|
Back to School
Snacks
Looking for
some fresh snack ideas? Read on...
School Snacks
- Popcorn
sprinkled with parmesan cheese
- Sesame bread
sticks dipped in marinara sauce
- Homemade
string cheese--Cut a block of mozzarella into cubed strips.
- Steamed
edamame (whole soy beans in the pod, available in the freezer
section of most natural foods stores or Asian specialty
stores)
- Sourdough pretzels dipped in
mustard
- Baked tortilla chips and
fresh chunky tomato salsa
- Pita triangles dipped in
Ranch-Cottage Cheese dip--Blend nonfat cottage cheese with a small
amount of Ranch dressing.
- Trail
mix
|
After-school Snacks
-
Frozen banana
rolled in chopped nuts-- Roll a ripe (or over-ripe) banana in
chopped nuts of your choice and freeze.
-
Fruit
Smoothie--Blend your choice of fruit, ice, a dollop of nonfat
yogurt (or soy yogurt) and a splash of nonfat milk (or soy
milk).
-
Berry
Parfait--Alternate layers of berries and nonfat vanilla yogurt.
Sprinkle top with granola.
-
Frozen Grapes
(Might pose a choking hazard to younger children. Do not serve to
children under 5 years of age.)
-
Hummus on
endive or romaine--Fill a leaf of endive or romaine lettuce with
hummus.
-
Pistachios--Shelling slows the kids down long enough to
talk about their day!
- Whole wheat
crackers with peanut butter
- Lavash
crackers with lowfat goat cheese, pesto, and sun-dried
tomatoes
|
Green
Opportunities
We thought we'd take a minute to pass on a few
earth-friendly tidbits that have landed in our office in recent weeks.
- Some long distance phone companies like Working Assets and Red Jellyfish donate a portion
of profits to environmental organizations. Consider making the
switch.
- Want to support the environment? Vote for candidates with a
strong environmental record. Visit the League of Conservation Voters at
http://www.lcv.org/ to view the
environmental score cards of candidates on your ballot. If you're not
currently registered to vote, or if you need to update your
registration, visit http://www.congress.org/ for a voter
registration form.
- Purchase recycled content toilet paper, paper towels, facial
tissue and napkins. Seventh
Generation, manufacturer of recycled paper products, estimates that
if every household in the United States replaced just one roll of
500-sheet virgin fiber toilet paper with a roll of 100 percent recycled
tissue, we would save 1 million cubic feet of landfill space (equal to
1,600 full garbage trucks), 153 million gallons of water, and prevent
423,900 trees from being flushed down the toilet. Start with just one
roll. You never know where it might lead.
- Find out what a truly green economy would look like at Green
Festival 2004 (September 18-19 in Washington, DC and November 6-7 in San
Francisco), featuring fair trade retailers, organic food sellers,
renewable energy innovators, inspiring speakers, and much more. Visit http://www.greenfestivals.org/
for more information. If you do attend the San Francisco festival,
please stop by the Laptop Lunches booth and introduce
yourself!
- The Frugal Environmentalist newsletter features practical
advice on topics such as making your own cleaning products and insect
repellent, reducing the amount of junk mail your receive, and tips for
low-impact computing. Visit their Web site at http://www.frugalgreen.com/.
- Non-profit E Magazine contains valuable information and
in-depth stories on all aspects related to the environment.
For a free
trial , click here.
- Many landfills and recycling facilities across North
America conduct educational tours, a wonderful way to find out
exactly where your trash
goes and what your local
recycling requirements are. For contact information, visit your
local government Web site and click on the link to the landfill.
Please be advised that not all landfills are open to visitors, so
call ahead. On August 4th we took a field trip to the Buena Vista landfill in
Santa Cruz County. It was educational, informative, and fun--a
special thanks to Mari Segura, Kasey Kolassa, and Albert Eslit!
|
 |
Laptop Lunches
in the News
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
For more
information, contact:
Amy
Hemmert
Obentec, Inc.
(831) 457-0301 (phone)
(831) 430-0302
(fax)
amy@obentec.com
|
 |
Hot New
Containers Make Home-packed Lunches Cool
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - August 19, 2004 - Obentec, Inc. (http://www.obentec.com/), makers of the
Laptop Lunch System, has launched two new back-to-school colors. With
homemade lunches making a comeback, it's no surprise that more and more
families are packing Laptop Lunches. They're good for the body, good for
the planet, and good for the pocketbook.
Laptop Lunches--a cool alternative to disposable lunches and school
lunches high in fat, sugar, and sodium--provide relief to families in
their battle against childhood obesity. "Laptop Lunches make fresh fruits
and vegetables fun," says Lisa Mansfield, mother of two. "My kids love the
colorful compartments, especially the little dip container for ranch
dressing."
