Choosing Safe, Natural Cookware for Your Kitchen

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I used to think people that didn’t want plastic near their food were totally bonkers.

Well, call me officially loco!

My family has been on a natural living journey for some years now and one of the places we wanted to “green up” was our kitchen. Eating REAL food was one major hurtle.

The other was finding safe, natural cookware that would keep our healthy food healthy!

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The two types of materials we’ve tried to avoid in our house are plastics and aluminum. Both have been known to let harmful chemicals seep into food, especially when heated.

It’s been a long road, and we’re not fully there yet, but here’s the type of cook and bakeware we have stocked in our kitchen.

Our Favorite Safe, Natural Cookware Materials…

Cast Iron

Cast Iron is not only a safe alternative to non-stick cookware, it was the added benefit of enriching your diet with IRON. Yup, the metal it is made of is actually GOOD for you! While it may take some time to get used to how heavy these are, they’re practically indestructible. They require some special care (season, don’t wash with soap, etc.) But even if you mess up, there’s always a way to get this puppies looking like new again. They’ll be passed down from generation to generation.  This set of THREE skillets is only $20 right now!

Glass

This is the perfect eco-friendly kitchen material. It’s cheap, renewable and stable. No leaching! We choose glass over plastic whenever we can, for drinking, food storage, and serving dishes. Glass Mixing Bowls are lovely and versatile. And glass will match any decor, never going out of style.

CorningWare

Corning Ware is made out of stone and has a great easy to clean surface. It’s relatively inexpensive and has a classic clean look. They’re perfect for casseroles and side dishes and can handle the heat of an oven (or microwave).

 

 

Wood

Wood is a great material to choose for the kitchen. We love our wooden utensils. Bamboo is also SUPER renewable. There are also some cool wooden serving bowl options. And don’t forget wooden cutting boards! Wood isn’t dishwasher safe, so be sure to give them a rinse before food gets caked on.

 

Stainless Steel

While some metals can leach nasty chemicals into your food while you cook, stainless steel doesn’t. It also super tough. I’ve burned things to the bottom of these pans that I thought would NEVER come out. But because there’s no scratching to worry about, boiling a paste of baking soda and some good hard scrubbing did the trick! They’re also a decent price!

 

Obviously tossing out all your cookware and starting from scratch would be an expensive endeavor. But keep this list in mind when you need to replace something. Be on the lookout for sales and choose your priorities well (what’s gonna give you the most bang for your buck). Slowly but sure you’ll have a more natural kitchen cookware selection to keep your family healthy and happy.