How to Pack a Planet-Friendly School Lunch That Your Kids Will Love

Packing school lunch every weekday may not be everyone's favorite task, but one thing is certain—it is an action full of opportunities. According to numerous studies, food accounts for 10 to 30 percent of a U.S. household's total carbon footprint—and being thoughtful about how we approach what we eat can make a significant impact on mitigating the climate crisis. School lunches are a great place to start. We spoke to an eco expert and a chef to get their insights.

Start With Lunch

"School lunch can be the start of an environmental conversation. These kids have really inherited quite an overwhelming legacy with the climate crisis, and anything we can do to scaffold them and show them there are things we can do now to support them with the Earth they're inheriting, I think is beautiful," says Alexandra Zissu, eco-lifestyle expert, author, and consultant at Moms Clean Air Force, an organization dedicated to protecting children from air pollution and climate change.

How do you turn a daily packed lunch into a nutritious, tasty, climate-friendly meal? It takes creativity, but with a bit of planning, it isn't hard.

Reduce Single-Use Items

Single-use containers are quick and easy but wreak havoc on our planet, health, and wallets. Thankfully, all sorts of cute, fun, reusable lunch containers have popped up on the market in recent years. Here are a few to keep on hand:

Reusable water bottle: You can rinse these out daily or even pop them in the dishwasher, and using one cuts down on the waste generated by plastic water bottles or juice boxes.

Reusable sandwich and snack bags: Stay away from single-use plastic bags, but remember that if your goal is to also cut down on plastic, you should read carefully what the reusable bags are made of. "A lot of them are sold in fabrics that actually contain plastic, so if your goal is to be plastic-free, you have to sleuth a little, but they're reusable, so if your goal is to keep stuff out of the landfill, you want the most durable fabric you can find," says Zissu who prefers simple cotton bags for lunch use.

Reusable stainless steel or glass containers: These are excellent options for avoiding plastic. Glass containers are a nice option for keeping food fresh and secure, but they are heavier, and some school districts might not allow glass containers. "Stainless steel or silicone bento boxes, cut down on single-use plastics and weigh less," says Zissu. 

Thermos: Don't forget a thermos, especially if you have a child who is not a sandwich fan. It's great for soups, stews, pastas, and even reheated leftovers.

Cloth napkins and stainless steel utensils: Having reusable utensils cuts down on waste and will save you money—as long as your child can remember to bring them home!

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Lunch Food

After you have the tools, think about the food that will go into your child's lunch. 

Keep it varied: We love variety in our home, says Dom Crisp, parent and executive chef of Los Angeles restaurant The Lonely Oyster. "Giving my kid a changing array of starches, fruits, and proteins always keeps them interested and excited about finishing their food." Even if they are locked into one food every day, add different spreads or mix it up a little. So, if an apple is a must-have, accompany it with different peanut butter or seed spreads for dipping to enhance their interaction with the meal.

Avoid packaged snacks when possible: Choose whole, in-season fruits or vegetables over pre-packaged snacks. Shopping at a local farmers market is a great option if it's available—and/or look for organic, regenerative, and fair-trade certifications in supermarkets. When it comes to shelf-stable snacks, buy in bulk and portion out servings in reusable bags or containers if you can, but don't forget to cut yourself a break if you can't. "We're all tired. If you need to stick a yogurt in there, that's not something you made yourself in your instant pot, go for it," says Zissu.

Pack less meat and dairy: Another way to reduce the carbon footprint of packed lunches is to cut down on meat and dairy products.  A 2023 study of more than 55,000 people and 38,000 farms in 119 countries found that plant-based diets produce 75 percent less heat-trapping gas, generate 75 percent less water pollution, and use 75 percent less land than meat-rich diets—those that include at least 100 grams of meat daily, the equivalent of one steak about the size of a deck of cards. Start small; try packing one vegan or plant-based lunch per week.

Let them choose: Finally—and perhaps most importantly—don't forget to have your kids help choose the foods that go in their lunch; it'll likely help reduce waste.

Reduce School Lunch Food Waste

In the U.S., food is the single most common material found in landfills. Once there, trapped under other debris, food rots and in that oxygen-starved setting, emits methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. According to the EPA, food waste accounts for up to eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, as kids are constantly changing their preferences and sometimes they're too excited to eat at school or lunch is at a strange time when they aren't hungry, your children will likely have leftover food. Some school districts offer composting, which is a great option for reducing the greenhouse emissions of food waste. However, even if your child's school composts, you might still want your child to bring their leftover food home.

"I liked them to keep the food because on the way home, if I'm the one doing pickup that day, we eat what I call second lunch," says Zissu. Crisp also supports the idea of bringing food home: "As a chef myself, I like to be the household garbage disposal and make the little dude food I like to eat myself. This way, we are mirroring each other as we eat, and I can also feel good about eating after them if they don't finish." It's also another way of figuring out how much food your child is eating and what kinds of food they are, which can help you and them pack the lunches they will eat.

Keep It Cute

Your aim is to get them to eat, to enjoy what they eat, and also not to create waste. Let them help pick out the supplies and food items, and remember that small flourishes can go a long way. You may not have the time or inclination to go full arts-and-crafts with their food, but just playing with shapes and colors can make it all more engaging. One final thing might not seem important but we think it is: Don't forget to write little notes in their lunchbox. "I get yelled at for that, but I know they love it, and when they started telling me it was really uncool, I started writing them from the cats, and nobody complained," says Zissu.