Looney for Looney Tunes Lunch?
Posted at 5:20 pm on September 16, 2009 by Catherine
I admit it. I like canned pasta. You know, Spaghetti O’s, that kind of thing. Is that so bad? And chocolate pudding. And fun, easy lunches. So when I was invited to try Safeway and Warner Bros.’ new line of lunch foods for kids, I was interested.
The food line is called Eating Right Kids, and their aim is to offer healthier kids food. The line features over 60 different item including bread, cereal, frozen and prepackaged foods (including juice, fruits, and veggies). The kids’ food line is an offshoot of the adults’ Eating Right products.
There was plenty to like in the package I was sent. Fruit, chocolate pudding, canned pasta, fun and easy lunch ideas. But my first impression was negative. I don’t actually like having cartoon characters on food products. I don’t want companies marketing directly to my kids. I don’t want my kids being lured into the lust to consume and to purchase without thinking, anymore than they inevitably will be in our society. My distaste was tempered a bit by learning that the line is attempting to offer healthy food but still, I’m not a fan of the whole idea.
As for the healthiness of the options, I would say this too comes up short. Yes, the fruit cups are packed in natural light juices, not heavy syrup. Yes, the pudding cups are made with skim milk and are technically fat free. Yes, the pasta in the oh-so-desirable (I know, I’m strange in this respect) canned pasta is made from Whole Wheat. But let’s be honest. This is still heavily processed junk food. Slightly healthier heavily processed junk food, but processed junk none the less.
As for ease – they score 100%. It doesn’t get much easier than opening a can or cup. As for taste – I’d say it was about what you would expect. The fruit had a strong “in a plastic cup” taste, and no canned pasta will ever taste like it came from Italy. But my son and I had clean plates in the end.
After lunch, my final thoughts were pretty close to my initial thoughts. I don’t like cartoon marketing, and I wouldn’t go so far as to call this healthy. But if we are going to buy Spaghetti O’s, chocolate pudding, and prepackaged foods (and we all know we are, sometimes) its nice to know there’s a slightly healthier option out there.
How about you? What have you found recently that got your kids eating…or hiding under the table. We’re always looking to add YOUR voices, so send us your posts or half baked ideas (no pun intended – well, maybe a little).
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