We’ve shared before how to safely store food and how to select healthy cookware, but we get quite a few questions about how to store food in the fridge or freezer without plastic.
We’re so used to plastic bags and containers, even re-using our plastic baklava containers to store food, that it may take us some time to make the switch to glass, metal, or silicon alternatives. Although the fact that most of these can be placed directly into an oven to reheat, saving time and minimizes dishes, offers a small incentive. Knowing that you will protect you and your family’s health by making this switch may excite you further!
More and more research show that plastic can leach harmful chemicals into our food and drinks. Plastics like Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol S (BPS) have been shown to have hormone-mimicking, estrogenic properties and BPA has even been linked to breast cancer.
Although BPA has been taken out of many plastics, it has been routinely replaced with the potentially even more toxic BPS. Studies show that BPS can lead to health issues such as asthma, birth defects, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
Glass
Glass storage containers are the safest. These days, they are easy to find and affordable. Many glass containers are now made of tempered glass, reducing the risk of breakage, cracking due to sudden thermal shock, and chipping.
Glass jars work great for broth, sauces, and soups.
Glass containers with lids – these may have plastic lids but as the lids don’t touch the food there is less risk of chemicals leaching into it. Be sure not to wash the plastic lids in the dishwasher.
Use glass bowls with fabric bowl covers for simple food storage.
Stainless steel or silicone
If you don’t want to change to glass but still want an option that is considered safer than plastic, choose food-grade stainless steel or silicone. Neither of these materials should leach chemicals into your food.
Two plates or bowls
Sandwich your leftovers between two plates or two bowls and stick them in the fridge.
This method is especially useful if you want to make up a plate of food to store for later. Grab it out of the fridge, take off the top plate, heat it up, and enjoy.
Dish towel or cheesecloth
Need to keep a salad cool while you finish preparing lunch? Covering a bowl in a dish towel works great for short-term food storage.
Paper bags
Use paper bags to store fragile produce in the fridge, like grapes, dates, and figs.
Natural parchment paper
Natural parchment (waxed) paper is great for wrapping meats, fish, etc. for storage in the fridge or freezer.
Avoid high-risk plastic
Although it’s best to completely avoid plastic food storage containers, try not to store acidic or greasy foods in them and throw out any plastic containers that are scratched, cloudy, or otherwise look old. Most definitely don’t use plastic containers in the dishwasher or microwave as heating the plastic may cause leaching of the chemicals.
How do you store food without plastic? Please let us know in the comment section below.
