Is MrBeast's 'healthy' Lunchly just the same old slop?



Influencers MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI aim to dominate the lunchroom with their new brand, Lunchly — which they say offers “healthier” fare than Oscar Mayer’s snack-time superstar Lunchables.

Some nutrition experts, however, say they’re full of it.

'This crap is not what kids need. The ingredients are nothing but sugar, seed oils, processed grains, and chemicals.'

Lunchly’s lunch kits combine MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate bars and Logan Paul and KSI’s Prime hydration drink along with pizza, nachos, or turkey and cheese cracker stacks for what the brand describes as “reimagined lunchtime fuel.”

Dubious claims

A visit to the Lunchly website shows a side-by-side comparison of the Lunchly products with the Lunchables version. Each Lunchly product contains less sugar, fewer calories, and additional electrolytes when measured against the competitor, seemingly supporting claims that the lunches are a healthier option for kids.

But according to health and nutrition advocate Calley Means, these numbers just mean Lunchly is pushing a smaller dose of poison.

“This crap is not what kids need,” the author and speaker posted on X. “The ingredients are nothing but sugar, seed oils, processed grains, and chemicals. There's a childhood chronic disease crisis. We have allies ready to work with you at any time on healthier options.”

Fellow wellness influencer Christopher McIlvaine, better known on social media as Cooking with Chris, was even more blunt: “Please don’t let your kids eat this,” he posted.

Sugar bomb

Align asked leading childhood nutrition researcher Dr. Michael Goran to give his take on the Lunchly lunches.

“I’m not going to have great things to say about this,” said Goran immediately after looking at the ingredients and nutrition label for “The Pizza” Lunchly. “It’s not something I would give my kids.”

Goran’s first critique was the added sugar in almost every component of the meal. He said items like pizza sauce did not need added sugar, and there are plenty of pizza sauces without them on the market. In place of a chocolate bar with added sugars, Goran recommends a whole fruit or unsweetened yogurt.

Moving to the Prime electrolyte drink, Goran called it "a bit of a mess,” noting that he advises against kids consuming alternative sweeteners such as the sucralose found in Prime. Instead, he offers water or sparkling water as a healthier option.

Brain drain

“Kids are particularly susceptible to added sugars, not just for the obvious effects like body weight or long-term risk for diabetes, but also for memory, concentration, ability to learn,” said Goran.

He elaborated that studies show energy spikes and dips from added sugars, making it difficult for kids to make it through the school day without feeling exhausted. Alternative sweeteners like sucralose show similar impacts on energy. Goran also noted that some oils in the ingredient list cause inflammation.

“I don't think there'd be many moms out there who would want to give these products to their kids,” concluded Goran, while acknowledging that many parents could be deceived by Lunchly’s dubious health claims.

“I think there's a problem because kids generally aren't taught nutrition in school. So there's this big mismatch,” said Dr. Goran.

Nutrition 101

This information gap is one of the reasons Dr. Goran wrote the book “Sugarproof,” which reveals the dangers of sugar to children’s health and teaches parents what to do about it. He hopes the book helps bridge the gap between nutrition research and parents’ understanding.

To make the information in his book more available, Dr. Goran has started hosting workshops and giving presentations at parent meetings. He is also looking into making a school-based program to teach about sugar consumption and nutrition.

As for influencers like the Lunchly trio, Goran said he’d like to see them use their reach more thoughtfully. “[They have the] potential to have a huge positive influence on future health and nutritional development and nutritional IQ of kids. Marketing these kinds of products is only going to make that worse.”

He also proposed “more guidelines and regulations on what can be marketed to kids nutritionally” as in other countries.

While Goran’s resident state of California will soon require school lunches to limit added sugars and other additives, products outside of school remain unregulated.

Adding that Lunchly kits did not look any better than school cafeteria meals, Dr. Goran said he would be happy to talk to the creators and help them with a redesign.

Ultimately, said Goran, parents rather than influencers and nutritionists have the final say. If you don’t think these lunches are healthy for your kids, don’t buy them, even if they ask. Your dollars influence the product marketplace. If creators keep expecting to profit off ultra-processed food like Lunchly, it’s only because consumers have yet to prove them wrong.

One man's Christ-centered weight loss journey



When Rick Salewske appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2002, he had an incredible story to tell. Once weighing in at 538 pounds, the Dallas man had managed to shed some 300 pounds in just two years.

What Salewske did not know at the time was that his story was far from finished. A full 20 years later, he would work with writer Cindy Woods on a book that tells a story he believes is far more impactful than the story of his weight loss.

