Green Goods

This is where I will be sharing a few of my favorite green goods products. 

Topic: Green Lunches

If every American child attending a public elementary school packed a waste-free lunch, 1.2 billion pounds of lunch waste would be diverted from landfills each year.
http://environment.about.com/od/greenlivingdesign/a/school_lunch.htm

Kleen Kanteens-  http://www.kleankanteen.com/ Each member of my family has one of these, including the baby (they make special sippy attachments) and they are amazing.  We never leave home without them! They are no longer limited to just the stainless finish, they are now available in fun colors and the kiddos at school think my daughter's canteen is so cool, and it is environmentally friendly, what's better than that? 

Reusable Snack Bags- http://www.etsy.com/listing/66306206/think-green-and-pink-reusable-snack-bag These bags are perfect for school lunches. They are so easy to open and close which is a necessary feature for little kindergartners. They are easy to clean, hold practically anything, and again, they are fun. My daughter has to wear a uniform for school so she really enjoys being able to at least have some fun coordinating her lunch bag and snack bags.

Utensils- Simply pack utensils from home.

Reusable napkins- Fabkins are 100% certified organic cloth napkins for kids! http://www.fabkins.com/v/vspfiles/retailers.html

Glass containers with lids- http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=9792&catId=123&parentCatId=123&outletSubCat I had been using these containers for baby food but the baby has grown and does not require the baby food anymore (sad for mommy, happy for her).  So, I have been using these in lunches but the lids are a little difficult for my kindergartner. So, I was ecstatic when I saw that Ziploc has come out with glass containers, YEAH! FINALLY!

 

Ziploc VersaGlass contains- http://www.ziploc.com/whatsnew/Pages/ZiplocVersaGlassContainers.aspx These have more of a lip to them and my little one can open these much easier.  Another added bonus for moms, when you purchase a VersaGlass there are coupons inside the container!

Packing School Lunches- Have your kiddos help make the lunches it can be a great learning opportunity.  Print off the image from www.ChooseMyPlate.gov it provides the breakdown of each food group and portion size as it relates to a plate.  Then let the kiddos raid the pantry and refrigerator to locate the necessary items that meet each food group. Have them then place the foods in the center of your table by food groups, so that it mimics the food groups on the visual printed off.  The kiddos will have fun and moms can relish in the fact that their children are learning the food groups, portion sizes, and the best part, mom gets to simply observe while the kiddos make their own lunches.

I have my preschooler participate in this activity too.  He is home for lunch but he enjoys making his own lunch with his sister the night before and I like the fact that he can just get it out of the refrigerator the next day.

Make lunch extra special- (moms, you might want to have a secret box where you can simply have these items ready to grab at a moments notice)

• Use a cookie cutter to cut your kiddos sandwich into fun shapes and images.
• At a family gathering bring along a pad and paper, have each family member write a short note.  Or, add a photo of a family member or a special friend. 
• Find a small rock and write YOU ROCK!
• Place three objects in their lunch bag and see if they can figure out what they have in common.
• Purchase or make a paper doll and add clothing and accessories each day.

Please add to the list.