The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
If you were lucky enough to have had Lunchables when you were a kid, you might be surprised to know that they actually disappeared from shelves in Canada in recent years, but they're officially back and I decided to try them out.
I have fond memories of my mom packing the Cheese Pizza or Nachos Lunchable for me once per week when I was in elementary school as a treat, and given that I thoroughly enjoyed them when I was about 10 years old, I was eager to see if they were as delightful to me now that I'm in my thirties.
"Made with wholesome ingredients containing no artificial flavours or colours, each variety of Lunchables offers a protein-packed lunch kit that parents can feel good about, and kids will love," says the company of their offerings.
The five kits available are the Turkey Cracker Stacker, Ham Cracker Stacker, Cheese Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza and Nachos Lunchable.
"After fifteen years, Lunchables today announced its long-awaited return to Canadian shelves," says the company. "The fan-favourite lunch kit is returning to Canada to offer the same delicious taste, fuel, and convenience fans know and love – now for a new generation."
"Reminiscent fans excited to try Lunchables, and parents looking to share this nostalgic and fueling mealtime option with their children, can now find the product at retailers across the country."
Here's how my taste testing of the Lunchables went down.
Lunchables Pepperoni Pizza
Lunchables Pepperoni Pizza. Right: An open package of Lunchables Pepperoni Pizza.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity, Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
I didn't eat pork when I was younger, so I was excited to try out the Pepperoni Pizza Lunchables for the first time.
Inside the package were three pizza crusts, pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese and a little Kinder treat.
I got a kick out of "assembling" my own little pizzas, and I can imagine for a kid, this would be an absolutely thrilling and interactive way to enjoy one's meal.
To my adult taste buds the pizza itself was pretty good (in fact, it was better than I was expecting given the fact that it's food for children) and the pepperoni does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of making it a bit more interesting.
If I had a kid, I'd totally send this for them in their lunch bag.
Lunchables Nachos with Cheesy Dip and Salsa
Lunchables Nachos with Cheesy Dip and Salsa. Right: An open package of Lunchables Nachos with Cheesy Dip and Salsa.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity, Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
To be honest, I had totally forgotten this Lunchable existed and seeing it unlocked a wave of nostalgia in me.
My boyfriend, who grew up in Barbados, was taking part in this taste test with me, and he was truly confused about why I was so excited about this little meal.
From his perspective, it's just cheese, salsa and little nacho crackers. To me, this was a hot commodity that was one of the highlights of my week when I discovered it in my lunch container as a kid.
Something about the taste of this cheese absolutely slaps, and while this definitely wouldn't suffice as a meal for me now as an adult, I would 100% eat this as a snack.
Nostalgia — it tastes delicious!
Lunchables Turkey Cracker Stacker
Lunchables Turkey Cracker Stacker. Right: An open package of Lunchables Turkey Cracker Stacker.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity, Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
Next up was the Lunchables Turkey Cracker Stacker, which is exactly what it sounds like: crackers, cheese, turkey and some cookies.
If you're a busy parent and don't have the time to portion out individual items for your kid, this is the perfect solution to make sure they have an easy and balanced snack or meal.
There's nothing overly special about this as it tastes basically how you expect it should, but I will say the faux "Oreo" style cookies were better than anticipated.
Lunchables Ham Cracker Stacker
Lunchables Ham Cracker Stacker. Right: An open package of Lunchables Ham Cracker Stacker.
Sarah Rohoman | Narcity, Sarah Rohoman | Narcity
Much like the Lunchables Ham Cracker Stacker, there aren't any surprises here in terms of what you're getting: turkey, crackers, cheese and cookies.
I ate this Lunchable with my afternoon tea recently and it was the perfect amount of snack food for the gap between lunch and dinner, so it definitely did what it set out to do.
Lunchables Cheese Pizza
Lunchables Cheese Pizza.
Out of all the options that I tried, the cheese pizza was my least favourite, but I'm not necessarily mad at it as a kids' option.
To me, it's quite bland without the pepperoni adding extra flavour, and overall it just felt quite "meh" — that being said, kids like "meh" flavours, and I'm definitely outside of the target audience, so perhaps a 9-year-old would feel differently.
The verdict
Lunchable kits.
If I had a kid and they wanted one of these for lunch or a snack, I'd happily pack it for them as they're all fairly tasty and seem to be quite balanced nutritionally.
That being said, if my kid wanted either the ham or turkey kit, I'd likely have to do a cost benefit analysis to see if it's cheaper to put that meal together myself, but I do understand that parents get busy and having something that's ready to go can be ideal on hectic mornings.
On a personal level, I enjoyed the pepperoni pizza option and nachos kit, and if I were a kid, that'd be what I'd request from my parents!
“Lunchables is more than just fuel for the body or a quick snack -- it powers kids' creativity through buildability. Whether a rocket ship, penguin, or UFO, there are endless possibilities for what kids and their imaginations can build with Lunchables,” said Daniel Gotlib, Head of Marketing and Strategy at Kraft Heinz.
“We are so excited for Lunchables return to Canada and all the great things kids will be able to build with the brand. Canadians have been demanding for more variety in the grocery store, especially for more convenient, wholesome mealtime and snack options, and Lunchables is another great option for fans to enjoy."
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip down memory lane and I think it'll be fun for a new group of young Canadians to get to experience them!