Non-toxic Lunches

We finished up our first full week of hybrid learning for my kindergartener which means 2 days of asynchronous learning (i.e. worksheets and videos from teachers), one day of whole class zooming for 45 minutes and 2 days in person learning.

I forgot how hard it was to get everything done in the morning in order to get a kiddo out the door and to school on time! A silver lining of remote learning has been the slower start to the day. I’m exhausted just thinking back to pre-covid when I would wake up between 6:00am and 6:45am to get breakfast made, pack 3 lunches, get all 3 kids in the car to take the oldest to middle school and then come home to get the others dressed and ready as well as myself. Then get kiddo #2 on the bus and finally drive #3 to school and get myself to the office to start my day by 9:30am. Phew! Yes, silver lining of the pandemic has meant my day has a slower and less hectic start to the day.

To be honest, I was a little excited to start packing lunches again because I love my Planetbox lunchbox and lunch bag. I love it so much that we have one for each kiddo and it makes packing lunches so easy!

Not only is it easy but also non toxic!

Teagan’s Planetbox Rover lunch box and carrying case

Toxic Lunch boxes?

Yes, that’s right! Did you know that lunch boxes can contain harmful chemicals such as lead, BPA and PVC. Back in 2005, the Center for Environmental Health filed lawsuits against several manufactures and retailers of common vinyl lunch boxes that were found to have harmful levels of lead.

Why is this important? Because, when food is stored in the lunch boxes and then eaten by your child they are being exposed to lead.

What are the dangers of lead? Lead exposure can affect brain development (IQ and cognitive function), negatively affect kidney function, affect growth and cause other behavioral and developmental problems.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics there is no safe levels of lead.

What are some other sources of lead?

Paint (in older homes)
Household dust
Contaminated
Water supplied through old lead pipes
Toys that have been imported and/or painted with lead-based paint
Vinyl and plastic toys (lead is commonly added as a softener
Imported ceramics and glazed dishes made in the U.S. prior to the 1990s
Tile
Vinyl mini-blinds

Lets get back to lunches. How do we pack non-toxic lunches?

Check the label of any vinyl insulated lunch box to ensure it says “lead free. Or you can choose a cotton lunch bags. For lunch boxes – look for stainless steel or silicone. I recently learned about Tavva Kitchen as another stainless steel option but have not tested them out yet. Our family used Smart Planet silicone containers on our trip to Disneyland in 2019 and they continue to be our go for not only daily snack trays but longer car trips as well!

A common lunch for Teagan: PBJ, carrot sticks, blueberries, apple, pirate booty and yogurt.

If this kind of lunch box is not your kids syle, then consider Stasher Bags or a reusable sandwich bag instead of plastic sandwich or snack bags.

I’m going to save the topic of non-toxic water bottles and other lunch gear for another day.

Resources:

Diaz, Ruben. “A Back To School Warning: Children’s Vinyl Lunch Boxes Can Contain Dangerous Levels Of Lead | Center For Environmental Health”. Center For Environmental Health, 2021, https://ceh.org/latest/press-releases/a-back-to-school-warning-childrens-vinyl-lunch-boxes-can-contain-dangerous-levels-of-lead/. Accessed 27 Feb 2021.
“Lead Exposure In Children”. AAP.Org, 2016, https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/lead-exposure/Pages/Lead-Exposure-in-Children.aspx.