Are insulated lunch containers really better for the environment?

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Brenda

Yes, we've all heard the hype. Use reusable lunch pails, don't use paper bags, etc. etc. But what about the insulated lunch bags that get thrown out EVERY YEAR!! We need a new one every year. For at least two household members. And from the way the stores get stocked on Labor Day weekend, it's not just us.

So my question is - is the carbon footprint of a reusable, insulated lunch case really better than the carbon footprint for about 250 paper lunch bags? How can you figure this out?

Answer
I see a big problem in your statement. Why would you need a new one each year, I have 2 lunch boxes, one is a tupperware (not insulated) that I've had since the mid 80's, the other is an insulated one that I've had for 3 years and there is nothing wrong with it. I try to reduce the amount of plastic in my life, but this is one area that I think it is a better option. Perhaps you need to find a more durable solution or teach your family to care for things a little better. I see the same problem with backpacks, people want new each year and that has a huge impact on our resources. I buy quality so I buy a lot less often. I also didn't allow my kids to get sucked into the marketing trap of characters, very rarely are they popular with the children more than 1 year and often less than that.

I have a zero waste lunch kit, which means I also don't use disposable containers on the inside. If you are using the lunch bag for such a short time, it may be having a greater impact than paper bags.

What to pack for an outdoor lunch at the park w/ a 3 and 4 yr old?

Red

As soon as it gets warmer (and less snowy/muddy) out, I want to take my 3 and 4 year old to the park a lot. I want to be able to stay there for a few hours and to be able to have lunch there.



I know I should pack plenty of water bottles to keep them hydrated. But what kinds of food should I pack? I can always buy an insulated lunch bag.


I was just hoping for some really good ideas....


Thanks.

Answer
With the distraction of the park kids might not be too willing for a very long sit down lunch. I would pack lots of finger foods like carrots, crackers, maybe some PB and J sandwiches cut into quarters.

If you are planning a longer visit make sure you scoop out the restroom situation first thing.

Sounds like fun - wish I could join you.

EDIT: OPPPSSS what a difference a couple of letters can make - I meant SCOPE out, (as in find, locate, know where they are) not scoop - that would be gross LOL - sorry

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Can I store a bottle with express milk in an insulated nappy bag for a few hours?

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ked.08

I would love to be able to take a bottle with expressed milk to the shops or when we are going somewhere that breastfeeding is a little akward. Can I store the bottle in one of those insulated bottle bags? Can I maybe take the frozen breast milk bags and sterilised bottles and heat when needed? I am not sure how long I can keep it out of the freezer before it is ruined. Thanks :-)

Answer
Yes, you can do this.

Freshly expressed breast milk can be left out at room temperature for at least six hours.

Frozen breast milk can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours once it's thawed. Frozen milk loses some of its immune properties and isn't as resilient to bacterial growth as fresh milk is. It would be fine to tote it along in a small insulated bag (like a lunch kit) with an ice pack to prevent it from thawing too quickly. For both of my kids, I've also brought along a thermos of hot water to heat bottles in once they were ready to eat.

Refer to this chart and the accompanying article - it will help you figure out how to store and transport your milk:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T026900.asp#T026901

Good luck!

What's the best water bottle for a kid's lunch box?

rainwriter

I've been out of the loop for a while. Are Siggs still a big deal or have they been passed up? It seems like most water bottles we find end up with a slow drip when on their sides after just a few uses.

Answer
Ha! You've come to the right place, I happen to be anal about water bottles and have been on a big campaign to find a water bottle that a) is leak proof, b) is thermal and c) the kids can actually open by themselves.

I love the contigo stainless steel ones.
http://www.gocontigo.com/autoseal-stainless-steel-kids-cup.html

S'well also makes insulated leak-proof bottles for kids, but I'm not sure how easy they would be to open. I actually e-mailed the company to ask if their bottles are leak PROOF and they are.
https://store.swellbottle.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=TWB

Kleen Kanteen makes good ones but the sport bottles are not leak proof, they even say that on their website.

My kids are 3 and 6 and wouldn't be able to easily open a bottle that has to be screwed on and off, so we chose contigo. They've been shoved in back packs, dance bags, gym bags, lunch bags, and never leaked.

EDIT- Apparently we have a water-bottle-hater in our midst, LOL! Lots of thumbs downs!

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How long does an insulated bag work for?

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~ <3 ~

I'm going to be at college for 12hrs, plus another 2hrs driving time.

If I were to keep some food in an insulated bag, APPROXIMATELY (to your best knowledge) how many hours max would it stay fresh for if:

-the food was reallly hot or frozen?
-it was just sorta cold?

Thanks.

Answer
I found this for you. Hope it helps!

Lunch Bags & Boxes
The first thing you will need is a container in which to pack the lunch. It doesn't need to cost a lot of money. For adults a small cooler makes a great lunch box. Fred uses a medium sized cooler. He is usually gone for 24 to 48 hours, so he needs alot of food to keep him going. For children and teenagers, you can usually find inexpensive lunch boxes and insulated lunch bags at yard sales and thrift stores.

