Kelly's Healthy Home

Living a more toxic free life can be daunting! So many things to know, so many fears and so many different answers to your google searches! Trust me, I feel your anxiety. That is why taking one step at a time and correcting on one area at a time is a more realistic approach for me. Right now, I’m focusing on my cookware. I haven’t given it much thought honestly. But it dawned on me this week that some of my pots are 1. cheap 2. scratched up and both are probably not good.  The main issues with traditional bakeware like non-stick and aluminum is that they can leach chemicals and toxins into the food your cooking and into the air around you.

Many nonstick cookware is made of Perfluorinated chemicals or Perfluorochemicals (PFC): A chemical consisting of a carbon backbone fully surrounded by fluorine, which makes them impervious to heat, acid or other forces that typically break down chemical compounds. Sometimes referred to as ‘Teflon’ chemicals. You can learn more about PFC’s here >> http://static.ewg.org/reports/2015/poisoned_legacy/EWG_Guide_to_PFCs.pdf?_ga=2.209567186.1512173638.1505428901-1542198209.1497919026

Some safe alternative materials for cooking and baking:

Stainless Steel– top choice of chefs and also pretty safe! It definitely is not non stick, so keep that in mind. And they recommend low acidity foods, but overall it’s a great choice for sautéing and boiling.

Glass- Natural and typically affordable. Best to use for your baking needs and storage. http://www.pyrex.com

Ceramic- Like most things that have been used for centuries, ceramic is a great natural choice. It’s durable, a natural heat distributor and easy to clean.

Cast Iron– Great option for cooking meat and deep frying- neither of which I allow in our home. BUT I hear people love it.  As long as you don’t scrub it with soap and a brillo pad, a good cast iron skillet can be an excellent non-stick surface to cook on and with good flavor.

I don’t want to break the bank on changing out everything in my kitchen cabinet, so personally I’m going to replace the really bad pots and pans first then gradually make the transition until I’m completely free of those chemicals.

First up is a new sauce pot. I’m going with ceramic since it can withstand acidic foods and I tend to make a lot of chili and soups. Here is what I picked out: https://www.ceramcor.com/best-selling-products/3-5-ceramic-sauce-pot/. “Our Xtrema ceramic products are 100% Green, 100% Non Toxic, 100% Safe, 100% Healthy; they contain no PFOA coating, produce no PFOA gas or odors and contain no heavy metals, lead or cadmium.” Sounds good to me!

Secondly I need a new frying pan. I want to go with stainless steel, but I can’t stomach the cost right now. There are other great alternative options as well! I’m going with GreenPan for a few reasons; the developed a mineral that does not release any chemicals up to 450 degrees, they use up cycled aluminum whenever possible and they use 60% less CO2 during productions! Plus they have affordable stuff!

There are other items I plan to buy, but they can wait. Like I mentioned in the beginning, one step at a time so you (I mean, I) don’t become overwhelmed (or poor!). Plus I’m still researching and finding out the best items for me and our cooking style. No sense in jumping all in until I know what’s really needed!

Would love to hear brands you like, your must have items and any other recommendations.