It’s not just the pesticides in our food that add to our body burden (the accumulation of stored chemicals in our body), we also need to concern ourselves with how we cook and store our food. Here are my top 8 tips for keeping things as clean & healthy as possible.
1. Avoid plastic bags, plastic wrap (especially on meat and fish,) and aluminum foil: Unfortunately, substances from plastic and aluminum foil can migrate into your food. If you are buying meat and fish, it’s way better to buy them fresh and have them wrapped in butcher paper. Buy fruits and veggies loose and place in paper bags.
2. Use Waxed Paper: I like to use waxed paper to cover my food in place of plastic wrap. I also like to use waxed paper bags for wrapping sandwiches in my daughter’s “brown bag” lunches.
3. Avoid storing, and especially microwaving food in any kind of plastic container: Invest in a set of glass storage containers with BPA-free plastic lids and you’ll be good to go. I like to make a bunch of rice or quinoa salad at the beginning of the week and store in single-serving glass containers for lunches and after school snacks.
4. Avoid canned foods unless the company can assure you that their can linings are BPA-free. I know that all Eden Foods use BPA-free cans.
5. Pass on Styrofoam products whenever possible: I avoid take-out restaurants that use Styrofoam because I don’t want the unhealthy chemicals leaching into my food.
6. Favor glass bottles for your beverages.: I always try to buy milk and juice in glass bottles, where I can get a refund if I take them back to the store. I also use my lovely Glass Dharma straws all the time!
7. Switch to stainless steel cookware: My favorite in the world is 360 Cookware – expensive, but well worth the investment.
8. Cut back on barbecuing food: It’s now know that meat cooked at high temperatures, particularly charred meat can increase your risk of certain cancers. If you like grilling out, it’s better to pre-cook the food so that you minimize the amount of time it will sit on the hot grill.
9. DIY Cleaning Products: I always make my own because it saves me money, and rids my home of toxins I don’t need to be breathing in.
10. Crack a window: This may seem painfully obvious, but now that we’re almost in Fall, we start to batten down the hatches, which often means that you’re not getting enough ventilation.
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