A Pizza Lunchable is a convenient lunch kit that contains crackers, cheese, sauce, and a mini pepperoni pizza that you assemble yourself. It’s a fun and tasty lunch, especially for kids. But how many calories are actually in one of these portable pizza meals?
The Basics of Pizza Lunchables
Pizza Lunchables were first introduced in 1988 by Oscar Mayer. They contained crackers, meat, cheese, and sauce that you could assemble into a mini DIY pizza. Over the years, there have been many flavors and varieties of Pizza Lunchables including pepperoni, cheese, meatball, nacho, taco, etc.
The basic Pizza Lunchable contains:
- 6 round crackers (made from enriched flour)
- Pizza sauce (tomato puree, salt, sugar, spices, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid)
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 mini pepperoni slices
This is the classic pizza combo that allows you to build 6 mini pizzas with the crackers, sauce, cheese and pepperoni. More premium Pizza Lunchable varieties may contain extra meat toppings like ham, sausage or bacon. Some also have desserts like a chocolate chip cookie or brownie.
Nutrition Facts for Pizza Lunchables
So how many calories are in a standard Pizza Lunchable? The nutrition facts tell the full story. Here are the key nutrition facts for a 6.4 oz classic Pepperoni Pizza Lunchable:
- Calories: 600
- Total Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
- Sodium: 820mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 73g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 7g
- Protein: 19g
As you can see, one Pizza Lunchable contains 600 calories. That’s about 1/3 of the daily recommended calorie intake for an average adult!
Where do all those calories come from? Primarily from the carbs in the crackers and fat from the cheese and pepperoni. There is also a good amount of protein from the meat and cheese.
Calories in Each Pizza Lunchable Component
To better understand the calorie breakdown, let’s look closer at the nutrition information for each component of a Pizza Lunchable:
Crackers
- 6 crackers = 220 calories
- 18g carbs
- 2g protein
The crackers make up over 1/3 of the total calories in a Pizza Lunchable. Since there are 6 crackers included, each one contains about 35-40 calories.
Pizza Sauce
- 2 Tbsp (30g) sauce = 35 calories
- 7g carbs
- 1g protein
The tomato sauce is a moderate calorie addition. Two tablespoons provides sufficient sauce to top each mini pizza.
Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 oz shredded cheese = 85 calories
- 1g carbs
- 7g protein
The mozzarella cheese adds a good amount of fat and protein. There is about 1 ounce of cheese included, which covers all 6 pizzas.
Pepperoni
- 8 slices pepperoni = 260 calories
- 18g fat
- 9g protein
Pepperoni accounts for nearly half the calories! The 8 slices of pepperoni contain lots of fat. Each slice averages around 30-35 calories.
Calories in Different Pizza Lunchable Varieties
In addition to the original Pepperoni Pizza Lunchable, there are other flavor varieties you can buy. These include:
- Nachos
- Ham and American Cheese
- Meatball Marinara
- Bacon Cheeseburger
- Cheese Taco
- Buffalo Chicken
The calories and nutrition will vary somewhat based on the ingredients in each different Pizza Lunchable. But most contain around 600 calories total.
Here is a calorie comparison of popular Pizza Lunchable flavors:
| Pizza Lunchable Variety | Calories |
|---|---|
| Pepperoni Pizza | 600 |
| Nachos | 580 |
| Ham and Cheese | 570 |
| Meatball Marinara | 600 |
| Bacon Cheeseburger | 630 |
| Cheese Taco | 570 |
| Buffalo Chicken | 580 |
As you can see, most Pizza Lunchables varieties contain between 570-630 calories. So they are quite similar in their calorie content regardless of the pizza toppings and ingredients.
Ways to Make Your Pizza Lunchable Healthier
While Pizza Lunchables are convenient and tasty, 600 calories is a lot for a single midday meal. But there are some easy ways you can modify a Pizza Lunchable to make it a bit healthier:
- Use less of the high-calorie pepperoni and cheese on each cracker pizza
- Substitute turkey pepperoni for regular pepperoni to reduce fat
- Add your own veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers or olives
- Use light mozzarella cheese instead of regular
- Choose whole wheat crackers instead of regular enriched flour crackers
- Eat only half a Lunchable and pair it with fruit or yogurt
Making a few simple swaps and additions can reduce the calories, fat, and carbs in a Pizza Lunchable. Building your pizzas with larger amounts of veggies can make it a more balanced meal.
Healthier Lunch Ideas vs. Pizza Lunchables
While an occasional Pizza Lunchable can be fine, health experts recommend limiting highly processed convenience foods and instead opting for more fresh, whole food options. Here are some healthier lunch ideas with around 300-400 calories:
- Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and mustard
- Veggie salad with mixed greens, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and balsamic vinaigrette
- Veggie and hummus whole wheat wrap
- Lean chicken breast with roasted squash and brussels sprouts
- Tuna salad over a bed of greens with whole wheat crackers
- Greek yogurt parfait with berries and granola
These fresh lunch options provide more balanced nutrition with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthier fats and carbs. They are lower in saturated fat, sodium and preservatives than Pizza Lunchables.
The Bottom Line
So how many calories are in a Pizza Lunchable? A standard Pepperoni Pizza Lunchable contains about 600 calories. This is quite high for a single meal. The crackers, pepperoni and cheese provide the bulk of calories, fat, carbs and protein.
You can reduce the calories in a Pizza Lunchable by modifying the ingredients or eating just half. But for better nutrition, health experts recommend making your own healthier lunches with whole foods like veggies, fruits, lean protein and whole grains most days of the week.
Pizza Lunchables can be a fun occasional treat. But they shouldn’t replace regular balanced homemade lunches. Keeping your overall diet full of nourishing whole foods will provide the best nutrition and health.
