#10/20 Pack a Green Lunch

Let’s be Green Lunch Packers

 This March, we are looking at all things green. Litterless lunch (or whichever meal you pack to go) is a great way to make a green change. We have noticed a number of new products in our supplier catalogues that can help you. Here are a few of the new products for both the bigs and littles in your house. (Litterless lunch is not just a school thing!)

 One of my favorites is something new from an old idea, the stainless steel tiffin. Tiffins are an East Indian idea, a set of metal containers that stack, so food could safely, and easily, travel from home for the noon meal.  The tiffins we have in stock are from Now Designs, and are available in all stainless steel or with painted exterior and stainless interior. The containers stack three high, and while not perfect for soups or other liquids as there is no seal, it works for veggie and dip, crackers and cheese, fruit, wraps, and other snacks. The containers snap together with two metal hinges on either side of the lid, with a convenient carrying handle.

 Good Grips has introduced a small cousin to the larger On-the-Go Lunch container. The lunch container has two leak-proof compartments so you can transport both a sandwich and salad, or soup and crackers. The lid snaps down on four sides for better sealing.  The container is both microwave and dishwasher safe. The new small cousin is an On-the-Go Snack container. This just the right size for yogurt and cookies or a bar, with two compartments and a lid to this set as well. Same construction and versatility as the Lunch container in a smaller version. We also really like the two-piece pack of Good Grips silicon containers for salad dressing or other condiments.

 For a slimmer profile in your lunch bag or box, the Stasher family of silicone bags is very handy for snacks and sandwiches. Made from 100% pure silicone, this is a great alternative to plastic as each bag can be re-used many, many times. A Stasher bag can be heated, cooled, frozen and will go in the dishwasher for cleaning. Available in a number of colours and sizes, there is a Stasher sandwich or snack bag for everyone in your family.

 Now your food storage is all sorted out for litterless lunches, how do you get it from home to work or school? How about one of the new Washable Paper Bags from Danica Studio? Made from 90% paper and 10% natural latex, these bags are insulated with a magnetic snap closure. There is lots of room for the Good Grips Lunch container and some snacks. Hand wipe/wash to clean, these Paper Bags are available in several patterns. If keeping lunch cold is important and you don’t have a fridge at work, how about a Freezable Hampton Lunch Bag? Yes, the whole bag folds and freezes overnight so you can expand and pack it with lunch the next day. No ice packs to forget or lose. The interior is generous, zipper closure at the top, and the handles make it easy to carry. These Freezable Lunch Bags also come in a variety of patterns and are hand wash/wipe clean too.

 Packing a lunch can be as easy as putting leftovers from supper into a portable container, making up sandwiches, or cutting fruit and veg into bitesize pieces. It’s a great habit to get into, saving money and making healthy choices. Dedicating specific containers and bags for your lunch is another great idea. That also saves time, money and is a good choice for the environment over waxed paper, plastic bags and other single-use packaging. Being green starts, and continues, one choice (or lunch) at a time.

 Did you know? In South India, a tiffin is a light snack. In the cities of Mumbai and New Delhi, the word refers to the container holding lunch.