We are often careful with the food we eat but are we cautious in choosing healthy kitchen utensils to prepare and cook our food? Unhealthy materials often lurk in our pots and pans and we don't even know it! Here we share the best non-toxic cookware options for your health.
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Did you know that the kind of cookware you have can affect the food you eat and serve to your family?
You might be using something that is toxic and can decrease the nutritional content of your dish. What's worse, you might add harmful chemicals to your food.
Here are the best non-toxic cookware options for a healthier you and a greener kitchen!
Best Non-toxic Cookware Options for Your Health
Buying healthy cookware and equipment for your kitchen is exciting! But, don't rush yet. Before you buy anything, familiarize yourself first with safe cookware that won't harm your health.
Ceramic Cookware
Cookware with the ceramic coating is the newer and better version of nonstick pans. The layer is mostly free of Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which are present in nonstick pans. These additives are known to cause health complications if ingested in massive amounts.
The downside of ceramic dishes is that they are less durable compared to the standard nonstick pans. Be sure to choose the best ceramic cookware for your kitchen.
Silicone Cookware
To understand silicone better, we must first understand what it is and where it is from. It is mostly mixed up with the word silicon. Many believe that they are interchangeable, but they are not.
1) Silicon – It is a natural chemical element, which means that it can't be broken down to smaller particles without breaking atoms. Next to oxygen, it is the most bountiful.
2) Silicone – It is the product of the combination of carbon and oxygen. It can be in solid, liquid, and gel form. Silicone is present in medical tools and devices, such as implants, pacemakers, and joint replacements. As it is safe to use, it's now introduced to cookware.
Silicone is DFA approved, but there is not enough research yet on its safety. While it is safe at room temperature, there are still follow-ups to do whether or not it is still as safe at high temperature.
Enamel Cookware
Here are some of the benefits why you should consider buying enamel cookware:
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It is durable. If you allocate much of your time in the kitchen, you need cookware that can endure heavy and long-term use.
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Cleaning it is effortless. It also has nonstick properties, thanks to the enamel coating.
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It is safe to use for cooking. The enamel coating is non-reactive. As long as it stays intact, it will prevent any metal from seeping into your food. Make sure that you get high-quality enamel cookware. Those with low quality don't give you a hundred percent guarantee that the coating won't get scratched or damaged.
Titanium Cookware
How is titanium used in pans and dishes? The manufacturers of cookware use titanium in two ways:
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They include a fragile layer of the element in their aluminum pans to make them more durable
- They combine the elements in nonstick pans to make them more resistant to scratches.
Clay Cookware
You might be asking why clay cookware is a good recommendation for healthy cookware when it's probably the least durable. Here's why: it is all-natural and safe. There are no harmful chemicals, and they preserve the nutrients of your food.
Cooking with a clay pot might take longer, as clay absorbs heat slower than metals. But, after absorbing the heat, it will spread evenly. Slow cooking will make your meat more tender and the spices more flavorful.
Did you know that cooking can also be a form of moving meditation? This is another benefit of clay pot cooking. Because of its slow process, you can enjoy more time in the kitchen and do some reflection. How great is that? You get to improve your mental and emotional state, and enjoy good food!
Here are some amazing clay pot suggestions, if you plan on getting one.
Stainless Steel Cookware
The main reason why stainless steel is an excellent choice for cooking equipment is its durability. It does not rust, and it is non-reactive to acidic foods. Another reason is that you can use it at high temperature.
The downside? It is not nonstick. You'll have to exert effort and time in cleaning this one!
Bad Cookware for Your Kitchen
Nonstick Pans
Many people who enjoy cooking love to use nonstick pans. Who doesn't, right? They are convenient to use, and they are easy to clean.
Sadly, a lot of us are uninformed of the toxic properties of these pans. The improper use of these pans may cause them to release poisonous gases that can cause health complications.
Nonstick pans are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), stating that if used correctly, these pans don't pose any serious threat to our health. So, if you still want to use nonstick cookware, you must avoid overheating them and try not to use them every day.
Aluminum Cookware
Aluminum is prevalent in the kitchen as they conduct heat faster than other metals and they are cheap. But, this metal is highly toxic. It causes several health conditions, among them, are dementia and Alzheimer's.
It's tempting but try to avoid buying cheap cookware made from aluminum. Some safer pans and pots have some aluminum in them. These are okay, as long as you don't let aluminum touch any of the food you are cooking.
Copper Cookware
You might be browsing on different kinds of pans for your kitchen, and you come across those copper pans and ask yourself, “Are they any good?”
No, they are not.
“Why?”
The safety of using copper cookware is highly questionable. Foods that are highly acidic, such as those that have tomato sauce, can destroy copper. When copper breaks down, it will leach through your food and will likely cause you copper toxicity.
There are coated-copper pans, but they are still not safe to use. Once the coating is damaged, the copper will still seep through and get to your food.
Ideal Cooking Temperatures
You should avoid cooking your food at temperatures that are too high for the following reasons:
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When you overheat your food, the enzymes present become inert and you will lose some of the nutrients.
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Overcooked dishes don't taste as good.
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Continuous overheating will cause damage to your cookware.
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Overcooked meat releases carcinogenic components.
Conclusion
So be patient with your dishes and cook them at the right temperature. Also, be mindful of the food you are cooking and ensure they have all the nutritional content you need. Most importantly, opt for healthy cookware. It will pay off in the end.
Author Bio: I’m the founder of Kitchen Aim, where I share my cooking tips and wonderful recipes. To me, cooking is a wonderful chance of creative, fun and fulfilling activity.