Packing up snacks for outings is pretty much a daily task for most mamas. It’s often far cheaper and healthier to bring your own food with you wherever you go…especially with little ones who like to munch all.day.long! It is quite common for toddlers to be “grazers”; rather than eat a large portion/meal in one sitting they like to nibble here and there throughout the day. Mamas usually learn rather quickly that packing lots of snacks makes outings go much smoother.

The concept of “zero waste” snack packs/lunch sacks is becomingly increasingly popular. Zero waste means nothing is thrown away, no packaging of any kind! In addition to the ecological benefits, there is a secondary benefit. If you are packing zero waste lunches/snacks for your children, there is an increased likelihood you are providing them with nutrient dense whole foods. Hooray for healthy and environmentally friendly concepts! I definitely strive for zero waste snacks/lunches as much as possible. I have learned that in order to be successful in doing so, it takes a small up front investment in re-usable containers.

I recently got a 2 pack of Wean Green 5.1 oz. Wean Tubs. These containers are made from tempered glass making them extra durable. In fact check out this youtube video demonstrating just how incredibly strong Wean Green products are! After several uses here’s my take on this product:

What I love about Wean Green Wean Tubs:

• They really are as durable as they claim to be! Recently while picnicking with a friend, I excitedly showed her my new Wean Green Wean Tubs. She was skeptical about using glass with kids. I assured her they were practically indestructible even if you intentionally tried to break them. “Prove it” she says. So I chucked one of the containers right onto the concrete ground. After recovering from hysterical laughter on both our parts (“I cannot believe you just did that!” she said and I have to agree it was a bit impulsive of me) she was convinced that they were indeed a quality product made to last.
• They seem to hold the perfect portion and are leak proof! This gets HUGE bonus points for me because I like to pack salads with the dressing on the side so the veggies don’t get soggy. But finding true leak proof containers is tricky…and the only way to really know if they are leak proof is to test them out. Spilled salad dressing is a pain in the rear to clean up, so I am quite thrilled when a container passes the leak test for me!
• They are super easy to wash out. Even messy oils, sticky nut butters, and goopy dips wash up squeaky clean in no time at all. And because they are made of glass, I never have to worry about chemicals leaching or staining from pasta sauces, turmeric, berries, or the like.
• Same sized containers stack nicely making them easy to store. I don’t know about you but my collection of plastic containers and lids (which I am slowly diminishing over time as I can replace with more eco-friendly options) is always a disaster. I am constantly digging through a mountain of plastic trying to find matching lids and containers. The Wean Green lids snap right onto the container and stack neatly so they are always ready to grab and stuff!

Stuff I am not crazy about:

• I have three boys with BIG appetites to pack for so you can imagine how heavy it would be to exclusively use glass containers to pack for an all day outing. The Wean Green containers, although small, are made of rather thick glass so they are actually quite heavy. It seems my two 5.1 oz containers have become the designated hummus and almond butter carriers for us. Then I use our Planet Wise Reusable Snack Bags to pack apple slices, baby carrots, celery sticks, red pepper slices, etc for dipping. This combination of eco-friendly containers is the perfect mix and keeps my snack bag at a manageable weight to haul around.
• The tops snap on/off and while I appreciate the tight, leak-proof fit they are a bit challenging for my 3 year old to open and close himself. No a huge deal, but does require a little extra supervision/support on my part. Also something to bare in mind if you were planning on sending them to school in a young child/preschooler’s lunch.

All in all, the Wean Green Wean Tubs are an awesome eco-friendly, budget friendly (they will save you money over time of purchasing plastic disposable baggies and will definitely outlast cheap plastic containers), and health friendly product! I can’t wait to add more to collection.

-Sarah