Taking the zip out of lunch

I did the Project Bread Walk For Hunger today (well, 15 miles of it!) and had the pleasure of walking partway with a new friend who is a researcher at Tufts University. She studies the effects of endocrine disruptors (particularly BPA) on breast cancer. We talked alot about environmental factors and how they affect not only cancer but obesity and a whole host of other conditions. She taught me so much, including the fact that thawing frozen plastic containers still emits BPA, not just heating them in the microwave. Methinks my few remaining plastic containers may be seeing the recycle bin soon!

One thing I hadn't found a good replacement for, though, was zipper top baggies. I freeze alot in them and use them for transporting snacks, etc. in my lunches. Well, problem solved. A co-worker uses a neat alternative called "LunchSkins". They are BPA-free, food-safe fabric baggies that are dishwasher safe and reusable. They come in three sizes - snack, sandwich, and sub. I'm going to try them out by buying one snack and one sandwich. If those work out I'll stock up on a bunch. They're more expensive, sure. Each one is about the cost of 4 boxes quart sized of zip top baggies. But these reduce the risk of all sorts of diseases, they keep plastic baggies out of landfills. I'm willing to pay a little more for those benefits, and eventually the cost/benefit equation will even out with enough re-use.

I just ordered several and can't wait to try them out!