Back to school Lunchboxes for the whole family!
In the rush of school mornings, packing a good healthy and eco-friendly lunchbox is often sacrificed for the easy conveniently packaged plastic snacks. But with a few new habits, packing back to school lunchboxes can be healthy, sustainable AND easy!
Read below for some tips and tricks!
For the younger ones, a bento box is awesome! You can buy durable plastic lunchboxes like this one for around $10, or invest in a more solid stainless steel one for slightly more.
Chop up veggies at the start of the week and store them in an easily accessible container; if kids can assemble their own lunchboxes it saves heaps of time for the adults while giving kids a great sense of responsibility. Plus, they're more likely to eat it all if its food THEY'VE chosen! Add some crackers, cherry tomatoes and a little container of hummus, and you've got a totally awesome, easy lunch!
Reusable yoghurt pouches are ideal - you can bulk buy yoghurt and fill them up at the start of the week. This also saves SO MUCH MONEY!
And remember to bulk it up with the fresh food - not only are fruits n veggies perfectly packaged by nature, but they also come with a bunch of health benefits.
TOP TIP: PACK THE NIGHT BEFORE!!
No matter how prepared you are, the morning school rush can often be pretty hectic, but packing the night before is a foolproof way of prioritising Litterless Lunchboxes. Keep lunchboxes in the fridge overnight, and chuck them in school bags in the morning.
For the parents, a good container, reusable coffee cup and silicon snap lock bag can work miracles and hugely reduce waste! A huge batch of salad can be made at the start of the week, and dished into containers each morning for a super cheap and easy lunch.
Aussie nutritionist Amelia Phillips has worked out that by packing lunch instead of buying it out at work can save over $1,000 every single year!
A falafel salad like the one pictured can also be whipped up into a super easy wrap with some flat bread for older kids, while protein balls also make a good snack for the whole fam.
Making coffee at home, or even just bringing a reusable cup, is also a way to hugely reduce waste and potentially save thousands!
TOP TIP: BULK BAKE!!
Protein balls are my absolute favourite bulk baked snack! Blend together oats, honey, weetbix... whatever you want... and roll them into balls, coated with coconut. There's a million recipes online, and they're such a crowd pleaser! These little balls can last months in the freezer, and are often surprisingly filling so make the perfect snack for lunchboxes from tots to teens to parents too! Especially great for kids as you can hide all the healthy bits in there!