Food for Thought - Adding up to a Zero Waste Lunch

If you want to give your kids a healthy lunch, brown-bagging it is the way to go...but skip the brown bag, along with those "snack size" and single-serving containers. According to WasteFreeLunches.org, all those juice boxes and cracker packages mean an average of 67 pounds of waste generated by one child each school year, and hundreds of dollars wasted on "convenience" foods.

Regardless of whether it's basic peanut butter and jelly or something more elaborate on the menu, the first two ingredients of a low-waste lunch are a reusable lunch container and a refillable bottle. You can check out the many fun and stylish beverage containers on our water bottles page. Reusable bags come in many styles, ranging from simple cotton bags to thermal materials that keep food fresher longer. Rigid containers made out of metal or plastic often have compartments that will keep flavors separate.

Reusable lunch containers:

nubius organics logo Reusable bottles, lunch bags in a variety of styles, utensil sets.
progressive kid logo Come to PK for PVC- and lead-free lunch bags, leach-free bento boxes, and lead-free and phthalate-free reusable combination sandwich wrap/placemats.
ReusableBags.com Reusable bottles, lunch bags and bento box sets
Taraluna Lunch bags, stacking containers, utensil sets and picnic baskets
To-Go Ware Stainless steel stackable lunch units, utensils, and bags

Some components of the lunch, like fresh fruit, may not need extra wrapping. Avoid things like resealable bags, plastic film or aluminum foil, which—even if you are thrifty and reuse them—don't ususally survive more than a couple of uses. Instead, your best bet for sandwiches is reusable food wrap. For other foods, stainless steel flasks and stacking containers are a good choice. Plastic containers with lids are fine for storing foods, but heating them is not recommended because of concerns that chemicals might be released into food. Look for containers made from recycled plastic

Reusable food wrap

Wrap-n-mat Reusable, washable sandwich wrap and placemat in one

Why it's important

Taking the time to pack healthy lunches without disposable packaging addresses concerns about the environment and childhood nutrition, and it's easier on your wallet. For example, yogurt in single-serving containers requires a third more packaging than one large container—not only do you pay for the extra packaging, but it adds up to extra waste. "Kid size" packages marketed towards children often contain foods high in sugar, fat, and salt...just the sort of quick fix you want to keep out of their reach. Buying in bulk at food co-ops is one way to obtain nutritious foods without excess packaging. Check the Food Co-op Directory for a co-op near you.

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