This is a guest post written by a new member of the MightyNest community. She is just beginning her journey towards creating a safe and healthy home for her family. Amanda will be writing posts periodically, sharing her journey with us.
I can honestly say that over the last several months I have become much more conscious of my carbon footprint and the potentially harmful effects of toxins to my health and the health of my family. My association with MightyNest has nudged me in that direction. I started to really learn about BPA, how toxic chemicals interact with our genes and the toll that toxins and plastics take on our environment. Before then, I was of the mindset that I am just one person amongst millions and I felt that any changes I made to be more eco-friendly or health conscious would be insignificant.
Take my kids school lunches for example. Over the last several years, I have purchased plastic pudding cups, plastic fruit cups, plastic applesauce cups, pre-packaged Goldfish crackers, juice boxes AND I've wrapped my children's sandwiches in plastic bags. Well, those days are over!
At the start of this school year I purchased Snack Taxi reusable snack bags, LunchBots Uno's and Stainless Steel Rounds, reusable sandwich wraps by Semilla, Kids Konserve ice packs and LifeFactory glass water bottles for my three children. Sure, it was a hefty investment up front, but these items are so well made and so durable that they should last for a very long time. Consequently, I've done away with pre-packaged food, which is a huge savings. I now purchase glass jars of applesauce and pour a bit into the LunchBots Rounds for each of them.
I have to say, my children LOVE the sandwich wraps! In fact, they love all of their new waste-free lunch gear! And, it may sound strange, but I actually enjoy packing their lunches now because the containers are so fun. The convenience is also great. The other night, I prepared a roast chicken. After dinner, I cut up the remaining meat and packed it in their LunchBots Uno's. The next morning, as I was packing lunches, all I had to do was transfer those containers from the refrigerator to their lunch bags. They even ate the leftover sautéed sweet corn which I placed in the LunchBots Rounds.
Why do I feel good about this? For many reasons! Have you been inside a school cafeteria? The amount of waste is unbelievable. I feel good that my kids are throwing away NOTHING - a completely waste free lunch! I also feel good that we are ultimately saving money on lunch foods and storage bags. I know from my research that chemicals DO leach into food and that even the smallest amount - accumulated over time - could put them at risk for cancer and other diseases later in life. Every change DOES make a difference - I do believe that. I can't protect my children from every possible harm, but I can protect them from some.
Have you switched over to waste-free lunches? What are you favorite products or ideas?
