For a health-conscious family, it’s necessary to prioritize healthful meals storage. Since we work laborious to buy and put collectively full, pure meals as reasonably hundreds as potential, we’re in a position to’t overlook our meals storage containers. Gone are the occasions of using Tupperware to retailer meals.
Whereas plastic seems to be a helpful and low value selection, it’s not a protected completely totally different. Even BPA-free plastic has BPS and totally completely totally different chemical compounds which can be even worse. And although plastic meals storage containers often aren’t single-use plastics, it’s nonetheless a problem to profit from plastic for meals storage.
Our family has labored laborious to transition to non-toxic and non-scratch cookware and totally completely totally different dwelling units. For meals storage, plastic meals containers and plastic baggage are the conventional fare, and it might very properly be a tough swap. It took me only a few years, nonetheless I lastly phased out all of our plastic meals storage containers. Now we use glass, metallic, or silicone as a substitute. Although it would seem overwhelming at first, it’s truly obligatory for our family’s correctly being.
Why Not Use Plastic Meals Storage Containers?
Although plastic seems to be perhaps in all probability essentially the most worth atmosphere pleasant and greatest totally completely totally different, it’s perhaps the worst problem it’s doable you’ll retailer meals in. Harmful chemical compounds like BPA (or bisphenol A) and phthalates can leach into our meals, drinks, and our our our our bodies. BPA is an estrogen-mimicking chemical that may disrupt hormones and end in weight purchase.
You’ll moreover uncover phthalates in plastic, although they’ve been banned in Europe. They’re notably harmful to males and boys (along with in utero).
Not solely does it harm our our our our our bodies, nonetheless it moreover hurts the setting. Have you ever ever learnt that solely 9% of plastic is recycled? The remaining results in landfills. There, it breaks down contained within the {photograph} voltaic, emitting toxic chemical compounds and greenhouse gases. Or worse, the plastic floats out to sea, endangering wildlife.
Apart from being greater to your correctly being and the setting, one completely totally different bonus to using non-plastic storage containers is that they’re oven-safe. Which suggests it’s doable you’ll put them instantly in an oven or convection oven to reheat, which minimizes dishes in the long run. Some are even microwave-safe (though I don’t advocate using one). And while you’re achieved consuming, the leftovers can go straight into the fridge or freezer.
Non-Toxic Meals Storage Containers
As rapidly as I first started my transition to non-toxic meals storage, there weren’t many choices. Nonetheless the nice data is that now there are various selections for high-quality plastic-free meals storage. From glass to stainless-steel to silicone, the alternatives are fairly a number of! They often moreover cowl just about any kind of meals storage need it’s doable you’ll need, from storing leftovers to dry meals to on-the-go meals.
Fridge and Freezer Meals Storage
Storing meals contained within the fridge and freezer is important to holding a precise meals kitchen. Whether or not or not or not or not you’re meal prepping, batch cooking, or making freezer meals, you’ll need protected storage to your meals. Instead of plastic baggage and containers, I now use these totally completely totally different meals storage containers contained within the fridge and freezer.
Don’t overlook, when storing liquids contained within the freezer, allow room for them to develop.
Glass
- Glass Mason Jars – These dishwasher-safe glass storage containers are my favorite on account of they’re low value and versatile. Quart and half-gallon-size jars work good for storing soups, sauces, broth, and even leftover casseroles and sides.
- Pyrex Glass Containers with Lids– Although these have BPA-free plastic lids, they’re pretty low value and among the many many many first containers I purchased as rapidly as I made the swap. These are good to retailer leftovers.
- Glasslock Oven Safe Meals Storage– I even have this set and use it generally to retailer almost the whole factors. They’re good on account of they’re BPA-free.
- Glass Meals Storage Containers with Bamboo Lids – This meals storage container set has bamboo lids as a substitute of plastic. They’re leakproof too!
- Ello Duraglass – These are good glass meals storage containers on account of the lids lock into place. They’re freezer-safe and the silicone sleeve on the pores and pores and pores and skin retains the glass from turning into too slippery when it’s frozen.
Silicone
- Xtrema Silicone Meals Storage– I like these collapsible fridge storage containers since they don’t take up reasonably hundreds room inside the cabinets when not in use and are easy to stack contained within the fridge. These are good meal prep containers, too.
