Packing a lunch

Dairylea Dunkers 9/10
Price: £1.39 for 3 x 50g (approx 46p each)
Nutrition: 23% RDA calcium
Results: ‘This tastes like cheese triangles,’ enthused one dipper, and that familiar flavour proved popular with most panelists. Eight crisp breadsticks accompanied a soft-cheese dip in a pack that was reasonably easy to open. The ratio of cheese to sticks was realistic, although parents should consider supplying a few vegetable crudités (such as carrot, cucumber or celery) to add nutritional value and wipe up any remaining cheese.

The Laughing Cow Cheez Dippers 7/10
Price: £1.25 for 4 x 35g (approx 31p each)
Nutrition: 8.5% RDA calcium; 6% RDA Vitamin A
Results: Smaller in size than the Dairylea Dunkers, with eight sticks and creamy cheese, these were felt to be more suitable for younger children – although most kids found them just about impossible to open. The printed details suggest that a serving should constitute two packs, which parents felt was asking a lot of a child’s attention span – and constituted a greater waste of packaging.

Cadbury’s Dippin Fingers 5/10
Price: 49p for 45g
Nutrition: RDAs not given
Results: ‘I want one!’ These had the panellists up off their seats in under a second, although children were soon warned not to expect them in their lunchboxes. With four small, milk-chocolate fingers to dip into chocolate mousse – which one child hated – most parents felt these were expensive, messy and suitable only as an occasional treat. ‘Give them a Kit Kat or pot of mousse,’ was the consensus.

Kraft Philadelphia Light Snack 4/10
Price: £1.29 for 3 x 50g (43p each)
Nutrition: RDAs not given
Results: ‘Great breadsticks,’ shouted one tester, although the Herb Ciabatta proved unpopular with most young lunchers (the packs also come with Italian Breadsticks or Smoked Bacon Flavour Baguette Sticks). With just six breadsticks, and a salty aftertaste to the cheese, the panel was largely disappointed.

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