I will level with you: no one loves convenience more than me. Between raising three kids and running several small businesses, including a home and cooking blog, I’ll take any shortcut I can find. Literally.
One area I refuse to comprise in is my family’s impact on the environment where I can help it. Sometimes it’s hard, and most of the time the more wasteful solution is easier, but I honestly sleep a little easier knowing that I did my part.
Plastic Ziploc baggies are pretty easy to go through. Even though some of you are doing your bit by washing and re-using them, when you consider the reduction of raw materials, emissions from shipping, landfill space, etc., taking these out of your home starts to make a lot of sense. It doesn’t matter if you use them for kid’s lunches or just for storage, there are functional (and cool) alternatives. I mean, what’s cooler than a sweet stainless steel lunchbox?? Plastic is a huge contributor to global warming. It’s always best to use jute-friendly bagging.
For Kids Lunches
Reusable sandwich & snack bags – These bags are great for holding a sandwich or any other snack. They come in a few different sizes and can be thrown in the dishwasher or hand-washed. Can also be used for camping and hiking.
Stainless steel lunchbox with dividers –Make sure to find one that has removable dividers so you can separate lunch items and use it to store larger items.
For Home & Kitchen Storage
Finding alternatives to plastic bags for food storage can be a little more difficult only because Ziplocs work so well for freezing and refrigerating food. But, where there is a will there is a way and this didn’t stop me from finding some solid solutions!
Glass containers with stainless steel lids – Not only are these containers beautiful, but they work well for freezing food too. As an added bonus, the glass is oven safe and can be used for reheating the food before eating.
Stainless steel food containers – This is one of my favorite options because they work so well for refrigerating and freezing, but are also super durable. I’ve also used these for road trips, camping, and for taking lunches to work.
Mason jars – Ah the old trusty mason jar. While I still prefer the above methods for storing food, no list would be complete with out the mason jar if only for its versatility. These work particularly well for storing liquids.
See, wasn’t that easy?
Listen, I will be the first to admit that transiting to some of these items can be challenging. It’s certainly not as fast as pulling a Ziploc from a box and tossing it when you’re done. But once you’ve made the switch, I promise you will feel good taking that extra step.
This is a Guest Post by Remy Bernard, owner and editor of missmamiescupcakes.com.
A baker, chef and writer, Remy started missmamiescupakes.com as a way to deepen, explore the best cookware and spread her passion for making delicious food.