When I was in elementary school, you had a few choices when it came to Lunchables, and it all came down to which kind of meat you wanted. Yup, it was old school: meat, cheese, crackers, and a packet of sauce.
The Lunchables that are appearing at camp lunch this summer show a much wider variety of options. I’ve seen chicken strips, pizza, nachoes, hot dogs, and yes, a few of the old school cracker kinds.
While these pre-packed lunches are definitely easier on mom and very popular with the kids, they are also a problem for the environment. The hot dogs, for example, are in a box, in a plastic tray with plastic film covering it; the buns are wrapped in their own separate plastic bag; and the candy desert is wrapped separately. The amount of trash that ends up in the landfill from one of these lunches is amazing.
Now imagine that repeated 200 times, every day, if every camper brought a Lunchable. There are some green alternatives that continue the spirit of the Lunchable. This mom created her own homemade version to deal with a child’s food allergy, but the same idea can be used as a green alternative (notice the reusable container). The basic idea of the Lunchable is based on an old Japanese tradition of the bento box; check out lunchinabox.net for new, American style bentos with sources for the boxes, ideas for what to pack, and more information.
Not only are these options better for the planet, they are healthier for the kids, too.
by Leigh, Education Specialist
