THOSE DETAILS AS WELL. LUNCHABLES. THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS. THEY’RE POPULAR PREPACKAGED LUNCH LUNCH KITS THAT KIDS ENJOY, AND THEY’RE EVEN SERVED AT SOME SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS. BUT A NEW INVESTIGATION FROM CONSUMER REPORTS COULD HAVE PARENTS ASKING SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM. KCRA 3’S EDIE LAMBERT GIVES US A LOOK AT THE SAFETY AND NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF LUNCHABLES. SCHOOL DAY MORNINGS ARE BUSY IN MANY HOMES, SO THOSE PREPACKAGED LUNCH KITS CALLED LUNCHABLES CAN QUICKLY ANSWER THE DAILY WHAT’S FOR LUNCH QUESTION. BUT THAT CONVENIENCE MAY COME AT A COST. LUNCHABLES AND SIMILAR KINDS OF LUNCH KITS ARE SIMPLY NOT HEALTHY FOR KIDS. OUR TEST OF THESE KITS, FOUND CONCERNING SODIUM LEVELS AND HARMFUL CHEMICALS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS OVER TIME. CONSUMER REPORTS TESTED 12 STORE BOUGHT LUNCH AND SNACK KITS AND FOUND CONCERNING LEVELS OF LEAD, CADMIUM OR BOTH IN ALL THE KIDS, EVEN IN SMALL AMOUNTS. THE EFFECTS OF THESE HEAVY METALS ARE CUMULATIVE AND THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN. KRAFT HEINZ, THE PARENT COMPANY OF LUNCHABLES, OSCAR MAYER AND P THREE, TOLD KR, QUOTE, ALL OUR FOODS MEET STRICT SAFETY STANDARDS AND SAID THAT LEAD AND CADMIUM OCCUR NATURALLY IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND MAY BE PRESENT IN LOW LEVELS IN FOOD PRODUCTS. SMITHFIELD FOODS, WHICH MAKES ARMOR LUNCH MAKERS, SAID IT ADHERES TO, QUOTE, STRICT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT PROMOTE FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY IN EVERY STEP OF OUR VALUE CHAIN. TARGET, WHICH MAKES GOOD AND GATHER PRODUCTS, DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST FOR COMMENT. THE SODIUM LEVELS IN THESE KITS ARE ALSO QUITE HIGH, RANGING FROM. 460 TO 740MG. THAT IS NEARLY A QUARTER TO HALF OF A CHILD’S DAILY RECOMMENDED LIMIT, AND THE VERSIONS FOUND IN SOME SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM STORES HAD EVEN HIGHER SODIUM LEVELS. KIDS WITH HIGH SODIUM INTAKES ARE ABOUT 40% MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP HYPERTENSION THAN THOSE WITH LOW SODIUM DIETS, SMITHFIELD FOODS SAID, QUOTE, SODA IS A KEY INGREDIENT IN MANY OF OUR PRODUCTS AND HELPS US MEET CUSTOMER AND CONSUMER DEMANDS FOR QUALITY, AUTHENTICITY, FLAVOR, AND CONVENIENCE. KRAFT HEINZ AND MAPLE LEAF FOODS SAID THEY ARE WORKING ON WAYS TO REDUCE SODIUM. SO WHAT CAN BUSY PARENTS DO TO HELP KIDS MAKE HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES? CR RECOMMENDS LOOKING OVER THE SCHOOL LUNCH MENU AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH WEEK TO FIND NUTRITIOUS ITEMS YOUR KIDS LIKE TO EAT, OR CONSIDER PACKING A LUNCH WITH HEALTHY WHOLE GRAINS, PROTEINS, FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES AT HOME. EDIE LAMBERT KCRA THREE NEWS AND CR ALSO RECOMMENDS ENCOURAGING YOUR KIDS TO DRINK WATER OR PLAIN MILK AT LUNCH AS SUGAR AND