Laptop Lunches provide a waste-free alternative to costly
disposable packaging that schools must haul off to the nation's landfills.
In fact, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
estimates that packing a waste-free lunch will eliminate approximately 67
pounds of garbage per student from the waste stream annually. Finally,
families that pack Laptop Lunches instead of disposable lunches can save
about $230 per person per school year.
Inspired by the Japanese
bento box, the Laptop Lunch container features a hinged outer container,
four inner food containers, a dip container, and a set of utensils. The
insulated carrying case resembles a laptop bag with a handle, shoulder
strap, ID tag, water bottle, and mesh pocket for an ice pack (not
included). The Laptop Lunch User's Guide packs 96 pages of fresh ideas for
making wholesome lunches that kids (and adults) love. It features
strategies for improving lunchtime nutrition and reducing waste, tips for
picky eaters, lunch menus, and creative recipes.
Laptop Lunches are now available in three colors: PRIMARY--a blue
outer container with inner containers in red, green, yellow, purple, and
teal, WHIMSICAL--a purple outer container with inner containers in bright
green, orange, teal, and periwinkle, and PERIWINKLE--a blue outer
container with all inner containers in periwinkle.
Obentec, Inc. was founded by two Santa Cruz, California moms, Amy
Hemmert and Tammy Pelstring, whose mission is to improve the health of our
children and the environment. Laptop Lunches are available at http://www.laptoplunches.com/ and
through select retailers nationwide.
What
Works...Success Stories
- "I
managed to schedule two summer activities for my daughter, leaving only
half an hour to get from one to the next and eat lunch. On the first day
of this craziness, I packed laptop lunches for my 5 and 3 year old to
eat in the car. On the second day, I told them we would just pick up
McDonald's, thinking they would think this was a huge treat. My daughter
said, 'No, I want my peanut butter and jelly.' In fact, what she wanted
was her Laptop Lunch! She now insists that I do this each day so she can
have her carrots and dip."
--Ann Bieneman, Bloomfield,
MI
-
"We
got our first Laptop Lunch a year and a half ago at Rainbow Grocery
in San Francisco and have been avid fans ever since. We're trying to
convert all our friends! "
-- Karen Wiederholt, San Francisco,
CA
- "I
ordered two Laptop Lunches last year for my kids – I saw your article in
either Parents or Working Mother magazine in 2003. I have a 2 ½ year old
and a 3 ½ year old – so they bring them to preschool with them! I think
they are great – and all the teachers love them! I am able to control
the portions better and I think it is great that they can see their
whole lunch – and the spaces allow for a variety of fruits, crackers,
vegetables, etc. I decided that washing them at night is not all that
much fun, so I ordered two extra sets of inner containers – plus I like
the new colors you have."
-- Becky Lowe, Newton,
MA
Do you have a success story to share? Email it to us at newsletter@obentec.com.
Featured Web Site:
www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php
| |
Visit www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php
to download a handy wallet card called The Shopper's Guide to
Pesticides in Produce. It contains two lists: 12 fresh fruits
and vegetables that are consistently the most contaminated with
pesticides and 12 fruits and vegetables that have the lowest
pesticide residue levels. |
 |
|
Tips from the
Environmental Working Group:
- For the most
contaminated items, substitute organically grown produce whenever
possible. When this is not an option, continue to eat lots of fresh
fruits and vegetables, but use this guide to buy produce with lower
pesticide residues.
- Adjusting your
eating habits can lower your intake of pesticides -- sometimes
dramatically so. Substitute organic for conventional produce that is
consistently contaminated with pesticides. When organic is not
available, eat fruits and vegetables with consistently low pesticide
loads.
"An EWG simulation
of thousands of consumers eating high and low pesticide diets shows that
people can lower their pesticide exposure by 90 percent by avoiding the
top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least
contaminated instead. Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and
vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on
average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to a
fraction over 2 pesticides per day. Less dramatic comparisons will produce
less dramatic reductions, but without doubt using the Guide provides
people with a way to make choices that lower pesticide exposure in the
diet."
October
Highlights
Maximizing leftovers, stylish eco-friendly designs, and
innovative shopping alternatives!
© September 2004, by
Obentec, Inc.
REPRINT
PERMISSION
Feel free to reprint
or forward this newsletter with the following acknowledgment and contact
information clearly visible: "Thank you to Obentec, Inc. for permission to
use this copyrighted material. For more information, contact Obentec, Inc.
by email at info@obentec.com or by
phone at 831-457-0301, or visit their Web site at http://www.obentec.com/. Reprint
permission granted with this full notice
included."
|
