Why pack your child’s lunch? There are so many good reasons! I do it to save money and to make sure my kids are eating a good, healthy lunch each day. There are other advantages, too — like providing your child with a greater variety of foods, and (especially if your child has food sensitivities) guaranteeing control over what they eat.

I also feel it’s important to create as little waste as possible. Instead of using a Ziploc-style baggie for their sandwich, fruit, veggie, and chips (which could easily be at least FOUR bags per day!), why not try Lunchskins by 3greenmoms? Lunchskins are reusable sandwich bags that come in 3 sizes (snack, sandwich, and sub), and a variety of bold, colorful, kid-pleasing prints. The lightweight cotton “baggie” seals closed with a super strong hook and loop strip. Lunchskins are BPA- and phthalate-free, dishwasher safe, and dry quickly. I wash them as soon as they come home from school, and they are ready to use by the time I pack lunches later in the evening. These are really awesome little bags, and they’re just so cute! My kids have already called dibs on their favorite prints.

Here are some other ways to reduce waste when packing lunches:

• Divvy a large package of pretzels, crackers, cookies, etc. into portions, instead of buying single-serving bags. (Lunchskins snack-size bags are perfect for this!)
• Buy a big tub of yogurt, applesauce, etc. and fill a small leak-proof container for them to take.
• Fill a reusable bottle with tap water instead of packing a juice box or bottled water.
• Don’t brown-bag it! Buy an insulated lunchbox in their favorite color that they can use all year.

Not only does this keep a LOT of trash out of the landfills, it saves money, too. Just like cloth diapers. By packing their lunch I spend a fraction of what I would if my kids bought lunch at school every day. And by choosing reusable packaging like Lunchskins, I feel like I’m doing the right thing for the environment. Sometimes even little things can make a big difference.

The opinions expressed above are 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”