Perhaps your kitchen cabinet looks a little like this:
(Wait, who are we kidding? Ours never looked that neatly stacked.) But you get the picture: a zillion little plastic containers you’ve picked up from here and there. Since you’re hard-pressed to find matching tops to most of them, it might be time to kiss these food containers goodbye.
Here’s why….Although plastic containers are certainly convenient, many may contain BPA, or Bisphenol A, which is a chemical that blocks and interferes with our body’s hormones and may cause health concerns (particularly when the plastic is old, scratched or is subjected to heat such as microwaving).
Few of us can eliminate all plastic from our lives, but it’s possible for all of us to reduce our use of plastic — particularly in our diet, which is how most people are exposed to BPA. Here are five food storage alternativeswe found if you’re considering a breakup with plastic:
1. Glass Canning Jars
Tried and true canning jars have been used for years to keep foods fresh and safe and can be used over and over again. They even come in sizes large enough to accommodate salads.
2. Glass Storage Containers
Most setscome with a lid for convenience. These containers are easy-to-find and often affordable. Plus, just toss them in the dishwasher with no worries of the material degrading over time.
3. Silicone Containers
These flexible food holders come in a variety of colors (yes, you can shop for a Wolfpack red option) and many may also be oven-safe.
4. Cloth Food Sacks
Great for sandwiches and other dry snacks, you can make your own if you have basic sewing skills (they are available for sale in many stores in case sewing isn’t your thing).
5. Stainless Steel
If it’s good enough to cook food in, then it’s good enough to store food as well. Transfer your leftovers from your stainless steel cooking pots/pans into a stainless steel storage container.Big bonus: like plastic containers, you can’t break this. Style bonus: we think they look cool.