'It's like a folded quilt that's been in a chest. When you take it out and you start to unfold the quilt, then you see there's the full pattern. And that's how God works too.'

That book — published in January and titled “Half the Man, Twice the Faith” — tells the story of Salewske’s faith.

Looking back now, Salewske says God’s hand in his life is evident — right down to the seemingly random encounter that led me to contact him and Woods to hear the full Richard Salewske story.

Giving God the credit

To hear Salewske tell it, however, the story is not about him at all.

“I’m giving God all the credit for all of this. This isn’t about Rick Salewske. It has nothing to do with me. It’s about how powerful God is, how he puts people in your path,” said Salewske.

As Salewske shares in the book, even after summoning the willpower and determination to lose those first 300 pounds, he still struggled with his weight. He developed a habit of waiting for the world to change around him, telling himself, “It will get better.” In short, Salewske says, he lost his way.

It wasn’t until he met Woods — and began to understand God’ role in his life — that he found it again, ultimately losing another 100 pounds.

“When I started working with Cindy on writing the book, it dawned on me,” Salewske says. "I learned that I had to partner with God to do this. And once I started partnering with God, once I started putting my faith with God, it was so easy.”

“Well, I won’t say easy, but it all made sense,” Salewske quickly adds.

Hands off the wheel

Once he took his hands off the steering wheel to partner with God, patterns started to reveal themselves in Salewske’s life. Often, this involved people appearing at just the right moment. Salewske credits the book itself to this pattern of God working in his life.

Woods tells the story this way.

“Rick’s really close friend, Gary, who is mentioned in the book, is an Uber driver, and he talks to his customers. And one day, he picked up a representative from Christian Faith Publishing, and they began to talk, and he told her about Rick,” said Woods.

Salewske had wanted to tell his story in a book for more than two decades. However, his previous inquiries to the publishing world led him to believe it was too expensive — until Gary’s chance encounter.

Gary connected Salewske to the representative, who told him what needed to happen for him to publish his story. Salewske shared that information with a friend, and that friend connected him to Woods.

“It became apparent to me very quickly that this was not to be a weight-loss book. That’s certainly a fascinating part of the story, and it’s a good hook. But what this really is about is how to partner with God in whatever challenges that you’re facing,” said Woods.

After Woods told Salewske her thoughts, he said it all clicked for him. Scientifically, he knew how he lost 300 pounds. It was diet and exercise, but people often asked Salewske how he had the determination.

“Then it just dawned on me,” Salewske said. “God did this.”

He credits God with putting the right people on his path throughout his weight loss journey, including an influential boss, Bill, and Cooper Aerobics founder Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Since coming to this conclusion, Salewske has become determined to spread the word of God.

Looking for him

How do you start seeing God in your life in the first place, though? Woods says you have to look for him.

“It's like a folded quilt that's been in a chest. When you take it out and you start to unfold the quilt, then you see there's the full pattern. And that's how God works too. You really have to unfold and unpack those things to see how he's working in your life,” said Woods.

Salewske wants to use his story as a testimony to God’s wonders.

“I was 38 years old. I was 538 pounds. 24 years later, I'm down to 200 pounds,” said Salewske.

He’s been married for over 20 years and has three beautiful kids. All the people who have come into his life have been Christians, and they've led him to this.

“How can you say God doesn't exist?” asks Salewske. He says his story is proof that miracles happen.

Strength on the journey

For those who read the book, Salewske and Woods hope they come away knowing they can rely on God.

“Whatever you're going through, God will help you get through it,” says Salewske.

Woods cautions against thinking everything will work out exactly as you expect it to, though. Grief, illness, and hardship still prevail in the world. Partnering with God doesn’t mean all of that will cease to exist.

Rather, Woods says, “Turning those situations and those feelings over to God and letting him give you the comfort and the strength to walk whatever valley — that makes all the difference in the journey.”

To that, Salewske chimes in with a cheerful amen.

For Salewske, who still has to work at maintaining a disciplined daily nutrition and exercise routine, that certainly rings true.

At the same time, Salewske is grateful for how far he’s come. He’s blessed with a healthy life that he shares with a wide circle of family and friends as well as a story he shares with everyone he encounters. When you hear that story in person, you can’t help but smile and be inspired. Hope abounds.

“Half the Man, Twice the Faith,” is available for purchase online.

The American spirit is alive and well at Fort Worth's Cowtown Coliseum



The rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, has all the adrenaline-packed cowboy classics: bronc riding, team roping, barrel racing, and, of course, bull riding.

