We all worry about what our children eat—especially when they’re in school and far from our watchful, health-conscious eyes. Lucky for us, so do North Shore parents Anne Weber and Dave Feinberg, founders of the Evanston-based Green Bag Lunch program.
Green Bag Lunch brings green into your child’s lunchtime cuisine, offering an easy solution for busy parents concerned both with their children’s well-being and the health of the planet. Plus, it’s simple: Just sign up for an account on the web site, and purchase lunches for your child, delivered to their school.
“It became so hard to take care of the little things, like making sure the kids ate well,” Weber says. “It was really time versus ideals, and I knew there had to be a better way.”
Menus consist of healthy, well-balanced meals that rethink classic standbys such as Cheesy Tomato Pizza Bread and Grilled Chicken Mini-Wraps using fresh—and often organic—ingredients. Green Bag Lunch also features some unique options (Pumpkin Wheat Muffin, anyone?), making it easy to introduce your child to a plethora of alternative cuisines and flavors, like hummus and edamame.
In addition to all-natural ingredients, the lunches are served in eco-friendly containers- such as cellulose baggies, “plastique” cups and recycled paper bags- and accompanied by biodegradable plasticware.
Launched in 2007, the program as met with great success; the number of customers has nearly doubled with each season. Currently, Green Bag Lunches serves roughly 1,300 lunches a week to 20 schools throughout the North Shore.