Start the School Year Off Right: Eco-Friendly Kids’ Snacks

For the parents of school-age kids, the lazy days of summer are now in the rear-view mirror.  Although my son is now in college, I remember well the flurry of activity on school nights (and often school mornings) to try to pack lunches and snacks that ticked the many boxes: 

✓ healthy
✓ convenient
✓ met the school’s allergy restrictions
✓ met my son’s dietary preferences
✓ and ideally provided a bit of variety

And these days, there’s another concern: exposure to plastics through packaging.  Recent studies have found nanoplastics embedded throughout our bodies, including in our lungs and hearts. That is scary stuff.  

And, of course, plastics also pose a major challenge to the health of our planet.  Besides ending up in our oceans and waterways, they also worsen climate change.  Current plastic production accounts for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, surprisingly more than the aviation sector’s contribution.

So what is a well-intentioned parent supposed to pack for school snacks? I asked myself what I would pack for my son if I had to do it over again. I also reached out to friends who put considerable effort into getting it right. Here are some of our top tips:

An Apple a Day, and other healthy snack ideas

It’s easy to rely on the convenience of individually wrapped snacks. The downside:  they are almost always loaded with sugar and wrapped in plastic. And the plastic wrap is nearly impossible to recycle. 

Here’s an alternative that’s convenient, will go easy on your wallet, and will avoid the packaging, while making your kids happy: take them shopping in the bulk aisle. Ask them to choose their 10 favorite snacks and introduce them to a few you like.  Some co-ops and grocery stores have extensive options in bulk that include a variety of nuts, dried fruit and party mixes. If you buy several weeks’ supply, you will do a lot less scrambling during the school week.

Another idea: My friend, Sabine, and I agree that popcorn makes an excellent, healthy snack, and it’s easy to pack!  Make a batch on the weekend and dole it out in snack bags during the week.

Carrots are another great option. Buy them package-free at your local farmer’s market or grocery store, peel and slice them as soon as you get home, put them in a glass jar and submerge them in water. They will last for weeks in your fridge and you (or your kid) can easily grab them in the morning and put them in a snack bag.

Prepping carrots is a big time saver and keeps carrots fresh for a long time. Photo credit: Matt Harrington

Fresh fruit is an easy, healthy option. An apple, pear, grapes. Clementines are always fun. My friend, Sabine, even packs watermelon for her daughter, though something “leaky” like watermelon requires careful thought about the container (more on that below). 

Rini Saha, owner of Fullfillery, the zero waste store in Takoma Park, Maryland likes to pack crackers, nuts and fruit for her daughter’s lunch. She has ambitions about adding homemade hummus with carrots, but admits “time is of the essence for working moms and making hummus from scratch isn’t always possible.” If you do have the time to make it, here’s a delicious recipe I’ve made from Anne-Marie Bonneau aka The Zero Waste Chef.

Just two words: NOT Plastics

Despite the line in the movie, “The Graduate,” the future does not have to be all about plastics. And despite the perceived convenience factor, the future does not have to be all about single-use containers.  Alternatives do exist and sometimes we just need a good introduction to them. Here are a few you might be interested in: 

The beeswax wrap and the beeswax snack bag

These are my go-to options for travel and they also work well for school snacks. They are light and easily washable. The only drawback is that you would not want to use them for anything liquid. I get mine from Etee’s.

Snacks in beeswax wrap and silicone bags. Photo credit: Stephanie Miller

The stainless steel food storage container

These are wonderful. They are pricier than other options but worth the investment as you likely only need one or two and they last forever (as long as your kid doesn’t lose the container!). Fullfillery and other zero waste stores carry them.

School snacks in stainless steel food containers. Photo credit: Rini Saha

The silicone snack bag

Great for nuts and they seal very tightly so they can be used for items that might leak.

The paper sandwich bags

Many of you likely already use these.   They are much better than plastic and can in theory be reused though often get thrown away.

The good old-fashioned cloth napkin

Remember these? It’s all you need if you are sending whole fruit as a snack. A great reusable option.

Eco-friendly lunch and snacks. Photo credit: Sabine Durier

A final word on drinks

The main thing to avoid is juice pouches because they contain high levels of sugar and are not recyclable. My preference for school-bound beverages would be water, (diluted) juice, or homemade lemonade in a reusable bottle. There are so many great bottle options out there. Kids can get excited, I’ve noticed, picking out their favorite color and design (a bit like how excited I used to get when picking out a new lunch box). 

Wishing you a smooth, healthy, plastic-free start to the school year!