. It genuinely tastes like the deep dish pizza crust you'd get from a pizza chain — just shrunken down. The same stupendous pizza sauce also makes an appearance, along with a generous amount of pepperoni. To top off your tiny deep dish pizza, you get a cheese blend of both white cheese and yellow cheese. The white cheese tastes like mozzarella, while the yellow cheese tastes like cheddar. Like the pepperoni, you get a bunch of cheese to make sure that your entire pizza is covered.
3. Lunchables Ham and Swiss with Crackers
The most underrated item that can be found inside Lunchables has to be swiss cheese. Almost every Lunchables features either cheddar cheese, American cheese, or mozzarella cheese. But in Lunchables Ham and Swiss with Crackers, you'll be blessed with the elusive swiss cheese. All it will take is one bite for you to agree that Lunchables should include this cheese much more often than they currently do.
The ham has a little hint of sweetness, which pairs perfectly with the swiss cheese. Once you add the saltiness you get from the crackers to the ham and swiss cheese, you'll be blown away. This isn't the easiest Lunchables to find, but it's worth going the extra mile to acquire it. While children might not be too impressed by the depth of the flavors at play, adults will be wowed. For that reason, if you're buying lunchables for yourself or other adults, this version deserves consideration.
2. Lunchables Light Bologna and American Cracker Stackers
When you're feeling nostalgic about Lunchables and your brain recalls what it tastes like, it's the bologna that you'll remember. Bologna isn't exactly a high-class food, but at the beginning, that was the whole point of Lunchables. Oscar Mayer needed a way to reverse their sagging bologna sales and, voila, Lunchables were invented. To experience the original idea behind Lunchables, there's only one version you should turn to: Lunchables Light Bologna and American Cracker Stackers.
Even if you haven't eaten Lunchables for a couple decades, the light bologna will still taste exactly how you remember it. It's not healthy and it's highly processed, but it has a nostalgic flavor that you will remember for the rest of your days. In this Lunchables, you'll also get American cheese, chocolate chip cookies, and crackers. The bologna is the main attraction, but everything else will help make sure that you enjoy the meat to the fullest.
1. Lunchables Pizza and Treatza
There is one kind of Lunchables that reigns supreme. Every other Lunchables is in a race for second place. The best version of them all is Lunchables Pizza and Treatza — and it's not even a competitive race. If you can only eat one type of Lunchables for the rest of your life, this is the one to select. It's not the most complicated or the heartiest, but it's a combination that you'll never grow tired of eating.
First, there's the pizza that's composed of the whole wheat pizza crust, the super flavorful pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese. While there are no pepperoni slices, you get an extra amount of mozzarella — and that more than makes up for it. Second, there's a pizza-like dessert that Lunchables calls a Treatza. This bad boy begins with a crust and features chocolate chips coated with candy sitting on top of chocolate frosting. It tastes way better than it sounds, and it's the second half of an unforgettable combo. Whether you prefer the pizza over the Treatza or vice versa, you'll agree that this is an unrivaled masterpiece in the world of Lunchables.