Back to school season is here! When I think about back to school shopping, I think about filling the pantry, packing lunches and picking out new backpacks and clothes.
Many conventional snacks and lunch essentials are made with artificial dyes, refined sugars and other additives, while lunchboxes, food containers and water bottles are often made with plastic. Backpacks, clothing and other school essentials can also contain materials and chemicals that I try to avoid when possible. Thankfully, there are lots of cleaner options for kids, teens, college students and even adults!
Below, I’m sharing some fun swaps for a less toxic school year! Everything from healthier snacks and lunchbox staples to backpack essentials and more. It’s also the start of cold and flu season, so I included a few of my favorite wellness products to keep in backpacks or lunchboxes.
If planning your meals for the week stresses you out, be sure to check out my premium Substack because I send gluten-free and dairy-free meal ideas and a grocery list to your inbox every Friday!
CLEANER BACK TO SCHOOL: SNACK & LUNCH FAVORITES
Chomps Chomplings Beef Sticks: These beef sticks are protein-packed, made with clean ingredients and are the perfect mini size to throw in a lunch back! If you have older kids or want a full size snack for yourself, they also come in a regular size stick!
Simple Mills Crackers: These crackers are so good! They’re gluten-free, dairy-free and made with a blend of almond flour, sunflower seeds and flax seeds for added nutrients. Perfect for dipping into hummus, guacamole, salsa or enjoying as is!
Jackson’s Super Veggie Straws: These veggie straws are gluten-free, dairy-free, cooked in avocado oil and made with a real veggie blend. They also come in the perfect snack sized packs!
Honest Kids Juice Boxes: Most juice boxes are loaded with junk, but these have no artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup and are made with organic ingredients!
Smash Foods Superfood Jam: This jam is made with real fruit, naturally sweetened with dates and boosted with chia seeds. Perfect to level up your PB+Js!
Sunbutter: This spread is a great swap for peanut butter if your child goes to a nut-free school! It’s also delicious even if you do eat nuts!
Simple Mills Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies: These mini crunchy cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free and made with wholesome ingredients.
Solely Fruit Jerky: These fruit jerky sticks have no sugar added and contain just one ingredient, real organic fruit! There are also lots of flavor options available.
Applegate Lunch Meat: This brand has a variety of high-quality and organic products. Like this Roasted Turkey Breast, this Black Forest Uncured Ham, or this Uncured Pepperoni!
Sunnie Lunch Packs: These lunch packs contain wholesome ingredients and 14g of protein per box, making them a great lunch or snack option! They do contain dairy, but I wanted to include them here since they’re gluten-free and could be a great option for back to school lunches! Use code LESSWITHLAUR for a discount on their entire website!
Boulder Canyon Potato Chips: I love that these potato chips come in a wavy shape kids will love and they’re made with avocado oil. They also come in snack sized packs for on-the-go!
Lesser Evil Moonions: These are a cleaner version of Funyuns! They do have some cane sugar, but I love that they’re made with avocado oil and real food ingredients.
Siete Potato Chips: I love the flavors of these Siete chips! They’re cooked in avocado oil and have very clean ingredients.
Smash Foods Snack Bites: These snack bites are made with wholesome ingredients and packed with superfoods and protein!
Seven Sundays Little Crispies: This cereal is delicious and made with cleaner ingredients. I love the honey almond flavor!
Chomps Chomplings Turkey Sticks: If you want to try something other than beef, the Chomps turkey flavor is great! They’re protein-packed and made with clean ingredients.
Poppi Prebiotic Sodas: These do contain cane sugar, but they’re a much better option than traditional sodas! They also come in a variety of flavors and flavor packs. These mini cans are the perfect size for lunchboxes, or they come in a full size as well.
Ithaca Olive Oil Sea Salt Hummus: I love that Ithaca uses olive oil in their hummus and it’s also certified glyphosate-free!
The Good Crisp Chips: These chips are a better-for-you version of Pringles chips! They also come in the perfect size canister for throwing into backpacks and lunchboxes.
Paleovalley Meat Sticks: I love these meat sticks!! They’re made with great ingredients and come in a variety of flavors. They’re also having a huge sale right now!
Siete Cookies: These cookies are so good! They’re grain-free and made with clean ingredients.
Good Foods Avocado Mash: This is the perfect spread made with only four simple ingredients: Hass avocados, cracked black pepper, sea salt and lemon juice! It’s greatest as a dip or on sandwiches!
Purely Elizabeth Granola: I love that this granola is grain-free and it’s so good! It’s made with nuts, superfood seeds, almond butter and coconut sugar.
Solely Fruit Gummies: These fruit gummies are another great Solely find! They’re made with organic fruit without any additives, chemicals or artificial ingredients.
Simple Mills Pop Mmms: These do contain dairy, but if you’re looking for a cleaner swap for cheeze-it crackers, these are a great option!
Santa Cruz Applesauce: These applesauce cups are great for throwing into lunchboxes! They’re made with only organic apples and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and that’s it! They also come in these convenient pouches as well.
