I am a massive fan of Citizen Pip. We think they make the cutest lunch box kits around, and you can be rest assured that there are no nasties lurking (lead, BPA or Triclosan). This week we are giving away the ‘Soup To Nuts” kit (as pictured). Leave us a comment including your favorite lunch box tips, tricks or recipes, and we’ll pick a winner on friday 11th September.
The winner of The Lucky Earth Giveaway is Lindsay – congratulations.
I always try to take my reusable containers out of my bag the instant I get home. This is so they never develop any ‘nasty’ smells that won’t go away with cleaning.
I always save ketchup, soy sauce and taco sauce packets from fast food places and throw them in my lunch box instead of taking whole bottles!
I often leave my husband notes in his lunch box, which he comes home and really thanks me for doing that. Somehow I always seem to throw in a note on a not so good day for him and when it is time for him to have lunch, he really appreciates that sweet lift from me. My mom told me about doing that as she did that for me when I was younger, so now I am doing the same thing. That is my tip for the day:)
I love yoghurt with fruits. Now all the brands I know add more sugar than fruits in their “fruit yogurt” and that’s definitely not what I’m interested in – so I make my own.
In the morning I put some chopped fruits in a hermetic container and spread evenly a table spoon of brown sugar on them – that makes the fruits ‘release’ their juice so that in few hours, when I’m mixing them with a natural yoghurt I’m bringing in the another hermetic container (I make my own yoghurt, so no unnecessary plastic is used), I have a perfect yoghurt-and-fruit-juice with chopped fruits. You definitely cannot buy that!
It’s good if the containers aren’t the same size – after eating your lovely lunch you can throw one in another and this way you don’t have to carry bags full of containers whole day.
My husband and I take our lunch everywhere! We are retired and eat at home most days but we often have meetings (we volunteer at our church) during lunchtime. We show up at Wendy’s or wherever with our lunch in tow! We will usually purchase a soft drink or tea/coffee to support the business (as gratitude for being able to meet there!) but we’d rather have our healthy organic food than theirs!
I always leave a “silver” fork, knife, and spoon at work so that I don’t have to use disposable. Much greener and easy to do a quick wash when you are done.
I double my dinner recipes and freeze individual portions of the leftovers. At work, my husband and I always have yummy, healthy hot lunches, with no ordering out, no expensive, wasteful, store-bought frozen meals, and no extra work (I was going to make that dinner anyway). Plus, since the meals are frozen, we can keep a variety in the freezer and choose what we’re in the mood for each morning.
For the first time, I am packing lunch for both my kids. It’s been a challenge, but I’ve been sending them with cloth napkins (all of which have come home) and using wrap mats for most of their food items. The teachers love it because it creates a defined space for each child. Some things just need a container and the Citizen Pip pack looks wonderful! GO GREEN 🙂
My favorite luch box: fill it with vegan foods! 🙂
I have two boys in school and they don’t mind having a lunch mat for their sandwich, snack cloth bag, stainless steel drink container, stainless steel utensils and cloth napkins. For days they don’t want a sandwich I make them a fruit, cheese and meat kabob with toothpicks. They love it. I’m on the green committee at my school and I’m hoping to have a trash free lunch day! 🙂
My husband takes leftovers- whether they be in the fridge from the night before or in the freezer from last week- to eliminate wasting food. I try to use pyrex glass containers for re-heating foods but could definitely use more of them in order to get away from the “reusable” plastic containers we are still using all too frequently.
My kids don’t always love it that they have a stainless steel water bottle in their picnic while their friends are sipping down juice pouches. Ironically, though, their friends think my kids water bottles are totally cool!
I do the best I can when packing lunches for my boys and myself. Always use reusable containers for sandwiches, Klean Kanteen, for our waters, and reusable containers for any other snacks such as apple sauce we bring, and don’t forget to bring a spoon from home! Cheap silverware is great for lunches. It usually makes it back home to be used over and over again, but if it is lost you don’t feel too bad about it.
When my fiancee was working in the construction industry, I would wake up with him and make him a lunch. I would always take a bit out of his sandwich to make sure that it was “poisoned,” something my grandmother always did when I was little. His co-workers would always ask why there was a bite missing from his sandwich, which he always explained with a smile.
Reusing my containers saves fossil fuels & money when I’m working. Something I would recommend to anyone.
I ALWAYS include a cloth napkin in both of my boys’ lunchboxes. They never have to use paper even away from home!!
You start teaching kids at a young age about not only what’s good for them but what’s good for Mother Earth when you implement ideas of reducing, reusing and recycling. No better way than with their lunch. It gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment. My son loves it.
I try to make everything I pack in my lunch homemade or a really yummy fruit or vegetable. Sandwiches made from homemade bread, local berries, a salad, whatever I have or is leftover! This works well for me because it tastes so good that I’m happy to eat it and I’m not tempted to grab a nasty, packaged snack somewhere. Also, since it’s homemade, I’m not wasting a lot of packaging on processed food.
My girls and i always make our lunch before we go to bed, so in the morning we dont have to mess with it. It makes our morning less stressful and we have some mommy – daughter time every night!
i am waiting to get some new eco lunch tools, but while i wait i dont want to kill any trees! i used an old Hollister bag to carry my silverware, my glass jar and eco friendly food containers and of course my reusable water bottle! i was very fashionable bringing it to school 🙂
My husband & I both use reusable containers for our lunches, but he will also bring my ceramic dinner plate and bowls.
The bottom shelf of our fridge is our “lunch prep station” with cut up veggies, fruits, cheeses, bread, cookies etc– my kids chose one from each section,put it in their lunch boxes and voila– there’s lunch!
I always bring lunch from home to work, usually leftovers from the night before. While my coworkers have their expensive, frozen diet entrees, I can be found dining on healthy, homemade lunches at a fraction of the cost. We keep our “kitchen” stocked with reusable silver, cups, bowls and plates. I also bring snacks and water from home in reuseable containers.
my son is a fussy eater but because he was small (5 lb 8) when he was born and is still only in the 5th percentile I have to take a variety of food everywhere we go to make sure he does not miss a snack time. I have a chilly bag with freezer pack, yoghurt is his staple that he will always eat (I bring the containers home to recycle). A friend recently pointed out that the lid off a Pringles container will fit the Dairyland nature’s treat yoghurt so if he does not finish I can use that to seal up again. I also normally carry a variety of fruit cubes that I cut up to take out, plus the various organic granola bars or annies bunnies – he loves those.
If you let hot water sit in your thermos, then spill it out before putting hot soup in– the heat seems to last for a longer time.
We make the bottom shelf in our fridge “lunch central”– where cheese, veggie slices etc all are– the kids put what they want in their lunch boxes…
Put hot water in a thermos then spill it out before you put in soup– the heat will last longer
Don’t leave your lunch out in the hot sun–add a frozen juice box to keep it cold- so your lunch box doesn’t get too hot…
Put hot water in a thermos, let it sit and pour it out before the soup– it will stay hot for longer
I’m a student and those who carry around brown bags disgust me. On the contrary, if one carries around a lunch box its considered socially unacceptable. (shows what society has come to…) To compromise, I recently purchased an organic cotton, fair trade lunch sack. It looks exactly like a brown paper bag only it is made of cotton-canvas looking material. I think it is marvelous that it is easily thrown in the washer and has a strip of velcro along the top so when clumsy people like me drop things all over, my lunch stays in place :] Also, I am sure to pack metal utensils and tupperware for my snacks. I’m eco friendly and don’t get weird looks! HURRAY!