With many schools and workplaces adopting a 'nude food' policy, here are some ways you can pack healthy zero waste lunch box without using any single use plastic, whether it be plastic cling wrap, zip-lock bags, chip packets or yoghurt tubs.
1. Use a bento style lunch box
A bento box style lunch box is an excellent way to pack a balanced meal with the right portions without any plastic wrap or plastic packets. Below are some of our favourite bento lunch box options:
Planetbox
The Planetbox is a smart stainless steel lunch box that guides you in packing a well-balanced, litterless lunch. Its bento style helps keep food separate, and while it isn't leak proof, but the Planetbox dippers are leak proof, and ideal for yoghurt or wet foods. A Planetbox will last for many years to come, will help you replace single-use plastic and also save money by buying food in bulk.
The Planetbox comes in three sizes, with the rover (pictured) our most popular for pre-school aged children, all the way through to adults.
Shop our whole Planetbox range here >
Yumbox Lunch Box
The Yumbox original (pictured) is another of the most popular lunch boxes with our customers. One of its best features is that each of the five compartments are labeled as per the five food groups and accommodate half cup servings each. This is great for assisting parents in preparing a healthy, balanced lunch with a variety of foods. The Yumbox also eliminates the need for zip-lock baggies, multiple lids, plastic wrap and single-use disposable containers like individual tubs of yoghurt. It is even leak proof, and while it isn't designed for very wet food, foods with the consistency of ranch dressing, tomato sauce, chunky salsas, hummus, yoghurt, and veggie dips are all suitable options.
Shop all Yumbox lunch boxes here >
Go Green Lunch Box Set
The Go Green lunch box set is perfect for a nude school policy and to help reduce plastic waste. Each Go Green school zero waste lunch box comes with an insulated fabric carrier, a five compartment bento style food container, a stainless steel drink bottle and a reusable gel freezer pack, all of which are BPA, PVC and lead free. The insulated carry bag is made from PEVA and polyester and features a bright pattern on the outside, and a pocket to hold reusable napkins and cutlery on the inside. There is also a medium size available, for younger kids or very light eaters. The medium size doesn't come with it's own carry bag or water bottle. It does fit in the PackIt classic freezable lunch bag though.
Shop all Go Green lunch box sets here >
B.Box Lunch Box
B.Box stock a range of bento inspired lunch boxes and containers. Their compartmentalised design makes sticking to a nude food policy easy and fun. The B.Box Lunchbox (shown above) features 4 compartments. The largest compartment fits a whole sandwich, and features a 'false floor' that houses a non-toxic ice pack. The second largest compartment also includes a removable divider, bringing the total compartment count to 5 depending on what you need to pack! The final thing we love about the B.Box lunchbox is it can fit a whole piece of fruit thanks to its flexible whole fruit holder. The B.Box Mini Lunchbox features 3 to 4 compartments (depending on where you place the divider) as well as a flexible fruit holder.
View all B.Box here to see everything they have to offer.
2. Use stackable lunch boxes and individual containers
If you prefer individual containers to keep your lunch separated, these stackable lunch boxes are a great option. You could use either the top or bottom section for one large meal, like a sandwich, a wrap or leftovers, and add snacks like fruit, crackers or nuts to the other section. Cheeki's leak proof, double stack stainless steel lunch box (pictured) is toxin free, zero waste, 100% recyclable at the end of its life, and very stylish. This zero waste lunch box has a silicone seal on the inside of the lid, and clips to hold the lid in place.
Another option is the stainless steel Sustain-a-Stacker, which is made from 202 food grade stainless steel and features two layers and a small container. At the bottom you will fit a sandwich or a salad easily, without the need for plastic wrap, with snacks on top. This one doesn't have a silicone seal and is not leak proof. It is fine for non-wet food though.
Individual leak proof containers of various sizes, such as the Kids Konserve nesting trio (pictured), are great for keeping on hand for dressing, salad, pieces of fruit, yoghurt, nuts and other snacks.
Shop our range of stainless steel lunch boxes here >
It would be remiss of us to not mention our very own Good to Go containers. Made from high quality stainless steel, these containers leave no plastic touching your lunch.
The lip around the top of the lid is designed to house another Good to Go container of the same size, allowing stackable lunch boxes to keep different foods separated. We stock Biome's Good to Go containers in a variety of sizes and shapes, and (if we may say so ourselves) we the think they are excellent.
View our full range of Good to Go containers here >
3. Use reusable food bag or pouch
A sandwich pouch, such as this one by Keep Leaf (pictured), is the perfect alternative to plastic cling wrap to keep sandwiches together. They are reusable, safe, easy to clean and will save so much rubbish ending up in landfill each year.
For snacks, we recommend something like this Stasher pouch:
It is easy to clean and works even better than a Zip Lock bag! Stasher pouches come in a variety of sizes, so there is sure to be one to suit your needs.
Shop all sandwich pouches and wraps here > You could also make your own by upcycling old, clean fabric!
4. Replace plastic cling wrap with reusable beeswax wrap
Beeswax or vegan wax (candelilla and non-GMO soy wax) covered cotton or hemp food wraps are reusable and so versatile, and will help you eliminate plastic cling wrap from the school lunch box for good. They are great for sandwiches, wrapping fruit loaf, pieces of fruit, or wraps. Reusable wax wraps stick together easily with the warmth of your hand, and can be cleaned in cool soapy water (not hot water, as the wax will melt). Each beeswax or vegan wax wrap should last between 6 and 12 months with good care.
Our customers love the HoneyBee Food Wraps!
You can shop all reusable wraps here >
There are DIY reusable wax wrap options available too!
More ideas
In your nude food zero waste lunch box, don't forget reusable cutlery, a cloth napkin, and a reusable water bottle too!
