I can’t believe we are in the last weekend of summer! Yikes! Like many parents we have been running around getting things organized for the upcoming school year. There is a lot of attention on how to make healthy school lunches, for good reason, we want our kiddies to be healthy so they can learn. Let’s face it things are about to get pretty busy in a week or so and the convenience of those prepackaged granola bars, cheese strings, and yogurts seem pretty enticing. The unfortuante thing is many of the wrappers used for these covienent foods are not too environmentally friendly. Small changes can have a huge impact on our environment. Let’s take a look at 5 tips for healthy eco-friendly school lunches.
Limit your use of single use plastic:
Last year Miss E’s class took a pledge to eliminate plastic for a whole month. Miss E was very determined to reduce plastic and would often come home with tips on how to be more eco friendly, I was so proud of her class. There are so many options today. We love using these reusable stasher bags, not only can they be used multiple times but they are easy to open and wash. Another option is bees wax food storage wrap.
Use reusable lunch bags:
Instead of plastic bags we opt for reusable lunch bags and wash them at the end of week. The girls love picking out their own design at the beginning of the school year.
Pack a water bottle :
Say no to plastic single use drink containers. Instead, send your kid to school with a reusable water bottle. It’s healthier for both your child and environment. If your having a hard time getting your kids to accept water let them pick out their kid friendly water bottle.
Choose homemade more often:
This may seem like a lot of work in the beginning. Let’s take a look at why home made is better. Most prepackaged foods are high in sugar, artificial ingredients, expensive, and packaged in single use plastic which lands in our landfill and takes hundreds of years to break down. Set aside a day to meal plan and make homemade granola bars, banana bread, and or muffins. Assign the baking to older kids if you have them. Once you get in the habit you will never look back, promise.
Try Bento style lunch boxes:
What kid does not love options? We started using bento style lunches last year and they have been a huge hit with the girls. I love them because I don’t have a million containers to wash or use any one time and dispose of.
Together, if we all make small changes we can have a huge impact on the environment. Teach your kids how to be more eco-friendly and get them involved. What tips do you have for more eco-friendly lunches? Please share, we would love to hear them!
