Product Review: Snack Taxi ... (aka Mom's new helper)

Allow me to introduce you to  Snack Taxi. 

 

Basically, they make reusable snack & sandwich bags. Simple concept, lots of benefits.  

I contacted the Snack Taxi company and requested that they send me a couple to review after seeing them mentioned on another blog. That blogger was using them for her own snacks… workout, quick lunch, etc.

Being the mother of two, I was more interested in what they could do for that ever present task of packing lunch for school every day. I've toyed around with a lot of different options for lunches for my 4 year old. We've done the plastic container and zip-top plastic bag thing since he first started preschool. From a purely non-environmental standpoint, each option has it's pros & cons, of course.  

Zip top bags: easy for little ones to open (pro) - don't protect soft items like sandwiches (con) 

Plastic containers: not easy for little ones to open (con) - protect soft items like sandwiches (pro)

...can you see the dilemma? 

Snack Taxi, I believe, first introduced their product as a means to reduce the use of plastic bags, certainly an environmentally and economically sound concept. And if that's your #1 motivating factor for lunchware choices, stop reading and jump right on over to their site.

But I tend to be (perhaps to my own discredit?) a little more of a "put out the fire that's burning right now" kinda gal. And the burning question for me as a mom has been how to solve the container vs. bag issue. (You can see where I'm going with this, right?) 

These bags do just that. They have a velcro closure - a natural for little hands developing fine motor skills, but are stiff enough to have a protective effect on softer items that would ordinarily get "squished" in a lunch box. Plus, they're pretty groovy looking. I don't have the pack with guitars on it, but I feel certain my 4 year old would dig that! (I mean really... Buzz Lightyear may grow old, but guitars? I think not!)  

The options for cleaning are easy… simply wipe out at the end of the day or toss in the washer. No additional trash, no running out of plastic bags & needing to head to the market for more… all options I consider problem-solvers around my house. 

The one recommendation I have is to purchase two sets for each child (You can order online or visit their site to find a retail location, but they're not universally available at retail yet, FYI). That way, you always have one clean on hand (in case you forgot to unpack backpacks the night before and are running late the next morning… or does that just happen around my house?) If you try them, please be sure to drop back by and let me know what you think. 

Question: If you had a stash of Snack Taxi in your pantry, what would be the first thing YOU packed in them?

Artfully eating well, 

~Regan

Update on Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 9:03AM by The Professional Palate - Regan Jones RD

Note: I did not receive any compensation for this review.