Healthful Meals Storage Selections (With out Plastic!)

For a health-conscious family, it’s essential to prioritize healthful meals storage. Since we work laborious to buy and put collectively full, pure meals as so much as attainable, we’re in a position to’t overlook our meals storage containers. Gone are the instances of using Tupperware to retailer meals. 

Whereas plastic seems to be a useful and low-cost chance, it’s not a protected choice.  Even BPA-free plastic has BPS and completely different chemical compounds that might be even worse. And although plastic meals storage containers often aren’t single-use plastics, it’s nonetheless a difficulty to utilize plastic for meals storage.

Our family has labored laborious to transition to non-toxic and non-scratch cookware and completely different dwelling items. For meals storage, plastic meals containers and plastic baggage are the standard fare, and it might be a tricky change. It took me a few years, nonetheless I lastly phased out all of our plastic meals storage containers. Now we use glass, metallic, or silicone in its place. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, it’s really crucial for our family’s properly being.

Why Not Use Plastic Meals Storage Containers?

Although plastic seems to be probably the most price efficient and finest completely different, it’s most probably the worst issue it’s possible you’ll retailer meals in. Harmful chemical compounds like BPA (or bisphenol A) and phthalates can leach into our meals, drinks, and our our bodies. BPA is an estrogen-mimicking chemical that will disrupt hormones and end in weight purchase.

You’ll moreover uncover phthalates in plastic, although they’ve been banned in Europe. They’re significantly harmful to males and boys (along with in utero).

Not solely does it hurt our our our bodies, nonetheless it moreover hurts the ambiance. Have you learnt that solely 9% of plastic is recycled? The remaining leads to landfills. There, it breaks down inside the photo voltaic, emitting toxic chemical compounds and greenhouse gases. Or worse, the plastic floats out to sea, endangering wildlife.

Aside from being increased in your properly being and the ambiance, one different bonus to using non-plastic storage containers is that they’re oven-safe. Which suggests it’s possible you’ll put them straight 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 once you’re completed consuming, the leftovers can go straight into the fridge or freezer.

Non-Toxic Meals Storage Containers

After I first started my transition to non-toxic meals storage, there weren’t many decisions. Nevertheless the good info is that now there are various decisions for high-quality plastic-free meals storage. From glass to stainless-steel to silicone, the alternate options are fairly just a few! They often cowl practically any kind of meals storage need you would possibly want, from storing leftovers to dry meals to on-the-go meals.

Fridge and Freezer Meals Storage

Storing meals inside the fridge and freezer is crucial to retaining an precise meals kitchen. Whether or not or not you’re meal prepping, batch cooking, or making freezer meals, you’ll need protected storage in your meals. Instead of plastic baggage and containers, I now use these completely different meals storage containers inside the fridge and freezer.

Don’t overlook, when storing liquids inside 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-cost 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-cost and some of the primary containers I acquired after I made the change. These are good to retailer leftovers.
• Glasslock Oven Safe Meals Storage– I even have this set and use it regularly to retailer just about each little factor. 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 in its place 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 skin retains the glass from becoming too slippery when it’s frozen.

Silicone

• Xtrema Silicone Meals Storage– I like these collapsible fridge storage containers since they don’t take up so much room inside the cabinets when not in use and are easy to stack inside the fridge. These are good meal prep containers, too.
• Zip Excessive – These food-grade silicone containers are good on account of they arrive in pleasant colors and a big selection of shapes and sizes for storing completely something. They often’re dishwasher protected!

Stainless Metallic

• Latching Stainless Metallic Containers – These are good for storing points that my children should entry sometimes 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 a lot.
• 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 different place we use plastic meals storage nonetheless gained’t give it some thought is plastic wrap, wax paper, storage baggage, and aluminum foil. I moreover ditched these as soon as we made the change.

• Beeswax Meals Wraps – I like these on account of it’s possible you’ll mildew them to the type of irrespective of bowl or dish you have to use. In case you’ve got time, it’s possible you’ll even make your particular person do-it-yourself reusable meals wrap.
• Pure Parchment Paper – Pure parchment paper is good for wrapping meats, fish, and so forth., sooner than storing.
• Silicone Lids – I moreover not too way back discovered these silicon suction lids that flip bowls you already have into fridge storage.
• Meals Huggers – These are good when it’s good to refrigerate half a lemon, lime, and even an avocado. These create an honest seal so the meals doesn’t grow to be dried out or stale.
• Stasher Silicone Baggage – These can be found every kind of colors and sizes to retailer points in its place of Ziploc baggage!

On-The-Go Storage

After we go away the house for journeys we use utterly completely different decisions than at home. Glass is troublesome everytime you’re out and about because of safety (it’s possible you’ll’t carry glass to the pool!). It’s moreover heavier than completely different non-plastic meals storage containers. These are the containers we use to take meals with us as soon as we go away.

• Zip Excessive – It was laborious to change plastic baggage for snacks and sandwiches at first, nonetheless now I like these silicone baggage.
• Silicone Collapsible Storage Containers – After I have to pack light, I wish to make use of those BPA-free collapsible containers. After we’re completed consuming, we merely break them down and it takes up hardly any room. I’ve even taken them in my suitcase after I’ve traveled to make my very personal meals as quickly as I get there.
• Zipper Sandwich and Snack Bag – Good for dry snacks on the go.
• Stainless Metallic Thermos – It’s a good option to take liquids on the go! It’s leakproof and might be utilized with room-temperature, chilly, or scorching meals to keep up them current. I like this one on account of the lid doesn’t have the within lip that collects meals and can get nasty.
• U Konserve Condiment Storage – I like these for hummus or do-it-yourself sauces that we’ve got to deal with the go. They’ve good tight-fitting lids product of silicone.
• Lunchbots Bento Discipline – These lunch containers are good for lunch (or dinner!) on the go.

Pantry Storage

One different place the place you’ll need non-plastic meals storage containers is the pantry. All the 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 points I buy in bulk.
• Zip Excessive – Their larger meals storage baggage are good for storing dry objects on account of they come up when full.
• Glass Jar with Lid – These can be found larger sizes for points it’s good to retailer a complete lot of.
• Stainless Metallic Canister Set – These are good on account of they aren’t breakable! I retailer my espresso beans in actually one among these on account of they’ve airtight lids.
• Glass Spice Jars – In case you buy your dried herbs and spices in bulk, these glass containers are an efficient strategy to retailer them. I just like the bamboo lids and customizable labels.

You’ll have the ability to be taught further about the best way to reduce plastic in your own home proper right here.

How do you retailer meals with out plastic? What’s your favorite non-plastic meals storage chance?