Plastic is super convenient, right? It comes in so many different forms. From water bottles to Saran Wrap to plastic containers you to store your leftovers. But there are some downsides to plastic too like chemicals that can leach into your food.
I microwave plastic. Am I poisoning my family? Let's chat about plastic - why it's bad, what to look out or, and healthier, eco-friendly, and non toxic options to keep your kids and family safe.
I recently got a question about plastic and it brought me back to when I first started my toxin-free journey. Removing plastics from the home was one of the first things I did. The question I got before was: Am I poisoning my family because I microwave plastic?
Back in the day, a lot of why I started with removing plastic had to do with the timing. When I first started detoxing my home, I was learning about BPA (bisphenol A) in plastics. This chemical is very common in plastics. It's a toxic chemical, a hormone disruptor, which means that it messes with our hormone system. (The system that runs our entire body and all our organs). Endocrine disruptors are linked with fertility, cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders.
BPA is so bad that it is banned in baby bottles and children’s sippy cups. But it’s still found in lots of other plastics.
Can’t I just buy BPA Free plastics? Isn’t that safe?
They have created replacement chemicals for BPA, but these are often still in the bisphenol family and still have health implications.
Plastics often contain other harmful chemicals like:
· Phthalates-another known endocrine disruptor linked with infertility, developmental disorders and increased allergic reactions.
· Polyvinyl Choride or PVC- Super toxic for our health and also for the environment. The production process releases dioxins, phthalates, vinyl chloride, ethylene dichloride, lead, cadmium and a host of other toxic chemicals. These horrible chemicals make their way into the water system and later into our bodies.
So let’s get back to the question that inspired this revisit to plastics: Am I poisoning my family because I microwave in plastic?
If you have been microwaving plastic or using plastic frequently, and you are thinking, “Oh my gosh, I can't believe I have so much plastic in my house. I have been microwaving plastic. I have been serving my kids food in plastic containers. Oh my gosh, I’m poisoning my family!”
I want to first just tell you to take a deep breath.
Back in the day, I didn't know this information, either. You didn't know this either - and it's okay to forgive yourself and move on.
Yes, microwaving food in plastic, or putting hot food onto a plastic plate or bowl does increase the amount of chemicals that leach into your food. But these chemicals are also leaching into the food while it’s in storage just sitting there too. Whether the containers are yours, or the plastic packaging that you bought it in. The toxic chemicals in plastic could also be leaching into your shampoos, body washes and other personal care products that you and your family use. Research shows that reducing plastic in the whole house, not just the kitchen, can help reduce asthma symptoms.
I know this all seems really overwhelming but don’t worry. If you have the time and budget to throw away all the plastic in your kitchen and replace it, go for it! I’d love to hear about it.
But you can take small steps switching from plastic to glass and eventually you’ll have a hard time finding any plastic in your kitchen.
· You can start right away by not microwaving and dishwashing plastic.
· Slowly switch out your plastic storage containers for glass. Glass is totally safe to microwave and you can even put it in the oven! That makes life super easy. Plus, most things just reheat better in the oven anyway!
· Stainless steel is another great option for storage containers. They can’t go in the microwave, but they’re lighter and more durable than glass when on the go.
· Switch out plastic water bottles for stainless steel or glass. Pass up on the many promotional plastic water bottles you’ll be offered in your lifetime.
· Buy fewer packages of frozen foods. Maybe you decide to go through what you have and not buy any more in the future. And I know that can seem really overwhelming. If you have a very busy life and you lean on those frozen foods a lot. I totally get it. At home I do a lot of batch cooking. I often make twice as much of one item and stick it in the freezer in a glass container. Then it's ready for dinner when we have a super busy, sports filled night. I know that it can be hard if you don’t feel confident in your preparation or meal planning. But really, I have faith that you can figure it out. There are so many resources on the internet and free information on how to do meal prepping, how to batch cook, how to start cooking more healthfully at home.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all this, I’ve got you. I have even more resources for you in Detox by Design | The Home Method.