CLEANER BACK TO SCHOOL: FOOD STORAGE & DRINKWARE
Clearly Filtered Water Bottle: I love this brand’s water filters since they capture so many more contaminants than ordinary filters! I’ve shared their pitcher filter here before, but they also make stainless steel water bottles with a built-in filter, including this kids sized water bottle!
Ello Food Storage Containers: Ello makes such cute glass food storage containers! they’re oven, microwave and dishwasher safe too.
Funkins Reusable Cotton Napkins: These cloth napkins are so cute and come in a variety of kid friendly designs! They’re made of 100% cotton, are durable and machine washable.
Stasher Reusable Bags: These food-safe silicone bags are the perfect alternative for a plastic bag. They even have a cute kids set! Stasher also recently launched new recyclable plastic-free paper bags in cute designs!
PlanetBox Bento Box: These bento boxes are made of stainless steel, come in cute designs and are so easy to pack and clean. Perfect for packing lunches and snacks for school! If you’re looking for a more elevated look for older kids or adults, these Pura brand bento boxes are a great option!
SIGG Insulated Food Jar: This insulated food container keeps food hot or cold for up to 11 hours! It’s also made of stainless steel, is leak-proof and even comes with a compact foldable spoon/fork.
Stainless Steel Straws: These straws are a great swap for traditional plastic straws and are the perfect size for small kids cups and bottles! They also come in a variety of sizes and colors.
Lifefactory Glass Water Bottle: Glass is another non-toxic water bottle option! This one is the perfect size for kiddos, has a protective silicone sleeve and is BPA free.
Bee’s Wrap Food Wraps: These organic beeswax wraps are a great alternative for plastic wrap. They’re also washable and reusable!
Bamboo Reusable Utensil Set: This set is made out of eco-friendly and non-toxic bamboo. It’s reusable and perfect for adding to lunchboxes! If you prefer a disposable set, these wooden utensils are another great option!
LunchBots Stainless Steel Condiment Cups: These are perfect for packing condiments, dips or salad dressings! They’re leak-proof, are made out of stainless steel and are dishwasher safe.
PlanetBox To-Go Salad Bowl Kit: This idea is genius! The glass bowl keeps greens crisp and the stainless steel top keeps toppings separate and dressing contained.
CLEANER BACK TO SCHOOL: NATURAL MATERIAL GEAR
Fluf Backpack: This backpack is made out of GOTS certified organic cotton and recycled materials that are free of chemicals.
Fluf Lunch Bag: These lunch bags come in the cutest colors and patterns! They’re machine washable, made with non-toxic dyes and GOTS certified organic cotton and are BPA, PVC, heavy metal and phthalate free.
Terra Thread Backpack: If I were going back to school, this is the backpack I’d want! It comes in lots of cute colors, has lots of pockets and is made with GOTS certified organic cotton.
Quince French Terry Joggers: These joggers are stylish for kiddos and made out of 95% organic cotton and 5% french terry with fibers that are never treated with pesticides.
Miss Mouth’s Messy Eater Stain Treater: This is the absolute best stain remover and it’s made with cleaner ingredients! It’s so great to keep on hand, especially if you have kiddos going back to school.
Terra Thread Pencil Bag: This eco-friendly pencil bag comes in so many cute colors! I also love that it’s made with GOTS certified organic cotton.
Mightly Fleece Pullover Hoodie: This brand makes a variety of kids clothing made with GOTS certified organic cotton in sensory-friendly designs. From sweatshirts and sweatpants to tees and tops and even girls dresses, there are lots of options!
Ecoable Merino Wool Jacket: This is such a great alternative to polyester outerwear! It’s made of organic wool with no synthetic fills and no chemical softeners.
Quince Crew Socks: These socks come in an 8 pack and are made out of OEKO-TEX certified cotton!
Jackalo Organic Cotton T-Shirt: This brand makes kids clothing with organic cotton and denim. When kids outgrow their clothes, Jackalo will even buy them back to be renewed and resold or responsibly recycled. How cool is that?!
Branch Basics: This oxygen boost powder is so good along with their liquid concentrate. If you or your kiddos are sensitive to fragrance and smells, this is a great choice. The concentrate is also a great non-toxic all-purpose cleaner! My code LESSWITHLAUR gets you a discount on certain products.
Truly Free Laundry Wash: I’ve been using this brand for several months now and I love it! It smells great and works really well. If you’re looking for an option that’s non toxic but still works on your clothes, this is a great one! LESSWITHLAUR gets you 30% off their entire website.
Funkins Lunch Bag: These insulated lunch bags come in fun prints kids will love! They have soft handles for easy carrying, are machine washable, made with non-toxic dyes and are BPA, PVC, lead and phthalate free.
