Top nutritionist ranks Britain’s 15 most popular lunchbox snacks from best to worst

A leading nutritionist has ranked 15 of Britain’s most popular ready-to-eat lunchbox snacks from best to worst, placing Mini Babybel cheese at the top and processed salami Peperami at the bottom.

Dr. Federica Amati, head nutritionist at ZOE, assessed products commonly found in children’s lunchboxes for factors such as protein, fibre, sugar, salt and the presence of additives. The ZOE review highlighted items that contribute useful nutrients as well as those likely to provide little nutritional benefit or to increase risks associated with high sugar, salt or highly processed ingredients.

At No. 1, Mini Babybel Original cheese snacks were praised for being additive-free and a reliable source of calcium and protein; each mini Babybel contains about 4 g of protein and provides roughly 10% of an adult’s daily calcium needs. Close behind, dried fruit pouches such as Bear Strawberry Yoyo were noted for having no added sugar or artificial ingredients and for providing fibre, but ZOE warned that the sugar in dried fruit is concentrated — a 20 g portion contains about 8.4 g of sugar and can contribute to tooth decay, so fresh fruit is preferred where possible.

Yoghurt pouches and pots featured prominently in the top half of the list. The Collective Suckies Peach + Apricot kids yoghurt pouch earned credit for containing two live cultures that may support gut bacteria, though each pouch still contains about 6.2 g of sugar. Yeo Valley Organic Little Yeos, made from whole milk and real fruit purée, was recognized for live cultures and calcium but also contains 6.9 g of sugar per pot. Actimel Kids Strawberry Banana ranked lower in the yoghurt group because each serving contained 8.5 g of sugar, the highest among the yoghurt products reviewed by ZOE.

Smoothies and grain-based snacks occupied the middle ranks. Innocent Kids fruit smoothies, made purely from fruit, were described as convenient but lower in fibre than homemade options and with a moderate sugar level of about 10 g per 100 ml. Savoury snacks such as Love Corn sea salt crisps were criticised for low fibre and a medium salt content (about 0.7 g per portion), while oat-based products such as Deliciously Kids Vanilla Apple Twist oaty bars were noted for wholegrain oats and slow-release energy but still carried moderately high sugar levels.

Packaged meat and ultra-processed items trailed behind. Protein-rich options such as Fridge Raiders slow roasted chicken snack bites were weighed against long ingredient lists, numerous additives and a relatively high salt content (about 1.1 g per 70 g pack). Soreen malt loaves were described as hyperpalatable and containing several additives, meaning they are best viewed as occasional treats despite contributing some B vitamins and iron from fortification.

The lowest-ranked products were those with little nutritional upside and higher levels of salt, saturated fat or processing. Jacob’s Mini Cheddars were described as providing no meaningful nutritional benefit and containing saturated fat (about 3.3 g per 23 g pack). A Philadelphia Light & Tasty breadsticks and dip pack was flagged for multiple additives, emulsifiers and the equivalent of roughly 13.5% of recommended daily saturated fat. Dairylea Lunchers ham and cheese packs were criticised for high salt and saturated fat, with a single portion providing about 20% of a child’s recommended daily salt intake; the processed ham element was also highlighted given international assessments of processed meat. Strings & Things cheestrings were noted to supply Vitamin D, B12 and around 20% of daily calcium but were criticised for high salt content (about 4.6 g per portion) and for lacking whole-food ingredients. Peperami Original salami finished last: ZOE described it as highly processed, high in saturated fat and salt, and unsuitable as a regular choice for children.

Across items, the review emphasised trade-offs. Live cultures in some yoghurts can be beneficial but do not offset high sugar levels. Dried fruit can deliver vitamins and fibre but concentrates sugars and raises dental risk compared with fresh fruit. Many convenience snacks are high in salt, saturated fat or contain emulsifiers and other additives that ZOE suggests offer little nutritional benefit for children.

The assessment recommended swapping highly processed items for whole-food alternatives where possible: plain full‑fat yogurt or kefir with fresh fruit instead of sweetened pouches, fresh fruit and vegetables rather than low‑fibre crisps, and simple protein sources such as cubed cheese, nuts where age-appropriate, tinned fish, lean cooked meats or hummus with veg sticks instead of processed meat snacks. The guidance aims to keep lunchboxes palatable to children while increasing fibre and quality protein and reducing sugar, salt and ultra-processed ingredients.

Parents and carers packing children’s lunches were urged to balance convenience with nutritional value, prioritising whole foods and checking labels for sugar and salt content when ready-to-eat snacks are used.