With a new school year just around the corner, let's follow the example set by Canada and pack our children's lunches in safe, plastic free containers and give them healthy food, assembled with love. It lets our children know how much we care, saves money they would have spent on food that would probably not be as healthy, even gets them to participate in the selection and preparation of the lunches. Put in a note that says you love them and it's a win-win lunch all the way around! Your child will be the envy of the others!
Leslye Adelman, Founder
Gentle Nurturing
Thermos® lunch kits and FUNtainer™ for Kids reduce waste and help parents pack safe, healthy lunches
Ask any Canadian mother how she feels about packing school lunches and you will find she is concerned about food safety, health and waste reduction. Food must last in a hot locker or backpack and be sensitive to student's food allergies. Beverage containers must be hygienic and bisphenol A (BPA) free. Homemade lunches are best, they're economical and packed with love. And all lunches must comply with school litterless regulations. Who would have thought this simple task was so complex?
Today, how you pack your children's lunch is just as important as what you put in it. Did you know that Canada is the second highest per capita producer of municipal solid waste in the world? And school lunches are a major source of waste as the average student's lunch generates a total of 30 kilograms of waste per school year, or an average of 8,500 kilograms of waste per school per year, according to the Recycling Council of Ontario.
It is no wonder school boards across Canada have implemented waste reduction programs with litterless lunches becoming compulsory. The concept means no throwaway packaging: food and drinks are packed in reusable containers within a reusable lunch bag; and all containers are resealable, so that leftover food and drink can be consumed (or composted) later.
Follow these simple ways to pack an eco-friendly, litterless lunch:
Use a reuseable lunch bag
Use a refillable BPA free bottle for drinks
Use an insulated hydration bottle for cold drinks or a food jar for hot soups
Put sandwiches and muffins in reusable containers, instead of plastic bags
Avoid pre-packaged, single serving portions of snacks and drinks
Put reuseable cutlery and napkins in your child's lunch box
These same tips also ensure food safety by avoiding food spoilage and preventing poisoning. Insulated bags keep food cold while an insulated food jar keeps hot foods hot to retain food at optimal temperatures. Besides, these simple ways are also economical - invest in small reusable containers in a variety of sizes and pack your own single serving portions to save money.
Purchasing prepared single servings of snack foods, puddings and pastas may save time, but the costs add up.
"Canadian parents are more concerned than ever about their children's food safety and want to send them to school with nutritious and fun lunches to provide the energy needed to get through the day." says Hugh McDonald, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Canadian Thermos Products. "The need to ensure their children have safe, healthy and eco-friendly lunches is very important, especially considering today's demanding lifestyles and awareness of ecology and healthy living."
Canadian Thermos Products carries a full line of children's and youth lunch kits, reusable food jars and hydration bottles that encourage food wise, convenient eating and hydration that is also good for the environment. Thermos lunch kits keep food fresh for hours with IsoTec™ superior insulation and are heat-sealed for protection against bacteria. They appeal to children and youth with a variety of fun designs to choose from.
Thermos FUNtainer™ for kids offers kid-proof designed food containers and beverage bottles made of high quality, unbreakable stainless steel - and 100 percent free of bisphenol A (BPA). They provide maximum temperature retention, hot or cold with TherMax® double wall vacuum insulation. The fun designs appeal to children and youth and provide food safety, insulation and eco-friendly options for packing school lunches. Other features of FUNtainer™ for kids products include:
Kid-proof design: unbreakable stainless steel interior and exterior withstands daily wear and tear
Hygienic push button lid with pop-up straw
Sweat-proof design won't leave water rings
Cool to the touch with hot foods
Non-slip, scratch-resistant base
For over 100 years, Thermos® brand insulated products have been keeping food and beverages hotter, cooler and fresher. Today this commitment continues with an expanding range of innovative, fashionable products that preserve flavour and freshness. When it says Thermos®, you know what to expect - we just deliver it in ways you'd never expected.
Thermos® has become a part of our healthy, active routines. Encouraging food wise, convenient eating and hydration that's also good for the environment, the Thermos® line includes products that are suitable for all stages of life from infancy through to adulthood. Through on-going product development and innovation, Thermos®continues to create opportunities for the Canadian consumer to eat healthy, stay active and be good to the planet.
Today, Thermos® products are widely found across Canada including mass retail, hardware, drug stores, supermarkets and other specialty retail locations. A heritage brand with a reputation of quality, Thermos® has become the brand that Canadians have come to trust with the convenience needed for today's active and demanding lifestyles.