CLEANER BACK TO SCHOOL: BACKPACK ESSENTIALS
Active Skin Repair Kids: This spray is like a non-toxic version of Bactine and kids will love that it’s a non-sting formula! It’s a medical-grade first aid skin spray that’s perfect for cuts, scrapes, wounds, rashes, sunburns and can even soothe eczema.
Skout Organic Kids Snack Bar: These bars are a great snack option to throw in backpacks and lunchboxes! They come in a variety of flavors and are made with wholesome ingredients.
Dr. Bronner’s Hand Sanitizer: This hand sanitizer is made with clean ingredients and comes in a convenient travel-size spray!
Welly Fabric Bandages: These bandages come in the cutest designs for kids! They’re latex-free, safe for sensitive skin and free of forever chemicals.
Babo Sensitive Baby Hydrating Lotion: This lotion is gentle, hydrating and made for sensitive skin. I love that it’s fragrance free, made with clean ingredients and comes in a tube you can easily throw into bags and backpacks.
Coterie Flushable Wipes: These flushable wipes are great to keep in your kiddos backpack. They’re EWG verified, fragrance free, perfect for sensitive skin and are made with clean ingredients.
Dr. Bronner’s Naked Lip Balm: This lip balm is unscented and made with organic ingredients. It’s perfect for throwing into backpacks to keep lips moisturized!
Babo Botanicals Sunscreen Stick: This sunscreen stick is the perfect travel size to keep in their backpack! It’s fragrance free and made with clean ingredients.
Honest Company Hand Sanitizer: This sanitizer comes in a spray bottle and is so convenient. It’s EWG Verified, kills 99.9% of germs and I love that it’s fragrance-free!
Beekeeper’s Naturals Throat Soothing Lollipops: These lollipops are great to keep in backpacks for soothing sore throats! They’re packed with immune support, have only 2 grams of sugar and have no artificial sweeteners, flavors, dyes or colors.
Biom Hand Sanitizing Wipes: I love these wipes! They kill 99.9% of germs without harsh chemicals or toxic ingredients. Perfect for keeping in bags, backpacks, lockers and cars!
Bim Bam Boo Facial Tissues: These tissues are a great swap for conventional tissues which can often contain dyes, fragrances and chemicals. They’re made out of 100% bamboo, are unscented and dye free and they come in cute travel sized tubes!
🛒👀 NEW NON-TOXIC PRODUCT FINDS
🍕Sunnie Lunch Packs: Sunnie just launched new ready-to-eat healthy lunchboxes! With two lunchbox options to choose from (the Pizza Pack or the Hummus Pack), wholesome ingredients and 14g of protein per box, these are a great lunch or snack option. They do contain dairy, but I wanted to include them here since they’re gluten-free and could be a great option for back to school lunches! Use code LESSWITHLAUR for a discount on their entire website!
🍪Sunnie Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars: These granola bars are another new Sunnie product! They’re made with real food ingredients, are nut-free and have no refined sugars. Use code LESSWITHLAUR for a discount on their entire website!
💫SAVA Nutrition: Taylor Dukes Wellness has officially rebranded into SAVA Nutrition. In a letter from Taylor to her community, she shared that the new name represents an abundant, nourished life. This brand includes a variety of nutrition products like electrolytes, protein powders and supplements.
♻️Stasher Recyclable Paper Bags: These new bags from Stasher are made for kids lunches and snacks and come in cute designs! They’re recyclable, plastic-free and made with FSC-certified paper sourced from responsibly managed forests.
🥣Clean Monday Meals: This brand recently launched their clean au jus and clean Worcestershire sauce! I have been LOVING their ranch seasoning as well. Use code LESSWITHLAUR for a discount on their entire website.
🍿Skinny Pop: Skinny Pop now has an olive oil option! This is great news and a sign that the larger brands are offering better-for-you ingredient options.
🌸Shelter Skin: Shelter recently launched perfume oil! I love everything I have tried from this brand and the founder is truly committed to making everything non-toxic and using the best ingredients.
🍦Ninja Creami Stainless Steel Tubs: Now you can swap your plastic Creami tubs for stainless steel! You know how much I love my Ninja Creami so I’m so excited about this!!
✨NEW DISCOUNT CODES
🌿Wild Wholistic: This brand has so many holistic wellness products and herbal tinctures! I love that each ingredient undergoes rigorous third-party testing and all their products are made with organic and wild-crafted ingredients. LESSWITHLAUR gets you a discount on their entire website!
🚨NON-TOXIC SALES
🍹BEAST: My favorite stainless steel blender is on sale! BEAST is having a back to school sale and offering 20% off their entire website through Sunday, August 9th.
If you are ever looking for a discount code, all of my codes are in my bio! You can also send me a message if there is a specific brand you are looking to shop and I can request a discount code!
What non-toxic swap do you want to see next Sunday? Drop it in the comments below or send me an email! I read every single one and they directly shape what I cover each week!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Looking for more vetted non-toxic swaps? Browse all of my non-toxic favorites on Shopmy and Amazon. Everything is ingredient-checked and Lauren-approved.
*This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you shop through these links.
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