Cooking meals at home, where you know the ingredients, may be your preferred method of building a healthy eating lifestyle, but eating healthy doesn't stop with the ingredients. It's more than just what you are eating-it's how you prepare and cook your food too! So take a look at the type of cookware, kitchenware, and food storage products you are using at home because hazardous chemicals may be leaching into your food depending on the type of kitchenware you have. Below is a list of 10 kitchenware products every non-toxic kitchen should have, but keep in mind that there are endless non-toxic kitchenware products to choose from depending on your lifestyle choices.
1. Bamboo Cutting Boards: A great alternative to plastic, bamboo is an eco-friendly, renewable resource that is antimicrobial by nature.
2. Cast Iron Pans: These pans are resistant to breakage, are known for having great heat retention, and can come pre-seasoned for flavorful cooking.
3. Bamboo Cooking Utensils: Be sure to get bamboo cooking utensils made with formaldehyde-free glue and with no dyes or stains to be certain you're choosing the best and safest alternatives for cooking.
4. Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls: Made of a material that is scratch-resistant and durable, stainless steel bowls last longer than plastic bowls, are usually dishwasher safe, and free from harmful chemicals like BPA.
5. Glass Baking Dishes: Unsafe products leach chemicals more quickly when exposed to extreme heat in the oven, so a material like glass is a safer choice since it is chemical free and oven-safe. Plus, glass dishes can be used for food storage and can be safe for use in the microwave and dishwasher!
6. Stainless Steel Bakeware: Bakeware made only of stainless steel is BPA free and PFOA free, making it a smart choice for a non-toxic kitchen.
7. 100% Organic Cotton Oven Mitts: 100% organic cotton is grown without the use of chemicals and biologically-based fertilizers, a much safer method of producing cotton for the environment. By using organic cotton textiles, you can still protect your hands from extreme heat with the added benefit of helping the environment.
8. Glass Dinner Plates: Using a glass plate at the dinner table-or even to heat up your food-will keep you safe from BPA and lead, found in some plastic and painted plates.
9. Glass Food Storage Containers: BPA free glass containers come in different shapes and sizes for easy storage of food in the fridge. Many glass containers are freezer, microwave, and oven safe. If the glass container has a plastic lid, verify that it is BPA free.
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