R&V Harvest: Back-to-School Eco-Friendly Lunches and Snacks

For most, we’re a month or two back into the swing of the school year. If you’re anything like me, this means you’ve already hit the school lunch rut. Or may you’re a creative lunch-packing pro. Either way, if you’ve been looking for ways to take care of your family’s nutrition while nourishing their sense of connectedness to God’s creation, look no further!

Okay, I’ll be honest. This is not a Google search I would have performed leading up to the school year, as stacks of forms and supply lists show up in our mailbox, clothes and shoes no longer fit on multiple growing bodies, and someone needs a new backpack… again. 

It would never have occurred to me to pair together school lunches, my children’s faith, and caring for the planet until the last couple of years, when climate issues and severe weather have been on the rise alongside a loneliness and mental health epidemic. 

But all of these things matter, from the small, mundane and daily task of determining what we will eat at lunch to the monumental battles for our planet and our children’s souls. All of these things matter! 

Someone, give me some solutions I can tackle!

In the face of daily and global challenges, it helps to be able to find places where we can make a difference, even if it’s just in our own immediate family. That’s why I’m legitimately excited about teaching my children eco-friendly ways to master the lunch menu.

We’re called to take care of the planet God has placed us on, and there’s no better way to integrate the truths and values of Scripture than by weaving it into the very fabric of our daily existence. 

In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, we’re told, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

Friends, we can even do this through our kids’ lunches. All it takes is a little extra intention and love, and don’t we all have more love to pour into our family’s daily rituals? The more you pour, the more abundantly it seems to flow.

So let’s get to it. Here are several eco-friendly lunch and snack ideas with ways you can integrate spiritual truths for a three-in-one multitasking win of health-conscious, God-centered, creation-friendly possibilities.

Creative, Eco-Friendly Ways to Bring Together Food, Faith, and a Flourishing Earth

Image: Ella Olsson

1. Veggie Wraps with Hummus
   • Use whole wheat tortillas and fill them with a mix of sliced cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, spinach, and hummus (bonus points if you’re able to get some of those vegetables from a local farmer!). Wrap them in reusable beeswax wraps, which helps reduce plastic waste.
   • As you pack your veggie wraps, remind yourself of the Biblical call to stewardship and gratitude. Remind your children what 1 Timothy 4:4 says, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” Use this time to thank God for nourishing food and the opportunity to care for your children and the environment.
2. Quinoa Salad
   • Prepare a quinoa salad with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and feta cheese. Pack it in a stainless steel container to eliminate hard-to-recycle plastic containers and baggies.
   • Invite your kids to help make quinoa salad. You can point them to Genesis 1:29, where God provides plants for food. Help them see how caring for the environment honors God’s creation and supports a sustainable future, and how eating a plant-based diet is good for both their bodies and the Earth.
3. DIY Bento Box
   • Create a bento box with sections of whole grain crackers, cheese slices, grapes, cherry tomatoes, and a hard-boiled egg. Use a reusable bento box for portion control, which can help you and your kiddos reduce food waste.
   • Let your children pack their own bento box as a reminder of Proverbs 31:15, which talks about the diligent preparation of food. Use this time to teach your children about the virtue of diligence and how taking care of creation aligns with being a wise and thoughtful steward.
4. Pasta Salad with Pesto
   • Toss whole grain pasta with homemade pesto, cherry tomatoes, and baby spinach. Pack it in a glass container with a tight seal.
   • With this food prep (as with any food prep, really), you can refer your family to Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” even tossing together a pasta salad.
5. Stuffed Pita Pockets
   • Fill whole grain pita pockets with falafel, lettuce, cucumber, and tzatziki sauce. Wrap them in a reusable sandwich bag.
   • No matter what food you are preparing, you can always remember Matthew 25:35, where Jesus says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” Your thoughtful food choices and care for the environment are all ways you are answering the call to care for others and the world God created. Even feeding your own hungry people, you are feeding Jesus.
6. Fruit Kabobs
   • Skewer chunks of melon, strawberries, and grapes on reusable bamboo sticks. Fruit kabobs are fun to eat and simultaneously reduce single-use packaging.
   • As you prepare fruit kabobs, consider Psalm 104:14, “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth.” Use this time to appreciate the beauty and bounty of God’s creation and your role in nurturing it.
7. Trail Mix
   • Make a homemade trail mix with nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate chips. Store it in a small reusable silicone bag.
   • Preparing a trail mix can be a reminder of Proverbs 12:27, “The diligent man will get precious wealth.” Reflect on how diligence in making eco-friendly choices is part of honoring God’s creation and your role in it.
8. Energy Balls
   • Blend oats, peanut butter, honey, and chia seeds into energy balls. Store them in a reusable container for an easy grab-and-go snack.
   • As you make energy balls, think about 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” View your preparation of healthy snacks as a way to glorify God and take care of your body and His creation.
9. Apple Slices with Nut Butter
   • Slice apples and pack a small jar of almond or peanut butter for dipping. Use a silicone food wrap to keep the apple slices fresh.
   • While preparing apple slices, remember John 6:35, where Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” Use this as an opportunity to reflect on how Jesus provides for our needs and how making healthy, eco-friendly choices is a way to honor His provision.
10. Veggie Chips
    • Bake your own veggie chips from kale, sweet potatoes, or zucchini. Store them in a reusable container for a crunchy snack.
    • Making veggie chips can be a reminder of Genesis 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” See your efforts in preparing eco-friendly snacks as part of your call to care for creation.

These scripture passages can be for you and for your family. Pray them over your family as they leave the house in the morning. Include them in their lunches as inspirational quotes when they sit down to eat. Invite your family to rehearse and commit these verses to memory so that the word of God will always be close to their hearts, no matter what it is that they’re eating.