Waste Not in Thine Cafeteria

So here I go again, talking about the documentary, No Impact Man. But just for a second, okay? There is one particular scene that is so engrained in my brain, I must share. It's when Colin shows us the family's waste from the first week of their project. Do you remember this? There's like two little papery slivers in the entire waste basket. Although I am highly cognizant of my trash output and am moderately okay about the little bag that leaves my house on a weekly basis, I still feel bad knowing that I will never get close to what this guy is doing.

And then I go shopping, say at the grocery store or the local toy shop and every single time, I get really upset, seeing all of the ridiculous excess packaging slapped on pretty much everything from yogurt covered pretzels to Star Wars action figures. I also have very mixed feelings about those 100 calorie snack pouches. On one hand, I'm glad to know that people are beginning to actually see what 100 calories (basically, a decent sized afternoon snack) looks like. However, all of the plastic that goes around what is basically a handful of nuts or granola makes me a bit insane. Some time ago, I bought a few little plastic containers to ease my burgeoning insanity, which I now regularly use for those types of small snacks. (Of course, glass containers would be even more eco-friendly but I'm pretty darn klutzy.) These containers work particularly well for yogurt, considering that most of the cities I've lived in don't seem to recycle the single serving yogurt containers. Ugh.

So now that I'm in the habit of buying the big container/jar/jug of whatever foods to ration myself, it's not a big deal. However, for families, I do realize that this adds precious time to what is already a hectic day. Yet in the long run, those pre-packaged foods are not only Satan to the environment, the mere costs of them add up.

In preparation of the school year, I happened upon this website which details some of these issues. Get this, they say that "...on average, a school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That equates to 18,76 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school". And the price tag of disposing this school trash in my city? Approximately $81, 000 annually! When our educational system is already suffering immensely, this seems like a problem most families could tackle to ease some of the financial burden of their schools.

So what can you do? (I'm so glad you asked!) Well, first off, even though I'm focusing on meals at school, we all need to realize that a waste free lunch applies to all of us who eat lunch outside of the home, assuming of course, that you aren't eating on a paper plate at the dining room table.

Secondly, check out http://wastefreelunches.org/. And if looking at yet another website makes your head hurt, simply make an attempt to keep plastic baggies, aluminum foil, and wax paper out of the equation as often as possible. Consider buying a couple of reusable containers including one of those handy sandwich sized guys. Immediately, you are doing good for the environment while saving money. Win win! And funnily enough, when you start minimizing the pre-packaged stuff, you will notice your child's lunch becoming healthier and healthier. Makes sense, doesn't it, that all of that preserved/wrapped up/sitting-on-store-shelves-for-months-at-a-time stuff probably isn't too darn healthy?

However, it's a hard transition to make. I get it. As I've said before, I'm no saint. Part of the reason I write these posts is to remind myself of what I (single, childless, non-crazy/hectic household dwelling person) could be doing. And I'm still a sucker for granola bars, despite all of the stupid packaging that comes along with them. So I assure you, we are in this together. Need help coming up with new lunchbox ideas? Check out http://www.laptoplunches.com/ for some healthy recipes. I'm looking at them, too.

And of course, the bigger question is:

Is this all worth the time and hassle?

I definitely think so. The other great aspect of a waste-free lunch is that contrary to all of the messages crashing into our kids' brains, taking steps to reduce and re-use shows them that we do not have to live in such a disposable world. I mean, we do have some say in the matter, don't we? Soon enough, instead of emptying the remnants of their lunch boxes into the cafeteria wastebasket, they will bring silverware and perhaps a cloth napkin back home to clean. Caring for every day things is a great way to build on the all-encompassing message of taking care of our planet and of course, one another.

But back to that granola bar conundrum. It's easy, fast, and the sugar rush I "need" in the afternoon. Well, look at me, I just turned around and made my very own. (Well, maybe it was a few days ago but whatever.) Adapted from a Whole Living magazine recipe, here's my own take:

1 1/4 cups slow cooking oatmeal

1/2 cup dried fruit

1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional)

1/4 cup nuts, coarsely chopped nuts (pistachios, pecans, walnuts, or almonds)

1/4 tsp. salt

*1/2 cup honey

*1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Sprinkling of chocolate chips

*Since I am a peanut butter addict, I use equal parts of honey and peanut butter, basically 1/3 cup and 1/3 cup.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease an 8-by-8 inch baking pan with canola or walnut oil. In a bowl, combine oatmeal, dried fruit, flaxseed, nuts, and salt. In a small stovetop pan, combine the honey, peanut butter, and vanilla. Cook over low to medium heat until melted. Pour over dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pat mixture into baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. (Gee, wonder who came up with that step.) Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until edges pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan. Ta da!

No packaging to speak of, especially when they go directly from the pan into my mouth. But my sugar addiction is a whole other topic. Enjoy, my friends, and waste not!