Kiwi Magazine :: KIWIscoop e-Newsletter August 2007

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August 28, 2007

Food for Thought

In a recent study led by Dr. Thomas Robinson, the director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Packard Children's Hospital, a disturbing trend occurred among the three and five year-olds involved. The children preferred food presented in the McDonald’s wrappers—even though it was the same food in both presentations.

The children were given five foods: chicken nuggets, a hamburger, French fries, carrots and milk. The foods were separated into two groups. One group was offered in McDonald’s wrapper and bags, while the other group was presented plainly. Even though the sample foods were the same, the children said more often that the McDonald’s wrapped burger, nuggets, French fries, carrots and milk tasted better than the non-branded foods.

Green Lunches

Don’t worry– we are not endorsing moldy lunches! Eco-Bags, a company committed to reducing the amount of plastic bag waste by promoting reusable cloth bags, has announced a very fun contest for students, just in time for back-to-school. Their "Eco-Cool for School" Lunch Bag Art Contest will award two winners (plus five of their friends) with a complete set of

art supplies and Eco-Bags lunch sacks. Additionally, the winning artwork will be featured on the Eco-Bags website. Any student or team of students can email their best eco lunch bag design, along with contact information and an explanation of their process and design to Amanda@theonswitch.com. The deadline is November 2nd, so get brainstorming!

For more information, visit the Eco-Bags blog at www.gogreen.squarespace.com.

Gettin' Schooled

Remember The Wonder Years? Who doesn’t love a good show about growing up—first loves, evil older brothers and everything in between? Well, Danica McKellar, aka “Winnie,” is making news, smart news that is. McKellar’s new book, Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail encourages girls to understand and love math. Social conditioning has long instilled the ideas that

girls are good at literature and boys are good at math, and this is quite disturbing. McKellar, who struggled with math as a teenager, eventually went on to major in math in college. Using her personal experiences, McKellar’s book takes an innovative approach to showing girls their math powers. Also Math Doesn’t Suck reaches out to middle-school-aged girls by including teen-focused features like “Math Horoscope,” “Math Personality Quizzes” and “Real-Life Testimonials.” McKellar hopes to change the stereotype of girls as “cute and dumb” to the much better “cute and smart.”

Ain't No Cure for the School Time Blues
Celebrate the last bit of summer with these five ideas from KIWI.

-Throw an “End of the Summer” block party. This is a great way to meet your neighbors and create a community in your area. (Don’t forget to recycle the party supplies!)

-Venture to the beach or lake one more time. Pack up the car, head out to the water and (pardon the pun) soak it all in!

-Take the family on a picnic. This is a great, relaxing way to have a healthy meal together. See Kiwi’s “26 Ways to Celebrate International Picnic Day” for tips to keep it eco.

-Travel one last time. Go on a weekend excursion to a local natural wonder with the family. Any kind of waterfall, national park, mountain range, volcano or body of water will do.

-Get the kids back into the school thinking process by visiting a historical site, attraction or monument. Historical sites are fun and educational way to end the summer and begin the school year.

Tips for Green Back-to-School Shopping

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Look for backpacks that are made from non-PVC and recycled
materials.
Purchase supplies with minimal packaging, cuts down on unnecessary
waste.
Try to keep it eco right down to your last paperclip. Nearly every school
supply is available in an eco variety.
Make sure to buy a reusable lunch bag.
Pencils should be made of old newspapers or some other pre-used
material, and crayons should be nontoxic, made from beeswax or soy.
All paper should be 100% recycled (post-consumer content a plus) or
made from alternative choices like hemp or denim.
Need a computer or a laptop? Research the companies and support
the greenest ones. Or better yet, look into purchasing a refurbished
computer.
Avoid plastic folders. Paper folders work just as well, and can easily be
recycled.
Supplies like binders, notebooks and folders should be made of post
consumer materials.
Look for pens made from cornstarch. They are 100% biodegradable.

Bonus! Look for KIWI’s “Green Genius Gear,” our guide to the best eco school supplies, in our September/October issue on newsstands September 4.