Small children often prefer a plastic lunch box with cartoon characters on the side. I suggest you buy these as cheaply as possible. They only last for a year or two before the children drop them or the latch breaks. At $6 to $10 a piece, buying brand new boxes has never been a good investment for me. I have purchased them new when I desperately needed the thermoses that came with them. After the plastic lunch box broke, I purchased replacements from my local Goodwill. I continue to use the same thermos year after year.

If the art work on an older lunch box is shabby, you can easily replace it. Use rubber cement to glue down a new picture (cut to size) and then cover the picture with clear contact paper. I've done this, and it lasted almost 2 years, until the lunch box cracked and became unusable. Amy D. describes the process in detail in the first book of The Tightwad Gazette.

For older children insulated lunch bags work best. They don't have the juvenile connotations of plastic boxes with matching thermoses, so older kids usually don't object to carrying them. I like them because they don't break when they get drop-kicked across the livingroom by a budding football player. Since they have soft sides, it is easier to fit more food and odd-shaped containers in them too. They usually have zipper closing and shoulder straps for carrying them. I buy the largest ones I can find because I find them easier to fill. Many modern insulated bags have several extra zipper pockets and sections on the outside to carry little extras like napkins, spoons and salt or pepper packets. My boys like these but they aren't really necessary. Purchased brand-new, insulated lunch bags cost between $5 and $15. If you wait until back-to-school-sales you may find them cheaper. Over the summer they can often be found at yard sales. Insulated lunch bags usually do not come with their own thermos, so you will have to use some you already have or buy them separately.

What is a good lunch to take on a field trip to Sesame Place?

Bright B

Not sure excatly what to take. It will be 80 degrees and more than likely the food has to stay in the backpack at least until lunch.

I was thinking of getting some lunchables, and a box of Capri Suns.

Any other suggestions? I don't want my kids to sick or the food to go bad in the bag.

Answer
I think I would try Peanut Butter and Jelly with Capri suns. I would worry about lunchables that have lunch meats in it. Either that or find a insulated lunch bag and put the sandwiches inside it with an ice pack. that should keep them until lunch time.

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Kid friendly recipes for school lunch?

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Bunny

What are some kid friendly recipes that I could use for my children's lunch boxes? Example Macaroni/pasta salad. I am a picky eater but my children are not. So when it comes to things like macaroni salad I know it has all kinds of veggies which is what I want my kids to have, but have no idea how to make it or what goes in it cuz I don't eat that stuff myself. Although I don't eat some things I still encourage my kids to eat them. This is the first year that we are actually sending them to school with their own lunch. I don't want to send them with pb&j all year and could really use some ideas/ suggestions. I do not mind cooking if I need to. They are not allowed to use a microwave at school, because they are in elementary school. So it goes in the insulated lunch boxes/bags. Thanks in advance to all who help. It is all appreciated.

Answer
Sandwiches (or mix that up and do wraps,crackers and let them dip or stack the sandwich filling)
-Cheese (like Colby Jack)
-Ham
-Turkey
-Chicken Salad (mine prefer their grapes to the side)
-Egg Salad
-Tuna Salad
-Hamburger on bread with cheese,lettuce and pickles
-Brie and Pears
-Grilled Chicken and Mangoes
-BLT
-Roasted Turkey with Cranberries
-Ricotta Cheese & Strawberries

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Salads

-Pizza Pasta Salad ; just leave out or sub what they won't eat.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pizza-salad-ii/

-Berry Summer Salad
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/berry-delicious-summer-salad-10000001079869/

-Cobb Salad
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/potato-cobb-salad-10000000451474/

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Homemade Lunchables ;

-Pizza ; flat bread,sauce,cheese,pepperoni,bell peppers,mushrooms or whatever else they will eat on pizza.

-Cracker Stackers ; Turkey and/or Ham,Cheese. Then on the side you could do carrots and then an apple or something.

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Breakfast
-Pancakes and fruit topping with syrup. (Just make sure they're fine with it cold I guess)


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Go Asian with cold chicken lettuce wraps
http://www.food.com/recipe/cold-chicken-lettuce-wraps-426004
^Just leave out or sub nuts if they can't bring those to school.

What are different ideas for packing lunches for my daughter?

Kylee Brui

My daughter just started kindergarten, and has started bring lunches to school. I never brought lunches to school, so I don't have any knowledge on different ideas.
I don't want to send her with just sandwiches, chips, carrots, ect everyday.. Any tips/ideas for different food that will stay good in her lunch bag until they eat? Thanks!

Answer
My kids take a variety of things. Sandwiches (but no peanut butter or any type of nut spread), a fun snack like cookies or chips, and a healthy snack like raisins or carrot sticks. I've also found that you can freeze yogurt or Go-gurt tubes, and pack them frozen. By lunch time, they are melted or semi-melted and still cold for the kids to eat. My daughters also like the mini cups of applesauce, single serve cups of pudding or even bags of dry cereal. A trick I use to keep things cold is to freeze the juice box and pack it frozen. Like the yogurt, it defrosts in the bag, but keeps the rest of the lunch cold. By lunch time, it's perfect to drink. I pack in an insulated, reusable lunch bag.

For sandwiches, the kids like jelly, lunch meats with cheese, grilled cheese served cold, the typical normal foods.

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