SUNDAY SWAP: Non-Stick COOKWARE

Quality cookware is essential for making healthy meals at home easily. But, the convenience of “non-stick” cookware may not be so great for our health. Depending on the material of your pan, they may be leaching environmental toxins into your food. Most famously, a group of “forever chemicals” (meaning they never degrade) called Per/Poly-flourinated alkyl substances or PFAs have a wide range of negative effects on our health.

The Problem With traditional Non-stick cookware

PFAs are one of the most pervasive and harmful chemical groups ever created—it is found in modern food packaging, clothing, personal care products, and cookware. According to the EPA, PFASs are linked to cancer, kidney damage, developmental brain damage in children, thyroid disease, hormonal disruption, immunological effects, and heart disease.

Most non-stick cookware coatings are made with Teflon- which contains PFAs. Teflon is linked to endocrine disruption, cancer, and heart issues. These toxic chemicals combined with the heat when cooking are creating the perfect environment for food to be contaminated.

Especially if non-stick pans are chipped or scratched, these chemicals can more easily leach into your food and the air in your home.

The Safest Cookware Options to use:

CAST IRON

A well seasoned cast iron pan can be great for cooking and baking. Caring for your cast iron can require a bit more effort but is a much healthier and effective option when you do it right! Even frying eggs in a cast iron is doable.

stainless steel-

Stainless steel pans are my personal favorite. They are great for sautéing, sauce pans and baking. Most professional chefs rely on stainless steel pans. They take a bit of time to get used to , but once you get the hang of it they are a breeze! Sometimes cleaning requires a little more effort, but soaking overnight if necessary usually cleans up a pan perfectly.

Enameled Cast Iron

Enameled cast iron like Le Creuset or Staub are a great option for bakeware. Perfect for roasting or soups. Even their baking dishes are a great alternative to non-stick bakeware.

GLass or Aluminum-

2 great option for baking.

A note about Greenpan-

Greenpans are definitely a better option than a traditional non-stick pan, but there are still questions of the safety of the other materials used in their production. Only the coating of the pan is ceramic, so any chipping or scratching of that surface will lead to leaching. They do not last as long as a stainless steel or cast iron pan.