In this article we share some tips for how to pack a nude food lunchbox.
At Stanmore Public School we encourage families to pack a "nude food" lunchbox.
What is a nude food lunchbox?
A nude food lunchbox uses no disposable wrappers or single use packaging like plastic, foil or zip lock bags.
This concept has two goals;
to encourage kids to eat more real food and less processed packet food.
to reduce single use packaging and litter at school.
Studies show that, on average, each packed lunch can create three pieces of litter totalling 30kg of waste per child, per year. That converts to approximately 16.8 metric tons of avoidable waste at our school alone!
How to pack a nude food lunch
Understanding that parents are busy, this can seem like a chore. But below are some tips to make it easy and soon it will become habit.
Hopefully you'll find some inspiration with these ideas for how to pack a nude food lunchbox. Even small changes will help the school reduce some of the 16.8 tons of waste each year.
Bento style lunchboxes
Bento style lunchboxes make it easy for food to stay fresh and separate without the need for any wrapping. Pop your food into each compartment and close the lid.
Not everyone has the time to prepare complex recipes for lunchboxes. So keeping it simple with fruit and vegetables and easy options like popcorn, dried fruit, and boiled eggs. These are a delicious and affordable replacement for processed alternatives. Doing some prep on a Sunday night by chopping up fruit and veg ready to go for the week can be a great timesaver.
Baking some delicious lunchbox snacks in bulk is also a great idea. Just doing this once a month can yield loads of lunchbox snacks for stocking up the freezer.
This is a great money saver as well as helping with nude food lunches. Individually portioned food is much more expensive and there is much more waste.
Buy large bags of dried fruit, popcorn, crackers and pretzels.
Grab a block of cheese and cut it up instead of buying individually wrapped sticks or slices. Make your own dips or buy bigger tubs of things like hummus to have with veggie sticks.
Make lunchboxes the night before while you wait for dinner to cook is a great way to save time and washing up.
Reusable drink bottles
Do away with juice boxes, milk boxes, disposable bottles and cans by bringing drinks in a reusable bottle. An insulated drink bottle will keep the contents cool and safe to drink all day.
Don't forget, it's recommended to always choose water to keep your kids hydrated.
Replace disposable straws and plastic cutlery with reusable straws and lunchbox cutlery, you can also get little picks, sporks and florks for using with bento boxes.
There are also lots of reusable ideas for lunchboxes that can help you avoid plastic cling wrap. Beeswax wraps, fabric food bags and wraps or reusable silicone wrap holders.
Make it fun
If you have a fussy eater, and some extra time, make bento lunchboxes fun. Use cookie cutters, sandwich cutters or stamps to make shapes with fruit, veggies and sandwiches.
Part of the appeal of processed and packaged snacks is the bright colours and fun characters. Instead, buy some stickers of whatever your child is into and decorate lunchboxes, pouches, drink bottles or even fruit.
Lunchbox Inspiration
For more tips and tricks to help with packing the perfect lunchbox, visit Nutrition Australia’s Health Lunchbox Week website for recipes and factsheets.
The Eat for Health website also has great information about nutrition and how to choosing a variety of nutritious foods to ensure we all stay happy and healthy.
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