Open my kitchen cupboards and a pile of containers will probably come tumbling out. Over the years I've collected quite a collection of supplies to make sure that I don't have to use plastic baggies in my kids lunches. Here are some of my top picks:
Snack Bags:
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Graze Organic - Made with certified organic cotton, these snack bags win the most adorable graphics prize in my book. Plus they are durable and seal tightly.
- reuseit brand - Popular reusables site reuseit.com created their own snack bags made of safe (i.e. no yucky chemicals), durable nylon. The best part is how easily these bags wash up!
- Snack Taxis - These cloth bags are made with love in Massachusetts and come in a variety of fun fabrics. My fav is the groovy guitars!
- Lunchskins - Cute prints and dishwasher safe are the key benefits of these snack bags. I have not personally tried them but have heard rave reviews from other bloggers.
- Natural Value waxed paper bags - I keep these on hand for when all the snack bags are dirty (or lost - many snack bags have gone missing over the years unfortunately.)
Sandwich Boxes:
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LunchBots - We've been fans of these stainless steel lunch containers for years. They are easy to open and the colorful, non-VOC finish makes them bright and cheerful!
- New Wave Enviro - They call this a "seriously safe" lunch container and it is. Made from stainless steel with clips on the side, it is leakproof and chemical free.
- Klip It Lunch Cube - This 3-compartment plastic container has served us well. Put a sandwich in the large compartment and there's room for fruit and snacks in the smaller sections.
- Laptop Lunch Bento Buddies - Buy a set of these durable plastic containers and you'll be set for sandwiches and much more. BPA and lead free of course!
- Almost any plastic, tempered glass or metal container will do the job. Don't run out and buy something new if you don't need to! Just avoid plastics #3, #6 and #7 which can leach toxic chemicals and are certainly not part of a healthy lunch.
Wondering what to put inside? See my Healthy Lunch, Happy Child post for lots of healthy lunch ideas!
In need of a new reusable lunch sack? I've got 6 (yes six!) lunch sacks to give away right over here!
Do you send your kids to school with a waste-free lunch? What are your favorite containers, bottles & bags?
I wrote this post to share with the Healthy Child, Healthy World community. Welcome to anyone who has not visited Mindful Momma before!
(Full disclosure - there are affiliate links in this post. Any purchase you make helps me keep this blog in business - thank you!)
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We use the snack and sandwich bags from http://simplypractical.etsy.com They've been great! We'll probably order a few more for this school year, especially since there's free shipping! They're handmade from a stay-at-home mom is Portland, OR, which is where I'm from. I love supporting at home mamas!
Posted by: Marniepw | August 17, 2011 at 03:24 PM
I just posted my favorite lunch gear here:
http://www.eco-novice.com/2011/08/eco-novices-favorite-eco-friendly-lunch.html
We have many of the same favorites! I included several bags by Etsy sellers that I've really liked.
Posted by: Betsy (Eco-novice) | August 17, 2011 at 07:08 PM
Oh these look great!Those organic reusable sandwich and snack bags look awesome!
Posted by: Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking | August 17, 2011 at 07:44 PM
Hi Marnie - Thanks for introducing me to that Etsy shop - they have some wonderful fabrics - I think I'll be placing an order soon!
Posted by: Micaela | August 18, 2011 at 08:05 AM
Betsy - thanks for sharing your post. I'm very curious to try the Celeste Black waterproof bags - they look awesome!
Posted by: Micaela | August 18, 2011 at 08:08 AM
Hi Alicia - thanks for stopping by! Yes - there is no shortage of cute sandwich & snack bags out there!
Posted by: Micaela | August 18, 2011 at 08:09 AM
No lunch packing for school but do for hubby at work and we have a few containers we got in Korea that he uses.
Posted by: Michele Tarras | August 19, 2011 at 08:16 AM
I just wanted to add Steeltainers to your list of sandwich boxes. They are leakproof and the inner food tray is made from food-grade stainless steel to minimize food contact with plastic. You can check them out at www.steeltainer.com
Posted by: Julia | August 21, 2011 at 04:56 PM
Don't have kids but my husband takes a LunchBot and Klean Kanteen everyday and has for the last several years. Both have held up very well and we are very happy with them.
Posted by: Lisa @Retro Housewife Goes Green | August 27, 2011 at 01:43 PM
Thanks Lisa! Once you start using reusable containers it's hard to imagine not using them - don't you think?
Posted by: Micaela | August 28, 2011 at 12:25 PM