Super Eco

Photo credit: morguefile

So you're packing your kid's lunch to avoid the whole Mystery Meat thing. Food from home is better than whatever's slopped onto the tray by the Lunch Lady, right? But what about what you pack that lunch IN? Many insulated vinyl lunchboxes are chock full of lead, not exactly what you want cozying up to the homemade or organic treats you've lovingly prepared. So what to do? Alternatives, baby. And they're not as hard to come by as you might think.

Laptop Lunches is one-stop shopping for lead-free lunchware. Their Laptop System includes an uber-cool bento set, insulated carrier, and a water bottle. I'd exchange the plastic bottle pictured for a stainless steel version, though; Kleen Kanteen makes several sizes and they're BPA-free, reusable, incredibly durable (mine have lasted years now), and eco-friendly..

Want just the bento? Ichibankan has a great selection.

Brown-bagging it? Not recommended—kids already toss an astounding 67 pounds of lunch trash per year. Each. That's a lot of baloney sandwiches and mushy apples. Instead, go reusable with a stainless steel food jar containing last night's leftovers, tucked into washable canvas lunch bag. Or go one better with the Eco Lunch kit, a cotton bag containing a 2-tier stainless steel lunch container, bamboo utensils, and cloth napkins. No fuss, no waste. Score!

Go retro. Remember when lunch boxes were made of metal? They still are.

Want more ideas? Go here.

Now that your kid's lunch is packed away safely you can concentrate on what's really important—getting him to eat it.