Consuming the right food is certainly a healthy practice but is that enough? Well, the health of your food is not only determined by its ingredients and the way you cook, but also on the cookware used in cooking as well as storing. If you are worried about chemicals leaching into your food, it’s time to pay heed to the utensils you use to toss up your meals.
There are myriad options available in the market, but the focus is to pick up pots and pans that don’t deteriorate the quality of what you eat. Several providers such as https://healthycookwarelab.com offer a range of cookware options to their consumers to make dining a delectably healthy experience.
To make sure that the wholesome meal that you are cooking up in your kitchen retains nourishment and does not turn toxic, we’ve listed out some tips that could come in handy.
How can your cookware impact your food?
Heat can change the components of your food. Atoms present in anything including food and your cooking pots become energized when heated. This can weaken the utensil’s construction. Whenever food is heated, even the sturdiest pan can begin releasing elements into your food. Most of what you collect in the food could be toxic for your body and that’s why you need healthy utensils if you want to prevent the toxins from adding up to your plate.
Here’s a list of common compounds that are used in cookware manufacturing and promise to make cooking convenient and time-saving.
Teflon
Most pans come with a Teflon coating. This substance has increasingly become a concern and topic of discussion in the arena of food health. Cooking in utensils coated with Teflon is known to pose a risk as this component degrades when heated at a high temperature. Most of your non-stick pans are Teflon coated.
Polytetrafluoroethylene, commonly known as PFTE, is another compound that accompanies Teflon into your kitchen on that non-stick ware. Overheating can cause it to release toxic fumes that not only fill up the surrounding air but also enter your food as salient killers.
PFOA
Known as perfluorooctanoic, this component is a synthetic one that is used to create Teflon. It is C8 that gives the non-stick ware its smooth and slippery surface. Research indicates that this can cause health hazards and cause organ damage.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a metal that is used in crafting cookware. For instance, tin baking molds, bread molds can pose a risk of leeching the component into your sweets and savories you love relishing. Also, tinfoil commonly used to wrap food items can expose you to aluminum.
Science reveals that aluminum, especially the cheap variant, is the worst. The component reacts to acidic food and ultimately impacts its nutritious value. Since aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, it is better to be kept out of your kitchen. You can consider replacing aluminum bakeware with glass ones.
What happens in the cooking process is that the chemical compounds on your kitchen hotpots begin to flake away thereby poisoning your meals. If you observe closely, you’ll see that the Teflon-coated pans are prone to scratching fast. That’s because they aren’t durable and demand extra care. Just in case you have a utensil with a worn off coating, simply discard it.
Adopting healthier choices
If you don’t wish to sprinkle a dose of harmful elements into your everyday meals, it’s time you opt for healthier choices that don’t introduce toxins into food. Here are some cookware materials that can be considered safe.
1. Cast Iron
Gradually taking center stage, cast iron pans, and woks are not only durable but also a safer bet when it comes to your health. These cooking wares need to be seasoned which is a process where the utensil surface is enabled to absorb oil that accumulates onto it over time. This forms a natural smooth coating akin to your Teflon varnish. Cast Iron cookware can be cleaned gently, dried, and wiped off with a layer of oil to maintain its surface as good as new.
2. Stainless Steel
This element is less reactive and does not leech as much as your non-stick utensils. You can invest in high-quality stainless steel cookware that’s low on nickel. Click here to find out if copper pans are good for your food.
3. Ceramic
Ceramic pots can make for a healthier substitute for those coated ones. High-quality ceramic made with natural stone dust can be scratch-resistant and hard-wearing. Ceramic utensils don’t release a lot of toxic elements although you need to be careful to not pick up the glazed ceramic ones. That’s because the glazed ceramic kitchenware contain lead which again is highly toxic for consumption.
Next time you hop into the supermarket to pick your new kitchen apparatuses, rethink about health first; not only will you enjoy the art of cooking but also of holistic living!
I don’t use teflon much because I prefer my stainless steal, cast iron and ceramic cookware. I admit that I probably have too much cookware, but that give me the great chance to choose.
WOW I have to admit I never ever though of my cookwear in this way before. I have used teflon before but alway end up scratching it. I have 3 cast iron pieces that I love to use. But what I want is a steel pan but have not found one that fits my budget. You didn’t mention glass I have several pieces of that I use a lot