By Priya Shah

For many parents, their number one priority is to make sure that their children eat a healthy and nutritious meal while they're at school. But convenience of fast food, packaged and frozen food items is still a temptation.

So as the new school year begins, it's time to think about nutritious lunches for kids at school because unhealthy food choices can lead to obesity, obesity-related illnesses, poor school attendance, poor school performance, and a lifetime risk for health and social problems, urges Anne Weber, the co-founder of Green Bag Lunch.

"Without substantive changes, at least one-third of children will continue to spiral out of control [health wise]," says Weber, who insists that parents need to know what is being served at their children's schools and to know that they have options. "Parental demand is what we need. Most parents are extremely frustrated by what's offered [in schools]. Now they have a choice."

For Chicago parents and schools that want some help in providing healthier lunch options, there are a few good local options, including Gourmet Gorilla, an organic food company that provides hot meals, bagged lunches and snacks in schools. Also, Green Bag Lunch enables parents to order lunches and snacks for their kids who attend the schools that participate in the program. The Green Bag Lunch is offered in over 35 schools across Chicago, Evanston, Deerfield, Winnetka, Glencoe, Des Plaines, Kenilworth, Park Ridge, Highland Park, Northbrook and Wilmette.

Parents should ask their schools about whether they participate in these or other healthy lunch programs.

Gourmet Gorilla and Green Bag Lunch have only organic produce and dairy and natural meats. Green Bag Lunch offers items that include sunflower butter, organic yogurt, hummus and cheese, as well as their special "funwich," whole wheat cheesy bread and kid-friendly salads. Prices are $5 for each lunch, says Weber.

"We often do price-breaks for large quantities, but unfortunately our high quality ingredients and packaging simply cost more than the nutritionally-devoid, highly processed options that are typically subsidized," she says. "It takes education sometimes for people to realize that if they were to pack this type of lunch themselves it would cost just about the same."

But for those parents who pack their children's lunch, there are healthier and greener options too.

One local company, Litter Free Lunch, enables parents to buy components necessary to pack lunches with less things to throw away, such as cloth or organic napkins and stainless steel water bottles. And with fundraisers at various schools in Illinois, the company encourages education to children to reduce waste, recycle and reuse.

Megan Wojtyla, the co-founder of Litter Free Lunch, says she packs approximately 700 lunches a year for a family of six. And even though packing lunches daily may sound complicated, she says that she does it "effortlessly."

"There are so many nutritious things to pack for your kids," says Wojtyla who advises to take advantage of the seasonal items (fruits and vegetables) because it's often the cheapest foods available and the most nutritious. She recommends slicing up fruit and packing it alongside a yogurt for dipping. She also suggests cooking extra food at dinnertime and saving some for the next day to pack as lunch for the kids. It's also a good idea for parents to monitor what their kids like and don't like to eat. Wojtyla keeps a mental note of what her children bring home in their reusable containers.

Wojtyla buys food items from warehouse clubs in bulk, such as yogurt, and then repackages it in the smaller containers for her children. "When I buy in bulk, I save money that way," says Wojtyla. "[Families shouldn't] buy those individual packaged items like the snack packs and the chips that come individually packed and the lunchables -that's a huge amount of waste."

Buying things such as paper napkins, plastic water bottles, and packaged food items is like throwing money into the landfill, she insists. "A family of four can save over $70 [a year] just in disposable napkins alone," says Wojtyla who uses ShiftYourHabit.com for eco-friendly economic advice. "[But making] the investment of $19.99 on cloth napkins can last for years," she adds.

With the economy still struggling to rebound, packing a greener lunch for your kids can be a wise and healthy choice, Wojtyla states. She says children are probably the quickest to adopt a green lifestyle and it saves them a trip to the garbage can by just putting everything back into a reusable lunch pack.

"Saving money and saving the environment is ageless. It's something we should be doing every moment of the day and every moment of our life," says Wojtyla.