How can home cooking and intentional meals reduce your plastic exposure?
Now, how does this extend your life? Well, we all know happier, healthier habits reduce stress and build a supportive home, but these changes could literally save your life if you’re a frequent flyer of “to-go” foods.
We see restaurants use plastic cutlery, plastic bags, and plastic containers that host piping hot food. Containers that leech particles of plastic into delicious curries, etc. Unfortunately, many of these tasty dishes are often doomed from inception before they ever hit plastic.
The giant banner on the San Francisco Environmental Department website glows an ominous green, stating in large print, “PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals,’ are commonly used in non-stick cookware but pose serious health and environmental risks.”
This is an undisputed fact and a serious warning, but restaurants still use toxin-coated pans. I don’t see these labels in cookware stores, or on the backs of Teflon Sautee pans in the local home goods sections. That’s because companies are allowed to use cancer-causing, endocrine-disrupting chemicals in our products, clothing, and even foods, often without warning.
“Per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS) are a class of chemicals that have non-stick, stain-resistant, and waterproof properties,” – SFED. They can be found largely in non-stick pots and pans. What you cook goes directly into your system. If you could make one swap today, let it be alternative cookware.
Alternatives
- Cast Iron
- Stainless Steel
- Ceramic (watch for lead coatings)
Tip: Cast Iron can be extremely versatile. Try finding vintage cast iron in thrift shops and cleaning them up yourself. Use a metal chain brush (not steel wool).
There are tons of videos on YouTube teaching how to best “season” your pans. My husband was just restoring some old cookware that we picked up from thrifting. He uses a process of electrolysis to blast away the caked-on debris. We want our cast iron seasoned, but not dirty. Plus, second-hand is better on the planet and the budget, so thrifting non-toxic materials is a win-win!
Here is a helpful video that walks you through restoring cast iron yourself.
