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The kitchen is often the heart of the home, a bustling place to enjoy a good meal and mingle. But many common convenience foods, drinks, and gadgets found in the kitchen could be putting your health at risk. In fact, just last month, researchers found evidence that bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical commonly found in kitchen cabinet contents, could be causing heart attacks in women. The kicker? You're probably paying more for these toxic rip-offs compared to safer alternatives.
Here's how to ID—and avoid—unhealthy stuff in the kitchen.
Canned Soup
There's probably nothing more convenient that cracking open a can of soup and popping it in the microwave. A hearty meal in two minutes flat! That convenience comes with a cost, though. Most food manufacturers coat the inside of metal food cans with a BPA resin, one that's definitely leaching into food at alarmingly high levels. For instance, a recent study found that people saw their bodily BPA levels jump more than 1,000 percent after eating Progresso soup for lunch for five days straight. Save money by cooking up a big pot of soup or stew and enjoying it all week. For greater savings, look for in-season organic produce, make your own stock from scratch, and tap organic, dried beans as an economic protein source.
Microwavable Popcorn
It's the microwavable popcorn bag—not the popcorn itself—that's the problem. These bags are often coated with nonstick chemicals that have been linked to thyroid disease and male infertility. The chemicals help prevent grease from oozing out of the bag, but undoubtedly wind up on your snack, too. Commercial microwavable popcorn often contains questionable artificial flavors, so it's best (and cheaper) to make your own from scratch.
Buy plain, organic popcorn kernels and add them to a pot with a little butter, coconut oil, or olive oil. Cover the pot with a lid and gently shake the pot over a medium flame. When the popping sounds significantly slow down, it's done! Still like the convenience of a nuked snack? Make your own safer version of microwavable popcorn.
Soda
Americans spend about $850 a year on soda, the type of carbonated beverage linked to skyrocketing obesity and diabetes rates. But empty calories are only the beginning of soda's role in sabotaging your body. Most contain artificial food dyes and sweeteners linked to brain cell destruction, ADHD, and other ills. Mountain Dew and certain sports drinks even contain toxic flame retardants. (And you're paying for it!)
Cleaners under the Sink
Isn't it ironic that the ingredients in many common cleaning products actually pollute your indoor air? Although ingredients don't need to be disclosed on the label, many are linked to asthma attacks, allergies, and even breast cancer. Arm yourself with DIY cleaning basics like white vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap, and use these green cleaning recipes for safer products that cost only pennies to create.
Nonstick Pots & Pans
Sure, nonstick cook- and bakeware come with a major perk: easy cleaning! But as treated kitchenware starts to crack and chip nonstick chemicals, the risk of perfluoroalkyl acid chemicals leaching into your food rises. Chemicals in this class are linked to male infertility, high cholesterol, and ADHD. Cook with cast iron, glass, untreated stainless steel, or stoneware for a safer cooking experience.
Antimicrobial Cutting Boards
Modern industrial-farming practices rely on antibiotics and crowded conditions to create cheaper meat. These kinds of conditions lead to meat infused with harmful bacteria, a common problem with supermarket meat. Marketers know foodborne bugs worry consumers, so they are starting to put antimicrobial chemicals in many kitchen products. The problem is, these often contain a thyroid-damaging chemical called triclosan or questionable nanoparticles. To cut your risk of food poisoning, shop for grass-fed, antibiotic-free meat products, and use soapy water to clean up any surfaces or tools that come in contact with raw meats or eggs. For extra germ-killing power, you can spray white vinegar on a surface, followed by hydrogen peroxide (test an inconspicuous area first to make sure it won't harm the surface).
Avoid antibacterial soaps, too. They often contain the same questionable chemicals, and the Food and Drug Administration says regular soap and water works just as well without the associated risks of triclosan.
Natural Cereals
The Cornucopia Institute, a group promoting sustainable farming practices, recently analyzed natural cereals and found that some cereals' main ingredients came from 100 percent genetically engineered crops. That's not exactly what you had in mind when you opted for the all-natural label, right? The analysis also found that organic cereals (the real natural products) were often cheaper than the nonorganic "natural" products containing industrially farmed ingredients.
Plastic Containers
You may have heard that some No. 6 plastics contain the hormone-disrupting BPA chemical. But the truth is, all plastics contain chemicals that can leach into our food, including those convenient microwavable meals and plastic storage containers. You increase the risk of chemical migration when you heat the plastic or wash the containers in the dishwasher, which accelerates the breakdown of the plastic.
Plus, the cost of all of those individual microwavable meals adds up. To save money, cook from scratch (in bulk) and freeze the leftovers—without using plastic.
Conventional out-of-Season Strawberries
Buying any produce out of season often raises the price, including strawberries, a family favorite. Chances are, if you see the beloved berries in your grocery store in an out-of-season month, they come from California, the state that produces more than 90 percent of strawberries sold in the U.S. What consumers need to know is California officials approved the use of a toxic fumigant called methyl iodide for use in strawberry fields. So if you buy nonorganic and out-of-season, you're unknowingly supporting this harmful practice. Choose organically grown strawberries and other produce at your local farmer's market, buy in bulk in season to save cash, and then preserve the extras to enjoy during off-season months.
