Welcome to week 3 at Lunch Matters.

News	A testimonial from one of our new customers, reproduced with permission: "G (nearly 5) hasn't put his lunchbox down since he received it - except to sleep. He's packed his lunch by himself every day and has eaten more salad this week than he's eaten in his life!"
Recipes
Links
Weekly shopping list
Survey Got a favorite photo or recipe to share? Email it to us at lunchmatters@lunchmatters.com.au and we'll publish it here!

Week 3 at Lunch Matters has seen more lunchboxes on their way to new homes. We've had lots of local enquiries but also many from further a field - it seems that there are people interested in seeing what the Austra lians are doing with their lunchboxes, even some from Japan (the land of super deluxe packed lunches) are interested in finding out more.

We thought that we might take a minute this week to focus on the waste minimization angle of the lunchbox and to workshop some of the environmental and cost issues.

The table below compares the costs and packaging associated with the packing of like products in your lunchbox. Pricing of items was undertaken last week and obviously are subject to change. It is worth pointing out that for the purposes of creating a true comparison we priced like products – if you were doing the shopping, and savings were on the agenda then you could search the isles for cheaper bulk packaging that is available in all of the categories below.

sultanas		total size	serve size	pack price	per serve	packaging
1	Sunbeam 6x40g	240	40	$2.26	$0.38	6 boxes, plastic wrap
2	Sunbeam 500g	500	40	$3.08	$0.25	1 box
muesli
1	Uncle Toby's Chewy 12 pack 375g	375	31.25	$5.78	$0.48	1 box, 12 foil wraps
2	Uncle Toby's Muesli flakes Plus	750	31.25	$5.71	$0.24	1 box
yoghurt
1	Yoplait Go-Ghurt Berry 12 pack	1200	100	$6.05	$0.50	1 box, 12 tubs
2	Yoplait Original Berry 1kg	1000	100	$3.49	$0.35	1 tub
fruit
1	Uncle Toby's Roll Up 8 pack	125	15.625	$4.47	$0.56	1 box, 8 foil wraps
2	Mandarin	120	120	$0.62	$0.62	none
sandwich
1	Bread	650	65	$2.48	$0.25	1 bag
2	Bread	650	65	$2.48	$0.25	1 bag
1	Kraft Singles Chedder 12 pack	165	13.75	$2.80	$0.23	1 plastic wrap,1 plastic tray,12 plastic wraps
2	Kraft Cheese	250	13.75	$2.99	$0.16	1 plastic wrap
	Total 1	2,755	266	$23.84	$2.40
	Total 2	3,270	370	$18.37	$1.87

What you will notice is that there is a cost saving, it is marginal but nevertheless a saving, what you will What you will notice is that there is a cost saving, it is marginal but nevertheless a saving, what you will see, however is that the packaging that is saved is significant, and therefore the impact on the environment is substantially less when you pack a lunch that doesn’t require packaging. The beauty of the Laptop Lunchbox systems is that you can pack lunches everyday without ANY packaging. The lid of the lunchbox acts as a seal for all the containers so items that are packed do not require glad wrap and they remain in their place and fresh for lunch.

Many schools in Australia are implementing waste-wise lunch policies. Bins are being removed from schools and parents are asked to pack lunches without zip lock bags and cling film. A quick survey of morning tea at Kinder last week revealed some lunchboxes with up to 4 zip lock bags!

RECIPES

We have to share the Tabbouleh recipe with you this week. This will make enough salad for 2.

It keeps well so why not double the quantities and have it as a salad for dinner the night before and then pack some with lunch the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

· 1 cup water

· 1/2 cup quinoa (see explanation below – you can find it in many stores now)

· 1/2 pinch salt

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

· 2 tablespoons lemon juice

· 1-1/2 tomatoes, diced

· 1/2 cucumber, diced

· 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

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DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

What is quinoa?

If you are looking to cut down your family’s intake of wheat or to increase their veggie intake on the sly this is the perfect grain for you!

[ KEEN-wah ] Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain. It's considered a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids. It is also higher in unsaturated fats and lower in carbohydrates than most grains, and it provides a rich and balanced source of vital nutrients. Tiny and bead-shaped, the ivory-colored quinoa cooks like rice (taking half the time of regular rice) and expands to four times its original volume.

LINKS TO OTHER SITES OF INTEREST:

You may like to ask your school about their Waste Wise initiatives to see if they have a current action plan. If you’re interested in finding out more you may find the following websites useful. The links are by no means the only ones – all States and Territories in Australia have a commitment to promoting sustainable schools and the Waste Wise program is in full swing in a large number of schools.

VIC

ACT

WA

SA

The Laptop Lunchboxes have become an integral part of the American movement to reduce lunchtime waste. If you’d like to read more about this click here.

WEEKLY SHOPPING LIST

Fruit:	Vegetables:
Apples Oranges Passionfruit Strawberries Lemons	Tomatoes (cherry are the best, but this week I just chopped up big tomatoes) Avocados Cucumber Parsley Beetroot Mushrooms Corn Asparagus Carrots Red pepper Silverbeet Lettuce
Meat:	Breads:
Organic chicken thighs	Wholemeal pita Spelt fruit bun/regular fruit bun
In the pantry:	Dairy:
Dried lentils Quinoa Olive oil Soy sauce Eggs (chicken) The items below were for the rice crackle things – I think trail mix would be a better option – less sugar and less sticky! Rice puffs Oats Dried mango Dried apricots Golden syrup Organic white chocolate Sesame seeds Seaweed Organic dry biscuits Tinned tuna	Cheese Cream cheese/crème fraiche Organic plain yogurt Organic mayonnaise