Improve Your Health With These Simple Kitchen Upgrades

In today’s post, we’re diving into two important topics that are sure to improve your health: how to make the switch from plastics to glass, and kitchen gadgets that will inspire your inner chef so you can prepare those yummy, healthy meals in abundance. First up, let’s talk plastic!  

Switching From Plastics

Quick question for you: how do you store leftovers and other various food in the freezer and fridge?

Perhaps it’s time to treat yo’ self … and your body … with an UPGRADE to your food storage arsenal! ESPECIALLY if you’ve been using plastic containers.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re still rocking the reusable plastic containers to store food. For years now, scientists have studied their long term impact on our health and the even the health of future children in utero.

FIRST: never, I repeat, NEVER reuse plastic water bottles or other plastic containers food comes in (example: yogurt containers). These items weren’t manufactured to withstand reuse; there are concerns about their chemicals leaching into your system, most notably if they’ve been exposed to sunlight or heat!

SECOND: ever notice those recycling codes on the bottom of plastics? 2, 4 or 5 are generally considered safe, however, the second they start wearing out (think cracks, scratches, scuffs or cloudy and discolored), it’s time to recycle them. Also, the more extreme temps they’re exposed to, the shorter their lifespan.

That said, many researchers are even starting to question whether plastics labeled “BPA-free” are safe. Alternative plastics may not be as healthy an option as we once thought. You can read about it here.

Because of this, I HIGHLY recommend you make the switch to using glass containers.

The risk simply isn’t worth it when you consider the potential long term effects.

Glass is safer and you don’t have to stress the chemical residues leaching into your food from the plastic. And glass lasts for, oh, forever (pretty much). It can also withstand those fluctuating temps I mentioned above (freezer, microwave, etc). Last but certainly not least, glass is less wasteful and pretty inexpensive! Yay for loving on Mother Earth and saving some money in the process.

I recommend picking up a starter set at your local Target, on Amazon or wherever you please. Your initial investment will be around $10 to $20 and it will be well worth it, as it will last you for YEARS!

Kitchen Gadgets That Will Inspire Your Inner Chef

Now that I’ve (hopefully) convinced you to start moving away from plastics, let’s talk about kitchen gadgets you’ll actually use and that will save you a lot of time (something we could all use more of). The best part? They won’t take up a lot of counters or cabinet space.

Slow Cooker: Chances are, you (or someone you know) have one of these kicking around, but if you don’t, definitely consider picking up one. If you meal prep, these will help you multitask big-time. You can even roast a chicken in a slow cooker while you’re using your stove/oven for other things!

Note: consider what you’ll be cooking before you buy a slow cooker, as they come in a variety of sizes. If you plan on roasting chickens or cooking in bulk/for a crowd, get a bigger cooker. Likewise, if you hate leftovers and mostly will be cooking for one or two, buy a smaller version.

Instant Pot: Right now these updated pressure cookers are all the rage! If the idea of cutting how long it takes to cook meals like pot roast, stews or other dishes that take hours to cook, you might consider buying one of these. They come with dozens of options, and some even make yogurt.

These are NOT to be used by unattended kids, because the appliances cook at high pressure. Even though safety measures are built into the devices, you still need to pay attention! The first time I used mine, I was pretty nervous. Hint: It pays to read the instructions. 🙂

Buying tip: think about how you (or your mom) will want to use your Instant Pot and choose the option that best suits your preferences. I decided to buy “up” a model since I might want to experiment with different kinds of yogurt.

Rice Cooker: A few years ago, a chef friend told me he always uses a rice cooker to make rice and other grains (like quinoa). I had written a rice cooker off as an unnecessary splurge, but after hearing how amazing it was from the chef, I had to try it out.

And wow … totally worth it! Every batch comes out great and you don’t have to watch the stove to make sure your rice isn’t gummy or overcooked. I also regularly cook rice in mine and it’s amazing. Rice cookers are relatively inexpensive so they definitely are a must-have!

Now that you’ve got tips to eliminate plastics AND kitchen gadgets that will inspire you to prep those healthy eats, it’s time to go one step further and become a meal prepping superstar. As part of our Meal Prep Tips & Tricks Series, don’t forget to pick up our e-book that takes a deep dive into this topic. Go here to grab yours!

In Good Health,

Christina