New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours ~ by Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley, founders of CoolPeopleCare.org

More time on your hands

Can We Do (An Earth Friendly) Lunch?

by Michelle Andrade (Friday, February 8, 2008)

Sometimes, lunch is the best time to go green. Read some of Michelle Andrade's tips on how to make your midday meal a bit better for you, your family, and the earth.

I want to make Earth-friendly, creative lunches for me and my family. The boring brown-bag-PB&J has gone out the window in our home. Here are a few things I have tried:

The Wrap-n-Mat

The Wrap-n-Mat is a pretty nifty product (although I feel like if I could sew, I could make one myself). It is great for keeping sandwiches fresh while giving your kids a clean surface to eat on (under $12 with shipping). They are great for being outside and on-the-go.

Sunbutter

Sunbutter is an alternative to peanut butter. It is processed in a nut-free facility. So many children and adults have allergies to peanuts and this alternative is a healthy and delicious option. I got it at my local grocery store in the health food section.

Buy in Bulk

Buying items in bulk cuts down on the packaging used for the quantity bought. There are two kinds of bulk I think of: buying from the loose, bulk aisle at the grocery store and going to places that sell larger quantities at discount prices.

Bulk Isle
Bring your own bags from home and fill up on by-the-pound items like nuts, flour or sugar (if the price comes out to be more advantageous for you). You save a great deal of packaging with this method and can store items at home in those great containers you already have for SUGAR, COFFEE or TEA.

Wholesale or Co-Ops
Try not to buy items that are individually wrapped, because that is more plastic that goes into the landfills. Decide it you want to buy organic, as there are many studies that show benefits of buying or not. My rule is, if it has a peel that we do not eat (like a banana) I usually buy conventional products (non-organic) to save money; if it has a peel we eat (like an apple) I try to buy organic.

For larger families, check your budget and see if it is advantageous to join a wholesaler like CostCo. Many of these places are carrying more and more organic items.

Reusables

Replace your disposables with reusable containers. Invest in some plastic containers that are recyclable, if needed (look on the bottom to see the recycle triangle and go for #2, #4 or #5). This investment will cut down on the amount of waste we generate each day. Go for great plates and utensils that can be washed or recycled. Send a cloth napkin instead of paper in lunches.

What tips do you have for earth-friendly lunches?

About the Author:

Michelle Andrade is a full-time mom and writer with a background in marketing, who dreams of changing the world one kid at a time.

7 others have done this "5 minutes of caring"
To date, you've cared for 0 minutes on CoolPeopleCare.org

Comments

jehan commented, on February 8, 2008 at 7:45 a.m.:

These are all great ideas. Another thing I've found that helps me save the environment and money is rice.
I've just started living on my own, and working a 'real' job. While I love the bachelor life, food can get timely and/or expensive!
But rice is fairly inexpensive, and I think it's delicious, so I got a rice maker. Now when I wake up, the first thing I do is go to my kitchen, and get the rice cooking. By the time I've showered and everything the rice is ready to be put in a reusable container (usually my favorite covered glass dish- about the only thing I was every night!), and I've got another container full of whatever I want to go with the rice (some of my homemade hummus, last nights leftovers, chicken fingers, beans, you know- get creative!) The rice is still warm when I take it out to eat, and it's a nice change of pace from the sandwhich.
This goes along well with your tips of buying in bulk, since rice can keep for a long time.