Your ticket also gets you something you just can’t buy: an invigorating infusion of the American spirit.

Then, the announcer did something refreshing — and far more uncommon than it should be in this one nation under God. He prayed.

That’s what I took from my recent visit to the rodeo, as I watched the pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps competitors from near and far embody the work ethic that built this great nation.

It was a night worth remembering, and if you ever have the good fortune to go, I think you’ll agree.

Country through and through

Walking between the rows of two-story, Western-style buildings on East Exchange Avenue was like taking a step into American history. The red brick streets bustled with foot traffic on either side. Men wore cowboy hats, boots, and denim. Women wore feathers in their brims and paired colorful or bedazzled boots with flowing summer dresses.

In front of the Cowtown Coliseum, a longhorn stood loosely tethered and drawing spectators. Turning your head either way down the picturesque street revealed an overlay of red, blue, and yellow neon signs for shops, bars, and Texas barbecue. You got the impression of being on a family-friendly version of Nashville’s famous Broadway.

It felt country through and through, and it was exhilarating.

Morgan Milan

Enter Old Glory

Ten minutes before showtime, Western-wearing locals and visitors started trickling through the doors of the coliseum to find their seats. My group settled into the strawberry red-painted wooden stadium seats in Section D, grinning ear to ear as a lanky teenager in an American flag suit took the center of the dirt ring to hype the crowd.

He took a bow, and then the announcer seated at the back of the arena asked attendees to remove their hats as a rider on a horse named Old Glory carried an American flag into the ring. Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” played over the loudspeakers, and Old Glory built from a slow trot to a breathtakingly quick gallop. Our flag was held high, rippling in the air in response to the horse’s speed through the end of the pride-inspiring song.

Because just one tribute to our great nation wouldn’t do, a female singer followed to belt “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Then, the announcer did something refreshing — and far more uncommon than it should be in this one nation under God. He prayed. He prayed for the cowboys and cowgirls participating in the rodeo. He prayed for the safety of the animals, and he prayed for the joy of those in attendance. He prayed, and it was the most American thing I’d heard in a very long time.

I don’t know that anyone could go to a rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum and not be overcome with national pride and patriotism. The permission to openly love our country reminded me of everything freedom was supposed to mean, and I’m beyond grateful to the men and women in Fort Worth who are responsible for keeping the American spirit of my childhood alive in the midst of a world where most of us feel forced to watch it die.

Morgan Milan

True grit

Luckily, the rodeo competitors showed up with the grit to back up the patriotic showboating. Cowboys rode angry broncs, sometimes flying from the horses’ backs onto the dirt or up into the metal railing around the arena. Cowgirls roped calves with pink lassos or charged their mounts at full speed around black barrels for the fastest time. All the while, attendees passed popcorn and sipped cold Coke and whiskeys, "oohing" and "ahhing" as contestants narrowly avoided a hoof to the head, knocked over barrels, or successfully roped their cows.

Bachelorette parties flirted with groups of young men in the stands, and kids enthusiastically signed up to race each other through the arena to pull a tag from a running calf. The night buzzed with energy, and I was never far from the edge of my seat. I found myself thinking this is the America I want to raise kids in.

Cowtown Coliseum’s rodeos are a testament to what it means to be a patriot, and I highly recommend making time for a visit if you find yourself in Fort Worth … or if you ever need to be reminded why you should be proud to be an American.

Tickets to attend a rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum are available throughout the year and can be purchased online.

​The political commentator taking on Gatorade



“Is it in you?” asks Michael Jordan in a nostalgic new Gatorade spot, neon-colored sweat beading on his face.

Anyone who's ever scrutinized the label on a bottle of Midnight Ice or Citrus Cooler might have a follow-up question: What is "it," exactly — and does it really need to include something called maltodextrin?

'The real conservative response is: We’re going to make something artisanal. We’re going to make something real.'

For Josh Lekach, one of the current wave of entrepreneurs questioning conventional, corporate-controlled wisdom about health and nutrition, the answer is no.

Keeping it clean

Lekach’s Sport Drink — a clean electrolyte drink powder alternative to Gatorade and other thirst-quenching chemical confections — hit the market August 1, nearly a year after the product’s conception by Josh Lekach, Josh Kaye (Healthy Home Josh), and a third owner in the company who chose to remain anonymous.

The drink mix for athletes is currently available in two varieties: the original no-flavor blend, appropriately called No Flavor with Sugar, and a sparkling, citrus-flavored option titled No Yellow 5 Lemon Lime. Both blends contain the same mix of electrolytes, which includes Dead Sea salt, potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and magnesium sulfate. Organic cane sugar is used for carbohydrate replenishment.

