The Bite:
Many seemingly practical, reusable (and even retro-cute) lunchboxes are often laden with PVC and toxic levels of lead, which can contaminate the food. Opt for reusable, lead-free alternatives.
You've made every effort to ensure you packed your child a healthy lunch - or have you?
03.01.2006
Submitted by idealbite on Wed, 03/01/2006 - 6:00pm.
The Benefits:
- Lowers a child’s exposure to lead. Even in small amounts, lead can be harmful to a developing child and can result in conditions that range from impaired brain development to behavioral and physical development problems.
- More practical than aluminum. While old-fashioned lunch boxes have new-found glory as vintage collector’s items, they are impractical, providing little to no food insulation.
- Less waste, especially if you replace disposable items with reusable. A typical disposable lunch, with items like single-serve yogurt, Ziploc bags, and juice boxes, creates 4-8 oz of garbage each day. In one year, this could generate up to 67 lbs of waste – the weight of a child.
Personally Speaking:
Okay, so we don’t have kids, but we are on the go a lot, and have these insulated food bags that can be slipped into one of our carry-ons with ease.
Wanna Try:
- byo lunchbag® by BuiltNY – this clever bag is lead-free, insulated, and can be rolled for easy storage ($20).
- Lunch Pak by Fleurville – multiple zippered pockets for food storage, plus can be carried as a tote or worn as a backpack ($30).
- Laptop Lunch System – an all-in-one reusable lunch pack including a water bottle and utensils ($35).
- Wastefreelunches.org – want to help a whole school become waste-free? This site offers great tips and advice to get your community started.
Cocktail Fact
Production of metal lunchboxes completely halted in 1985, after moms in Florida complained that these could be used as weapons.
Bang For The Bite
For less than the cost of year’s supply of disposable lunch materials (zip lock bags, brown bags, etc), you can purchase safe and reusable lunch containers and cut back on waste.
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