What follows are resources to help you provide a healthier (toxin-free), zero-waste lunch for your child. If you’re just beginning this process, don’t get discouraged. Even by changing a few things you do, you are taking worthwhile steps. As Voltaire says, don’t allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good!

Specifically, you want to avoid the following:

1. Toxins
For the health of your family

Lead. Lead affects the brain and behavior and is especially dangerous to young children still in early developmental stages. Read about lead in children’s …

by Kirsten Corsaro, The Green Guru, Nexyoo.com, The Revolution of Consumerism ~ Empowering Positive Change
It’s that time of year again where we all celebrate our freedom in the United States: our Independence. And what great fun this is: fireworks and BBQ grills, with fun-filled gatherings of our best friends and family. We’ve been celebrating this since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It is awe inspiring to review the last 233 years and how we’ve grown and evolved as a society. We’ve created some amazing technologies and …

by Julie Hall and Sarah Lane
With the launch of ProgressiveKid Reader, we are taking the next logical step in the progression of ProgressiveKid. Five years ago, at a time when people were still catching on to recycling, we opened PK as a way to connect people with a more mindful way of life. We offered Earth-friendly alternatives to conventional products, information for socially aware living, and affirming messages for a happier and healthier generation of kids. We alerted parents about lead in children’s lunchboxes before it hit the mass media. …

25 Green and Cheap Ways to Live
by Sarah Lane
As the struggle in the economic markets rages on, you can feel confident that your family’s particular financial concerns are pretty much irrelevant in any specific plans to slow down the slide of our economy into a likely recession. We regular people (a.k.a. nongazillionaires) are simply going to have to take care of ourselves and each other. And when it comes down to it, making like Buddha and saying to yourself (I’m paraphrasing here), “I don’t have any control over it anyway,” …

by Julie Hall
For most of us chocolate is a happy part of childhood. It’s hands-down the best treat in the Halloween bag—so popular, in fact, that kids have to keep an eye on their chocolate-pilfering parents at this time of year. So, it’s especially ironic that this beloved sweet treat is a living nightmare for the children who are caught in the chocolate slave trade.
Chocolate comes from the beans contained in the large pods of the cocoa plant, which is actually a small evergreen tree that grows in tropical regions. …

Wondering how reusable bottles stack up? Here are the findings of independent testing agency ÖKO-Test, in an article by Richard Breum. You can request a copy of the study by faxing 0190-252150100 (Frankfurt, Germany).
ÖKO-TEST (Independent German Consumer Test), 6.0.97
By Richard Breum
Summary:
Only the two bottles made by the manufacturer Sigg, market leader in both Switzerland and Germany, showed no traces of aluminum. . . . the manufacturer Sigg shows that it is possible to avoid residue from synthetic coating. Rolf Kothrade, responsible for aluminum bottles at …

by Julie Hall
Until recently Americans were eating out a lot. Estimates vary, but some statistics indicate that people, both singles and families, were eating out 4-5 times a week, not including take out restaurant meals. This trend is dropping as we look for ways to save dough by making the dough at home.
In addition to being less expensive, eating home-cooked food is healthier. According to a 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, restaurant food is more caloric and less nutritious than food prepared at home. And, perhaps not …

by Julie Hall
Buying bulk is a great way to lower your food bill, eat better, and give the planet a break. You can buy bulk in two ways:

Buy larger quantities.
Buy from the bulk food section.

Buying Bulk Quantities
First, you can purchase larger sizes of items you eat a lot of often for relatively lower prices. For example, a can of organic stewed tomatoes at my local market sells for $4.34 per pound at the 14.5-ounce size and $3.29 per pound at the 28-ounce size. Though most large sizes are proportionately a …

by Julie Hall
As food wise man Michael Pollan tells us, how much one eats home-cooked food is a powerful predictor of health, even more powerful than one’s income. Eating food prepared at home is also a great way to save money, establish more environmentally responsible habits, and strengthen relationships. (For great ideas on how to cook more efficiently, read Tips for More Efficient Cooking.)
Reasons Not to Eat Out or Take Out:

You don’t know what’s in it, who prepared it, and how fresh and safe it is.
It’s usually prepared in …

Bisphenol A (BPA) is prevalent in the epoxy resins that line food containers and beverage containers. It is also present in polycarbonate plastics. Although the FDA maintains that exposure to BPA through food and beverage containers is not adverse to health, a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association raises serious concerns about the safety of BPA.
Previous studies have shown the presence of BPA in estrogen, but the new study suggests a link to additional serious health problems including liver damage, disrupted pancreatic β-cell function thyroid …