September’s Recipe of the Month: Pack a Lunch

Pack a Lunch!

The time has come to revive the lunch box! Pack a lunch to bring to work and/or send one with the kids school. Bringing your own saves money and disposable packaging everyday. Be the envy of all your friends (or colleagues!) when you bust out your healthy, delicious eco-meal when the whistle blows.

The best way to maximize the green of your lunch is to eat local, seasonal and organic. Pick food high in nutrition and low in meat. Natural, unprocessed foods are best and avoid individually packaged snacks and treats. Need some ideas to get your wheels spinning? Here are a few of our favorites:

The Main Event
Natural peanut butter and organic, local fruit jam on organic, whole-wheat bread
Dolphin-safe albacore tuna salad
Whole wheat pita stuffed with hummus, cucumbers and sprouts

On the Side
Organic, seasonal fruit
Organic, local, raw vegetables
Yogurt with granola
Nuts
Dried fruit

Wet Your Whistle
Filtered water
Fruit juice (not from concentrate)
Home-brewed iced tea

Short ‘n Sweet
Naturally sweetened oatmeal cookies
Organic, dark-chocolate covered nuts or fruit

To-Go Wear
What you choose to eat is important, but what you put it in is the other half of the battle. Avoid plastic bags, Saran wrap and disposable bags and containers. Forgo the plastic tupperware and instead opt for Pyrex glass tupperware that won’t leech nasty chemicals into your food. Bring beverages in a thermos or screw-top glass jar. Pack sandwiches and salads in reusable containers made of glass or aluminum or wrapped in biodegradeable parchment paper. Old yogurt or cottage cheese containers are a great way to tote nuts, fruits, veggies and other smaller items. Get creative! Use your environmental savvy to re-define your lunch box- skip the brown paper bags and vinyl plastic lunch boxes, and instead flaunt your eco-chic ethic by using a cotton canvas bag or a retro metal lunch box.