WHAT’S IN YOUR LUNCHBOX? A ZERO-WASTE GUIDE

It’s back to school now, and more so than ever a zero-waste lunchbox has become essential with all the new guidelines that have been put into place due to Covid-19.  It’s unfortunate that it took a pandemic for people to realize that zero-waste alternatives already existed.  

By now, we have all become accustomed to having more dishes to do since we were all stuck together at home for a long time. Therefore, having to wash up your kid’s lunch box everyday will not give you extra work as you are now used to it.  To be honest, Blondie Bear has learned (finally) to do the dishes or at least his own.  So, if your child is old enough, he/she should be able to unpack his/her lunchbox and even clean it up.

At first, setting up a zero-waste lunchbox might seem a bit pricy, but you don’t have to make the switch all at once.  Baby steps to zero-waste darling.

Also, the following tips can easily apply to us adults.  After all, packing your own lunch will save you money in the long run.  I’m not saying that it will be enough to buy yourself a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, although it’s possible, but definitely could help you buy a plane ticket somewhere. Yes, sounds crazy but it’s true.

If money is no object, then at least do it for the planet!  No less than 40% of the plastic that is made is used to wrap.  Just think about that.

Let’s dig into what a zero-waste lunchbox consists of shall we?

Basically, the idea of a zero-waste lunchbox is that everything that goes inside needs to be brought back home.

To prepare a zero-waste lunchbox you will need reusable containers, utensils and linen napkins. Try to avoid plastic bags and single use wrapping.

At the grocery store, try to buy in bulk or family size products.  Having a Costco card will help you save money in the long run in terms of grocery shopping, especially if there are 4 of you packing lunch.  It is the perfect place to shop as far as packed lunches go.  However, it’s good practice to avoid pre-wrapped individual portions of food such as small bags of goldfish or individual portions of cheese.

Another store I like is Adonis for the fruits and vegetables in terms of quality and price.  However, nothing beats than going to your local farmers market in terms of quality.  Luckily, we have the Jean-Talon market nearby.

You can keep your meals fresh by placing an ice-pack in the isotherm lunch bag.  That way, you don’t need to worry about having to find a spot in your work’s fridge and neither does your child.

Lunch Boxes

A great kid lunchbox is the one made by Omielife. It’s a lunch box that stores hot and cold food and also has food compartments. It’s the first leak-proof bento lunch box.  As this box comes with a handle, you won’t have to buy anything else for your child to store and transport food to school.

However, if your child’s lunchbox is still intact from last year, there is no need to buy a new one.

Food storage

In terms as food storage goes, there are quite a few options ready made available for your child and you.

A good old glass tupperware will work just fine if your child has access to a microwave at school. Otherwise, you will need a thermos.  

However, here are a few other alternatives:

For salads, cold cuts, wet foods use a Bento Box.

For sandwiches, you can use a reusable food pouch made of silicone or of fabric.  These pouches can also be used to put your potato chips (homemade if you can), cut vegetables, or fruits.  

Finally, you can use beeswax wraps to cover small food items such as cheese for example.  However, I did find this beeswax wrap from B-Factory that is perfect to preserve your sandwich.

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Extra tip:  If you are a badass mom and love to prepare things from scratch like I used to, you could use these reusable food pouches.

Reusable utensils

The Omielife lunchbox does come with utensils (sold separately) that can be attached to the handle of the box.  Pretty handy I’d say.

Otherwise, you can use reusable bamboo utensils to put in the lunchbox.  Of course, you could also just use your own home utensils in your child’s lunchbox (except the knife).  However, you might need to check the school policy for that.

For grown-ups, here are some reusable utensils that are practical to use and they come with chopsticks and straws.

Reusable cups

Kids need to stay hydrated and there is no better way for them to do that than with water.  A reusable water bottle will come in handy at school and there are loads of options to pick from.

Try to pick one that can be attached to the school bag so that it doesn’t wander off in the bag and unfortunately spills because the cap wasn’t closed off properly.  Don’t buy one with a spout as it makes it hard to clean and bacteria ends up crawling its way inside of it rending the water bottle useless.

Collapsible cups can come in handy when you don’t have much room in your lunch box and are more suited to adults.  These are practical if you are a coffee drinker or like me, you prefer hot cocoa once in a while.

If you’d like to leave a special treat in your child’s zero-waste lunchbox, here is a reusable juice box that will do just that.  Not only it is reusable, but you know exactly what will be inside of it!

Reuse and reduce

Finally, include a reusable cotton napkin in the zero-waste lunchbox because if your kids are anything like my Blondie Bear, half of the food will get stuck around their mouths or worse, sticky fingers! 

However, your zero-waste lifestyle doesn’t have to stop with the lunchbox.  All the items listed above can also be used when you go on a family picnic or when you are traveling.  Food doesn’t have to be the only thing that is stored in them.  They can be used to store electronics, passports, or to bring home leftovers from a restaurant when you are traveling. 

Check out our Packing Guide for the different ways you can use the zero-waste lunchbox items.