Lekach, a 37-year-old co-owner of the emerging brand, sat down for a virtual interview to discuss the real-ingredient, real-hydration company. He settled into the discussion from a sunny balcony in Costa Rica with a bottle of water premixed with the No Yellow 5 Lemon Lime Sport Drink in hand. His current jar is almost depleted, and he mentions that his wife is upset about running out so soon.

Lekach points out that his brutally honest family members have found the drink enjoyable, and a cursory glance online shows the lemon-lime mix as sold out.

Not bad for a business started on a whim.

Doing it right

The way Lekach tells it, roughly a year ago he made an Instagram post about how it has never been easier to start a brand: Just take a product you like, figure out how it's made, and then make it healthy and artisanal.

While he only meant to use Gatorade as an example, Kaye messaged him and suggested that they run with the idea. Lekach was convinced, and Sport Drink was born.

Despite a seemingly quick turnaround from concept to market, making Sport Drink without the common additives added six months to the production process and at least a few thousand to the costs. As of this interview, Lekach is still taking red-eye flights to Los Angeles to hand-fill jars of Sport Drink when they need to be restocked. The company is searching for a manufacturer that can package the product as formulated.

“If we started the wrong way, and we lied, I wouldn’t feel good about that, and I wouldn’t drink it myself,” said Lekach when asked about the business sacrifices associated with creating a cleaner product.

A particular challenge in manufacturing was avoiding the use of maltodextrin, a common additive in beverages used to prolong shelf life, said Lekach. The ingredient is known to create blood sugar spikes greater than those reported from real sugar. According to Lekach, the Sport Drink owners chose to spend more time perfecting the formula instead of using the chemical as a shortcut.

A 'Sad' tale

Sport Drink isn’t Lekach’s first foray into the beverage industry. He more or less memed his brand Sad Water into existence; before long Coca-Cola was expressing interest. However, Lekach's increasingly outspoken political commentary eventually scared the conglomerate off. Lekach pivoted into podcasting.

Both Vimeo and Patreon ended up banning Lekach's show — the aptly named "Wrong Opinion" — before it found its current home on Censored.TV.

While he is happy to continue his show, Lekach says he wants more for his family. Creating a product like Sport Drink is part of that goal.

Forgoing market research, Lekach says that a lot of people talk themselves out of pursuing an idea, but “I’m just going with my gut.”

He said he has taken notice of other niche brands popping up in the right-wing sphere such as wellness influencer Sol Brah and Hestia Cigarettes.

As with those brands, politics permeate Sport Drink's marketing. Sport Drink’s website alludes to both biblical history and U.S.-funded terrorist groups in its description of the Dead Sea salt it contains. For Lekach this isn't some external gimmick; the conservatism is built in.

“The real conservative response is: We’re going to make something artisanal. We’re going to make something real," said Lekach. "A product like ours is conservative because it goes back to how we used to do things when people just wanted to put out a good product."

Lekach added that his humbling experience maneuvering the crash of 2008 in the fragrance industry — as well as a stint raising about half a million dollars for a tech startup — taught him valuable lessons about figuring things out on his own and navigating bureaucracy.

While Lekach acknowledges the dominance of electrolyte products containing artificial sweeteners, colors, and chemical additives, he's convinced that it only takes a small percentage of consumers to drive change in the market. He citied the wide availability of kosher products as one example.

“The bigger brands are taking notice,” said Lekach, noting that online discussions about the hazards of seed oils have led to food producers offering healthier choices.

Sugar's not the enemy

To win over consumers, Lekach has to rehabilitate an often-maligned sweetener: “It’s not the sugar that’s killing you,” he says.

“The main hurdle will be to teach the consumer that sugar is not bad for you. We’ve been tricked into believing that the unnatural alternative to anything is healthier, but all of the alternatives that they have sold us, those are the unhealthy things,” said Lekach.

He referenced anecdotes of native populations using the popular plant-derived sweetener stevia as a contraceptive and noted that for people living a healthy lifestyle, real sugar is going to give their bodies the energy they need.

For the consumers who want to start shopping for cleaner brands, Lekach says the key is to focus on products with fewer and more familiar ingredients.

Lekach's next priority is to streamline the production process without sacrificing quality. He also intends to offer more flavors in the next few months. From there? Lekach's answer echoes the inspirational messaging of his competitor: "The sky’s the limit.”

Sport Drink is available for purchase online.