Here's how to ID—and avoid—unhealthy stuff in the kitchen.
Canned Soup
There's probably nothing more convenient that cracking open a can of soup and popping it in the microwave. A hearty meal in two minutes flat! That convenience comes with a cost, though. Most food manufacturers coat the inside of metal food cans with a BPA resin, one that's definitely leaching into food at alarmingly high levels. For instance, a recent study found that people saw their bodily BPA levels jump more than 1,000 percent after eating Progresso soup for lunch for five days straight. Save money by cooking up a big pot of soup or stew and enjoying it all week. For greater savings, look for in-season organic produce, make your own stock from scratch, and tap organic, dried beans as an economic protein source.
Microwavable Popcorn
It's the microwavable popcorn bag—not the popcorn itself—that's the problem. These bags are often coated with nonstick chemicals that have been linked to thyroid disease and male infertility. The chemicals help prevent grease from oozing out of the bag, but undoubtedly wind up on your snack, too. Commercial microwavable popcorn often contains questionable artificial flavors, so it's best (and cheaper) to make your own from scratch.
Buy plain, organic popcorn kernels and add them to a pot with a little butter, coconut oil, or olive oil. Cover the pot with a lid and gently shake the pot over a medium flame. When the popping sounds significantly slow down, it's done! Still like the convenience of a nuked snack? Make your own safer version of microwavable popcorn.
Soda
Americans spend about $850 a year on soda, the type of carbonated beverage linked to skyrocketing obesity and diabetes rates. But empty calories are only the beginning of soda's role in sabotaging your body. Most contain artificial food dyes and sweeteners linked to brain cell destruction, ADHD, and other ills. Mountain Dew and certain sports drinks even contain toxic flame retardants. (And you're paying for it!)
Cleaners under the Sink
Isn't it ironic that the ingredients in many common cleaning products actually pollute your indoor air? Although ingredients don't need to be disclosed on the label, many are linked to asthma attacks, allergies, and even breast cancer. Arm yourself with DIY cleaning basics like white vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap, and use these green cleaning recipes for safer products that cost only pennies to create.
Nonstick Pots & Pans
Sure, nonstick cook- and bakeware come with a major perk: easy cleaning! But as treated kitchenware starts to crack and chip nonstick chemicals, the risk of perfluoroalkyl acid chemicals leaching into your food rises. Chemicals in this class are linked to male infertility, high cholesterol, and ADHD. Cook with cast iron, glass, untreated stainless steel, or stoneware for a safer cooking experience.
Antimicrobial Cutting Boards
Modern industrial-farming practices rely on antibiotics and crowded conditions to create cheaper meat. These kinds of conditions lead to meat infused with harmful bacteria, a common problem with supermarket meat. Marketers know foodborne bugs worry consumers, so they are starting to put antimicrobial chemicals in many kitchen products. The problem is, these often contain a thyroid-damaging chemical called triclosan or questionable nanoparticles. To cut your risk of food poisoning, shop for grass-fed, antibiotic-free meat products, and use soapy water to clean up any surfaces or tools that come in contact with raw meats or eggs. For extra germ-killing power, you can spray white vinegar on a surface, followed by hydrogen peroxide (test an inconspicuous area first to make sure it won't harm the surface).
Avoid antibacterial soaps, too. They often contain the same questionable chemicals, and the Food and Drug Administration says regular soap and water works just as well without the associated risks of triclosan.
Natural Cereals
The Cornucopia Institute, a group promoting sustainable farming practices, recently analyzed natural cereals and found that some cereals' main ingredients came from 100 percent genetically engineered crops. That's not exactly what you had in mind when you opted for the all-natural label, right? The analysis also found that organic cereals (the real natural products) were often cheaper than the nonorganic "natural" products containing industrially farmed ingredients.
Plastic Containers
You may have heard that some No. 6 plastics contain the hormone-disrupting BPA chemical. But the truth is, all plastics contain chemicals that can leach into our food, including those convenient microwavable meals and plastic storage containers. You increase the risk of chemical migration when you heat the plastic or wash the containers in the dishwasher, which accelerates the breakdown of the plastic.
Plus, the cost of all of those individual microwavable meals adds up. To save money, cook from scratch (in bulk) and freeze the leftovers—without using plastic.
Conventional out-of-Season Strawberries
Buying any produce out of season often raises the price, including strawberries, a family favorite. Chances are, if you see the beloved berries in your grocery store in an out-of-season month, they come from California, the state that produces more than 90 percent of strawberries sold in the U.S. What consumers need to know is California officials approved the use of a toxic fumigant called methyl iodide for use in strawberry fields. So if you buy nonorganic and out-of-season, you're unknowingly supporting this harmful practice. Choose organically grown strawberries and other produce at your local farmer's market, buy in bulk in season to save cash, and then preserve the extras to enjoy during off-season months.
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