Some links may be affiliate links. You can read our full disclosure here .
Having a kitchen with lots of non-toxic tools for healthy cooking is an important first step in anyone’s nutrition journey. In a time when a lot of us are home cooking more, why not take this opportunity to clean out your kitchen and fill it with healthy, natural alternatives!
If you are also resolving to start a new diet or tackle some health goals, starting with a clean, natural kitchen filled with non-toxic products to support you on your journey instead of sabotaging it will go a long way.
Chemicals in unsafe cookware, plastic containers and wasteful plastic bags can be undermining your health while you are working hard to feel good.
Hormone health, particularly for women, is vital to feeling your best self, so if that is one of your health goals, don’t forget to ditch the hormone disrupting chemicals in the kitchen.
Note: If you’d really like a clean fresh start for your body, clean out your bathroom from hormone disrupting chemicals as well. Check out my post on 10 Harmful Chemicals to Avoid in Beauty Products to see which products you should ditch!
Now, let’s get you set up for non-toxic kitchen success for all the healthy cooking and meal prepping you’ve resolved to do!
1. Switch To Non-Toxic Pans
Yes, this means you are going to have to throw out that non-stick pan that you’ve had for so long it’s no longer non-stick.
Aluminum pans have a non-stick coating that is full of harmful toxins. While Teflon has been stopped being used after it was shown to be unsafe, the chemicals replacing it are not much better (EWG “The Toxic Truth About A New Generation of Nonstick and Waterproof Chemicals“).
And, the worst part is when these pans get old, the coating can start chipping off and end up in your food!
Stainless steal pans are a natural, safer alternative for cooking. However, if you would like a good non-toxic pan that is non-stick, pans with a ceramic coating work great!
Cast Iron pans are another great versatile option as well! Cast iron can go directly from the stove into the oven!
2. Ditch The Plastic Tubberware
Many of us are guilty of having drawers full of these plastic containers that can do anything from being a mixing dish, storing cut up fruit or saving leftovers. Unfortunately these plastic dishes can leak chemicals into your food while being stored. Additionally, they are definitely not safe for microwaving food in as they leach a bunch of chemicals into your meal.
Personally, I try to get as much plastic out of my cabinets as possible for a healthier, non-toxic kitchen. Unfortunately plastics contain a bunch of chemicals, the most well know harmful one being BPA. This chemical is a known endocrine disruptor and according to the Environmental Workers Group has been associated with numerous health issues including infertility, ADHD, birth defects, certain cancers and even obesity.
Unfortunately, even plastics labeled as BPA free are not necessarily non-toxic or healthy. Often these plastics contain harmful substitutes such as BPS, pthlates, or PVC. In a study done in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology it was found that there is a lot of unknowns when it comes to plastics and all the chemicals they contain. This study tested 34 everyday plastic products and found that 74 percent of products tested were toxic in some way. In these products they found over 1,000 different chemicals, many of which the effects or safety is unknown or untested.
I recommend glass storage containers for food. These are healthier and also safer to microwave food in. Since they are glass, they are BPA free and dishwasher safe as well!
3. Replace Plastic Bags
Instead of constantly using up boxes of throw away ziplock plastic bags, opt for reusable silicone bags instead. These bags are BPA free so you can even pack some finger food in your child’s lunch for a natural storage solution.
Not only is replacing one use plastic bags better for your health, but its better for the environment as well!
4. Use Less Paper Towels
Surprisingly, paper towels can be hiding a number of toxic chemicals including, BPS, Formaldehyde, Chlorine Bleach, and even Dioxin (occurs from the bleaching process). Not only this but paper towels are an unnecessary waste of environmental resources. Using some washable sponge cloths for spills and clean ups is a cleaner, more non-toxic solution to kitchen messes. These are the ones I like to use to help me cut down on paper towel usage! An added bonus is the cloths will save you money as well!
5. Shop Cleaner With Reusable Bags
Bringing you own reusable cloth bags to the grocery store to eliminate the excessive unnecessary waste of plastic bags. Plastic bags can also contain toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde too.
Honestly, reusable bags make it a lot easier to carry in your groceries anyway. Ever had a plastic bag full of groceries rip open in the parking lot while you are carrying it? Yeah not fun…who would have thought cans roll so well?
6. Switch To Non-Toxic Cleaners
Many toxic chemicals can be lurking in the cleaning products underneath your kitchen sink. These chemicals can cause a host of issues from irritation and asthma, reproductive problems and even contribute to cancer.
