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Back to School!

We wish you all a healthy, happy, and successful academic year 2006/07! As you ease back into the school routine, remember to get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, drink enough water, and eat well. And...don't forget to check your monthly Laptop Lunch Times throughout the school year for fresh lunchmaking ideas.

Laptop Lunches Fundraiser

Looking for a way to raise cash for your school? Want to reduce trash and improve lunchtime nutrition? Check out our easy-to-administer school promotions and fundraisers at www.laptoplunches.com/schools.html.

In the UK or Europe? Visit www.laptoplunches.co.uk/promotions.html or call 01252 733536.

In Australia or New Zealand? Laptop Lunches are now available at www.lunchmatters.com.au.

"I don't know if you're also interested in grown up lunches, but here's one of my favorites:

A portable sandwich bar with hummus, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, red peppers, pita stuffed with spinach that I put in the carrying case zipper pocket, and baby carrots to snack on with the dip in the small container. I put the banana where the water bottle usually goes. It works swimmingly!"

Happy lunching,

Catherine

• COMPACT FLUORESCENTS–Replacing one 100-watt bulb with a just-as-bright 30-watt compact fluorescent cuts more than 1,300 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution over the life of the bulb. Swap out two bulbs to lower your household emissions by more than a ton! Make the Switch - Join the One Million-Bulb Swap Out at http://go.care2.com/e/mSJ/Pf/OEPU.
  

We can reduce our global warming pollution by changing old, incandescent lights to newer energy-saving models, or compact fluorescent lights. That's because the average 25-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb generates as much light as a 75-watt incandescent light bulb, but uses less than a third the energy.

Based on the Japanese Bento Box, this lunchbox is perfect for parents who want to make sure their children eat all the right food groups. With one main compartment and five smaller ones, kids are sure to eat a balanced meal. Comes with a spoon, fork, and guide to nutritious eating.

By DAN MACDONALD, The Times-Union

When Tammy Pelstring and Amy Hemmert developed their version of the bento box, they did it with nutrition in mind. So they wrote a booklet, The Laptop Lunch User's Guide, that includes many nutritious lunch ideas. We've thrown in a few others to encourage the kids to eat.

1. Let the children become part of the lunch process. They'll be more apt to eat the lunch. "You have to let it go and let it be OK if the kitchen is more messy that you'd expect it to get," Pelstring said. "Kids love to cook and participate in it."

2. Sit with the kids and discuss foods. Children as young as kindergarten age can help make lunch decisions. Talk about what they like and don't like and make a list of foods appropriate for a healthful lunch. Pelstring even has the children help with the shopping to get accustomed to vegetables and non-packaged foods.

3. Include the occasional surprise treat. "Talk about what are 'growing' foods vs. 'once-in-a-while foods,' " Pelstring said.

4. Cook without expressing your likes and dislikes; let kids decide on their own. This one comes from Silvana Nardone, editor of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. Nardone said that children are taught to eat two ways: They are either presented food and allowed no input or they are allowed to explore. "What I love about kids is that they can be truly honest and they'll say, 'Yuck,' even if you cooked all day."

5. Leftovers make a perfect lunch the next day. Parents can plan ahead and cook more than needed the night before. It takes no longer to cook two chickens than it does one. At around $5, that second chicken can make plenty of chicken salad or be sliced for chicken sandwiches or wraps. While cooking supper, boil some eggs in a separate pot to serve whole the next day or use for egg salad.

6. Consider what time your child will be eating. A small ice pack inside a plastic bag (to prevent leaking) is a good idea when packing non-processed foods. Pack a small water bottle or milk carton so the children won't be tempted with soda if it's available at their school.

Natures Finest Organics
5437 Dixie Hwy.
Waterford, MI 48329
(248) 623-4883

Borden Communications + Design
lisa@bordencom.com

(416) 484-6489

Do Your Part: Idle Free Tammy recently spoke with longtime Laptop Lunch supporter, Jennifer Duckworth, about an exciting new campaign she's promoting. It's called Idle Free: You and Me. Tammy: Hi Jennifer. Could you tell our readers a little bit about your Idle Free campaign? Jennifer: Idle Free: You and Me is a campaign that educates people about the problems associated with idling their cars unnecessarily. I've put together a presentation and handout to help people understand why idling their cars, especially at schools, is not a good idea and what they can do about it.

Many people idle their cars without understanding the consequences. Parents may idle when they're picking their kids up from school. Friends idle when they're waiting for friends. Drivers idle at fast food drive-thrus, bank drive-up windows, gas stations, or when running into a store. By educating people about the negative effects on our health, air pollution, global climate change, finances and cars, I hope that people will choose to turn their engines off.

Tammy: With the new school year set to begin, it's a great time to educate families on the benefits of turning off your engine. Aside from the health benefits, what are some of the other benefits people might not be aware of?

Jennifer: Well, first I must say how excited I am to hear you mention schools. Schools are the best place for people to think about turning off their cars. Children breath at the tailpipe level, close to the exhaust. They breathe faster than adults, so they inhale more polluted air per pound of bodyweight. Turning off your car at school reduces air pollution and prevents asthma, lung problems and allergies. Of course, this doesn't mean that we should turn off our cars when it's 100 degrees or minus 20.

Other benefits of not idling include saving gas and money. Also, two components of car exhaust are carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, two of the greenhouse gases. By not idling, people contribute less to global climate change. Idling is bad for cars and can damage engines, so turning off the car makes our cars last longer. Finally, harmful pollutants are released into the air, leading to acid rain and ground level ozone.

Tammy: What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about idling their cars?

Jennifer: I think the biggest misconception is that people think it's better to leave the car running than to turn it on and off. However, idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting the engine. This was the biggest shock for me - that 10 seconds is all it takes. Frequent restarting has little impact on the engine, and the money saved in fuel far outweighs the cost of a new starter.

Another misconception is that it's important to idle for a few minutes to warm up the car in winter. No more than 30 seconds is needed to warm up an engine in the winter and the best way to warm up your vehicle is to drive it. A lot of people nowadays own remote car starters. These drivers should remember to idle for no more than 30 seconds when warming up their cars.

Tammy: Dreaming big, what are your hopes for the Idle Free campaign?

Jennifer: My hope is to educate all drivers in the US about the problems associated with unnecessary idling. I believe that, given this information, people will choose to turn off their cars because they'll understand how it benefits their health, the atmosphere, the earth, their car, and their pocketbook.

Tammy: What inspired you to start the campaign?

Jennifer: My daughter has asthma and I saw so much unnecessary idling day after day at her preschool. The incidence of asthma (and other lung-related issues) has been steadily climbing in the United States over the years, and I realized that I could help - even if it's in a small way.

Tammy: Where can our readers go to get more information?

Jennifer: Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency has a great Web site - the Idle Free Zone at http://idling.gc.ca. Also, I have put together a PowerPoint presentation called Idle-free: You and Me. It's available at www.wastefreelunches.org/IdleFree.ppt.

Tammy: And lastly, what would you pack in your "perfect" lunch?

Jennifer: I posed this question to my four-year-old daughter, the laptop lunch eater, and she said, "A cheese sandwich with mayo and the crusts cut off, grapes, carrots and one cookie." Jennifer Duckworth can be reached by email at jenandmatthew@yahoo.com.

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