Edible Earth Day Activities

By simply packing lunch in a sustainable lunchbox everyday, you’re helping to keep our planet happy and thriving for future generations. Fill them up with some food crafts as an interactive way to engage your kids in conversation about the preservation of natural habitats and wildlife, while getting them involved in making healthy choices. It’s a fun way to have them sample new foods they may not usually be open to trying, too! Use these as inspiration to create your own Earth Day lunches or make them for a fun at-home activity using a Rover Tray!

 

MONARCH BUTTERFLY LUNCH

Like bees, monarch butterflies are also pollinators, which means they’re also a part of the food chain. Their presence actually indicates a healthy ecosystem! 

How to help: Bike, walk, and carpool more to help reduce climate change due to emissions.

Food fact: Monarch butterflies sip on a sticky, sugary substance called honeydew

BEE LUNCH

 

Bees pollinate over 130 fruits and vegetables and are responsible for pollinating three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants. Without bees, many of our favorite foods would be in short supply, which also means they would be very very expensive. 

How to help: When you’re buying honey, try to choose varieties that are locally made, to support our local honey bees and their beekeepers! It’s better for your immune system too!

Food fact: Cashews plants are pollinated from bees

 

 

UNDER THE SEA LUNCH 

 

It’s not news that much of our single-use plastics end up in the ocean. And most of it ends up there unintentionally as the wind carries it from garbage bins, landfill sites, and street litter into rivers and streams. Plastic in the ocean is consumed by fish and sea animals, which we ultimately consume ourselves, making it especially dangerous.

 

How to help: In addition to using reusable food containers, switch to reusable grocery bags too! Avoid products that contain microbeads such a face scrubs, toothpaste, and body washes that list polythelene and polypropylene as ingredients.

 

Food fact: Choosing to eat sustainable seafood allows populations to naturally replenish for future generations 

 

As a lunch enthusiast, here are ways you can become an eco-hero: 

 

Reduce plastic waste. Buy dry food items in bulk and choose fruits and vegetables as snacks over process and pre-packaged foods. In addition to using a sustainable lunchbox, opt for reusable snack bags, water bottles, and straws too! 

Minimize your food waste. Plan ahead and make a shopping list to keep you from buying unnecessary items that could go to waste later. Instead of packing leftovers which might eventually get thrown out, get creative and find ways to repurpose them for lunches. Always remember that food items are compostable, so consider keeping a compost bin in the kitchen if you aren’t already. 

Be a green eater. By incorporating more vegetable heavy meals into your diet, you’ll be taking a bit of pressure off our ecosystems and relieving some of the animal heavy resources that are fastly diminishing. 

Be a planet advocate. Share how easy it is to make small changes with your social community. Sharing this article with friends is a good start!

Avoid foods that contain palm oil. Did you know that forests are burned to make space for growing oil palms? Many popular snacks contain palm oil (as well as single-use packaging),  but it can be tricky y to detect as it’s listed by many different names. These include glyceryl, palmitate and elaeis guineensis. These are the most common items that contain palm oil:

Premade Cookies & Cakes 

Better choice: Make your own or shop local.

 

Chips & Nuts

Better choice: Read the ingredients for olive, avocado, coconut, or sunflower oil instead.

 

Vegan Cheese

Better Choice: Make your own using cashews! We have a recipe for creamy Cashew Queso here.

 

Chocolate

Better Choice: Organic and/or locally made options.