- Zip Excessive – These food-grade silicone containers are good on account of they arrive in fulfilling colors and a big selection of styles and sizes for storing totally one factor. They often moreover’re dishwasher protected!
Stainless Metallic
- Latching Stainless Metallic Containers – These are good for storing elements that my kids ought to entry often like decrease veggies or fruit on account of they don’t break! These are moreover good for freezer storage since they’re non-breakable and match fairly reasonably hundreds.
- Stainless Metallic Meals Storage Containers – This set is freezer-safe, leakproof, air-tight, BPA-free, and stackable, so it saves room everytime you’re not using them.
Meals Wraps
One completely totally different place we use plastic meals storage nonetheless could not give it some thought is plastic wrap, wax paper, storage baggage, and aluminum foil. I moreover ditched these as rapidly as we made the swap.
- Beeswax Meals Wraps – I like these on account of it’s doable you’ll mould them to the type of irrespective of bowl or dish it’s worthwhile to utilize. In case you might want time, it’s doable you’ll even make your particular particular person do-it-yourself reusable meals wrap.
- Pure Parchment Paper – Pure parchment paper is sweet for wrapping meats, fish, and so forth., earlier than storing.
- Silicone Lids – I moreover merely as of late discovered these silicon suction lids that flip bowls you already have into fridge storage.
- Meals Huggers – These are good while you may should refrigerate half a lemon, lime, and even an avocado. These create a wonderful seal so the meals doesn’t develop to be dried out or stale.
- Stasher Silicone Baggage – These can be current in all kinds of colors and sizes to retailer elements as a substitute of Ziploc baggage!
On-The-Go Storage
After we depart the house for journeys we use totally totally completely totally different selections than at dwelling. Glass is troublesome everytime you’re out and about on account of safety (it’s doable you’ll’t ship glass to the pool!). It’s moreover heavier than totally completely totally different non-plastic meals storage containers. These are the containers we use to take meals with us as rapidly as we depart.
- Zip Excessive – It was laborious to alternate plastic baggage for snacks and sandwiches at first, nonetheless now I like these silicone baggage.
- Silicone Collapsible Storage Containers – As rapidly as I’ve to pack gentle, I need to make use of those BPA-free collapsible containers. After we’re achieved consuming, we merely break them down and it takes up hardly any room. I’ve even taken them in my suitcase as rapidly as I’ve traveled to make my very personal meals as shortly as I get there.
- Zipper Sandwich and Snack Bag – Good for dry snacks on the go.
- Stainless Metallic Thermos – It’s a good selection to take liquids on the go! It’s leakproof and is probably utilized with room-temperature, chilly, or scorching meals to take care of them up to date. I like this one on account of the lid doesn’t have the within lip that collects meals and should get nasty.
- U Konserve Condiment Storage – I like these for hummus or do-it-yourself sauces that now we have got to deal with the go. They’ve good tight-fitting lids fabricated from silicone.
- Lunchbots Bento House – These lunch containers are good for lunch (or dinner!) on the go.
Pantry Storage
One completely totally different place the place you’ll need non-plastic meals storage containers is the pantry. Your full dry meals along with grains, nuts, seeds, beans, flour, and so forth., desire a non-toxic storage place.
- Mason Jars with Airtight Lids – I like these glass meals storage containers with locking lids for elements I buy in bulk.
- Zip Excessive – Their larger meals storage baggage are good for storing dry units on account of they get up when full.
- Glass Jar with Lid – These can be current in larger sizes for elements you could possibly should retailer an extreme quantity of.
- Stainless Metallic Canister Set – These are good on account of they aren’t breakable! I retailer my espresso beans in a single amongst these on account of they’ve airtight lids.
- Glass Spice Jars – Inside the event you occur to buy your dried herbs and spices in bulk, these glass containers are an atmosphere pleasant option to retailer them. I just like the bamboo lids and customizable labels.
It’s doable you may be taught additional about strategies to chop again plastic in your particular person residence right correct proper right here.
How do you retailer meals with out plastic? What’s your favorite non-plastic meals storage selection?
