The reusable lunch kit with loads of detail

One of the fun things about holiday gift giving is treating folks to something just a wee bit fancier than they might buy for themselves. Like surprising that trying-to-live-greener person in your life with a full-featured lunch box set. Something to replace that cobbled-together collection of old containers and plastic baggies.

The mom-founded company Citizenpip does reusable lunch kits with style. They sent us their Soup to Nuts Kit, which gathers together everything needed for sustainable lunch packing. And when we say "everything," we mean everything. A polypropylene (that's the #5 plastic), aluminum-lined, insulated lunch sack. Stainless steel drink bottle (with a mouth wide enough for ice cubes) and insulated food jar. Four plastic (#5 again), leak-proof food containers. A wee spoon and fork and  cotton napkin for each day of the week. There's even a caribiner for attaching to a backpack and a nametag so lost boxes can find their way home. It's all surprisingly lightweight for such a complete set.

What's missing? Lead, BPA, PVC and phthalates. Otherwise known as those nasty, pesky toxins.

Fill it with food and you've got yourself a lunch with absolutely no packaging to take to the trash can--significantly upping the odds that all the pieces will make it home at the end of the day.

Founder Christina Ip-Toma designed the kits to make it easy for parents to pack waste-free school lunches, but they serve adults equally well. In fact, my husband tried to claim ours as soon as it came out of its box. Each component is also available on its own, so you can build yourself a kit that perfect for you--or that certain someone on your gift list.

Eco-friendly lunch box kits beginning at $42 at Citizenpip

EVERGREEN SPECIAL OFFER! Receive a free fork and spoon set with every order over $50 (before tax and shipping). Just add a fork+spoon to your shopping cart and use coupon code EVERGREENMOMSgive. Offer expires 12/31/09.

GIVEAWAY! Citizenpip is giving away a Square Meal Kit (shown, right) to one lucky reader--a  $42 value! Congratulations to winner Samsakara!