While it is still unknown how much cleaner chemicals can contribute to cancer, some studies point to the fact that there may be a link. Silent Spring Institute conducted a study on 1,500 women, half of whom had breast cancer (EWG). They found, “Women who reported the greatest use of cleaning products (top 25 percent), were twice as likely to have been diagnosed with breast cancer as those reporting the least use (bottom 25 percent).
While this most certainly does not prove causation, studies such as these and lab tests do seem to indicate it would be best to avoid toxic chemicals in household cleaners.
Two carcinogenic chemicals that are often found in cleaners is formaldehyde and 1,4 Dioxane. Sometimes products contain chemicals that release formaldehyde. This toxic chemical has been detected in Comet, Pine-Sol and Simple Green cleaning products. In addition to cleaning products, also look out for 1,4 Dioxane in laundry detergent.
Toxins such as borax, boric acid, and DEGME or methoxydiglycol can contribute to reproductive problems. Borax is a high concern for reproductive health. Men working in factories producing boric-acid were found to be a greater risk for low sperm count. When tested women were found to have reduced fertility and less ovulation when exposed to high doses. DEGME can impair fertility in both men and women and has possible links to birth defects.
Bleach or ammonia in cleaners can cause repiratory irritations and even contribute to asthma. These chemicals are also extremely harmful if children get into them and can cause injury if ingested. Many artificial fragrances can be irritants as they are just chemical scents. Antibacterial products can be harmful if over-used as it kills all the bacteria in our environment, even the beneficial ones we need for a healthy immune system.
These are just a few of the toxins that can be in traditional cleaners, by no means an exhaustive list.
Be sure to swap out for non-toxic or natural cleaning products or even make your own at home!
Source: EWG “Cleaning Supplies and Your Health.”
7. Choose Bento Boxes For Healthy Lunches
Try switching out TV dinners, plain sandwiches and processed foods for a healthy lunch in a bento box! You can put together a healthy lunch the evening before and you will have much better focus and energy after some good nutrients at lunch.
With the individual compartments, you can add lots of nutrient dense sides instead of throwing a bag of overpriced Doritos into your cooler.
8. Switch out Bottled Water for Reusable Non-toxic Bottles
Constantly throwing away plastic water bottles is an unnecessary burden on the environment. Most plastic water bottles are very slow to biodegrade and some can even take up to 1,000 years!
Some plastic bottles contain BPA (bisphenol A) which is a known endocrine disrupter and can contribute to infertility. Even the ones that are BPA free still contain many other potentially harmful chemicals, some of which the effects are unknown. Especially when the bottles are exposed to heat or long periods of time, leaking chemicals can definitely be a concern.
Unfortunately drinking bottled water isn’t even necessarily cleaner as 25 percent of it is just sourced from the tap (according to the Natural Resources Defense Council). Traces of phthalates, arsenic, mold, and trihalomethanes have all been found in bottled water.
Personally I drink filtered water from a stainless steal or glass water bottle. You get a long time of use out of them and you can feel better knowing there is not endocrine disrupting chemical leaching into your water. This is particularly important if you are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding.
You can find my absolute favorite water bottle here! I take it with me wherever I go!
9. Add Non-Toxic Muffin and Bread Pans To Your Kitchen Supplies.
While it is often argued that the amount of aluminum that leaches into your food from bakeware is safe, I’d personally rather error on the side of caution. Yes, your body is going to be exposed to aluminum anyway, but switching out baking dishes is one of the ways you can reduce that load.
An alternative to your old scratched aluminum bread pan is stoneware. Stoneware heats evenly and you don’t have to worry about chemicals leaching into your food when its heated to high temperatures or chemical coating specks being in your food from a scratched pan. Stoneware can last much longer than aluminum non-stick pans that easily scratch.
For muffins, a silicone baking sheet can be a great alternative, and besides it being non-toxic you get the added bonus of it being non-stick!
Silicone, stone or glass baking dishes are great kitchen swaps if you chose to replace aluminum pans.
I like using a pizza stone for making cookies as it is great non-toxic alternative and it makes for even better cookies! I top mine with parchment paper to make my stone non-stick. Just remember to buy unbleached parchment paper.
10. Bake With Cute Reusable Muffin Liners
If you like having a wrapper on your cupcakes or muffins, you can try reusable silicone muffin wrappers or unbleached parchment paper wrappers. Both of these peel off of the muffin easily and you avoid color chemicals staining the outside of your muffins. If you chose the silicone liners, you also avoid the unnecessary waste!
A Non-Toxic Kitchen
I hope this helps you on your journey towards having a more clean, non toxic kitchen so you can better reach your health goals. The kitchen is the heart of your nutrition journey so it is a great place to detox of harmful chemicals!