Simple swaps for a nontoxic kitchen

Topping a butter leaf salad with freshly sliced grapefruit while listening to my clever, older sister recount a funny story from the night before. Meticulously measuring whole wheat flour & filtered water in hopes of one day turning it into a golden, crisp sourdough round. Pan-frying cauliflower gnocchi and warming the oven as my cute husband tells me about his day at work.

My view of our kitchen has changed since becoming a mom. Before, I simply saw it as a room to cook in and a place where I spent far too much time doing dishes and cleaning. Now, I truly respect the kitchen as the heart of our home - it is a lively and invaluable space where I get to explore time old culinary traditions & lovingly prepare wholesome meals for my family.

Early into my motherhood journey, I began to hear talk about household toxins. There are some common concerns most (if not all) parents are aware of - things like BPA’s in plastic and lead in paint. But there are other common household toxins not as openly talked about such as artificial fragrances in big brand dish soap and PTFE in nonstick pans.

As I began to research the least toxic options for our kitchen, I noticed that the most natural & classic materials always came out on top. Traditional items like French ceramic coated bakeware, tempered glass mixing bowls, and age old cast iron skillets still make for excellent, nontoxic kitchen staples.

Before I go on, I’d like to share that I grew up in a home where we used non-stick pans, plastic storage containers, and nylon utensils. There is no shame in that, and it’s never too late to start opting for cleaner choices. Here are a few of my must-have nontoxic kitchen essentials.

Natural Kitchen Towels

I LOVE my cotton flour sack towels. They’re soft, thin (which makes it easier to dry all those nooks & crannies in my opinion), and surprisingly absorbent. I’ve also found that the natural fibers are less likely to attract lint in the laundry - which means less fuzz when I’m drying baby’s silicone dinnerware. My current favorite towels are Coyuchi, Williams Sonoma, and Hearth & Hand (by Magnolia).

Fragrance-Free Dish Soap

My search for a nontoxic dish soap began when I took a sip out of my baby’s silicone cup and tasted soap. Even after rinsing thoroughly with water, his silicone dinnerware would retain a chemical taste and smell. I soon after learned about the benefits of choosing household products that are free of artificial fragrances.

If you’re interested in learning about artificial fragrances and other common toxins to avoid, I’d recommend checking out EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) website. They’re an environmental-focused nonprofit dedicated to providing consumers transparency into product ingredients and their impact on our health.

In our kitchen, we use ECOS’ free & clear dish soap and Puracy’s free & clear dishwasher detergent packs. These cleaner, nontoxic detergents leave our ceramic dinnerware and glasses sparkling, and our dishes no longer smell or taste like soap, YAY! Linking these options below.

Nontoxic Cookware

I used non-stick cookware for a majority of my life, and always felt a little uneasy about the tiny black specks that would flake off here and there. I was routinely buying new non-stick pans and then worrying about when they would begin to chip. My concerns were validated when I started researching the dangers of certain non-stick coatings (specifically Teflon).

Depending on their composition, these pans may contain dangerous chemicals such as PTFE which has been linked to numerous negative health outcomes. If you’re curious about the pan you’re currently using, I’d encourage you to research the materials. This was the first step I took, and now I cook much more confidently in our stainless steel pans. There are also newer, more natural non-stick coatings like ceramic that could be a good option as well.

In our kitchen, we use stainless steel pots & pans, cast iron griddles, and ceramic coated ovens and bakeware. I also have my eye on some carbon steel pans from Made In (my current favorite & the best quality cookware I’ve ever purchased). For utensils, we use stainless steel, wooden, and silicone when not working with high heats.

I recently had a lovely conversation on the phone with a kind lady from a Canadian company called Littledeer, that shapes their cooking paddles out of solid maple locally in Quebec. She took the time to ask what dishes I like to cook and curated an assortment of spoons & spatulas tailored to my needs. Our conversation was inspiring, and I humbly admired her domestic wisdom & confidence.

While some of these items can be pricey, they are beautifully crafted and often designed to become family heirlooms. As I continue to slowly collect these well made pieces, I look forward to passing them down to our children one day. I’ll link some of my favorites below!

Nontoxic Food Storage

My favorite food storage sets are by Pyrex. They’re made of tempered glass with a silicone rim to ensure freshness and they’re dishwasher & freezer safe (as well as reasonably priced). There are also plenty of different shapes and sizes so you can find what works best for you and your family.

We are also huge fans of Stasher. Their silicone bags replace single-use plastic bags. We pack our little boy’s veggie sticks in Stasher when we’re on the go, and store halved fruit in Stasher in the fridge. They’re also freezer safe and make easy storage for things like leftover pasta sauce or baked goods. If you have a more colorful aesthetic, you’ll appreciate the gorgeous jewel toned bags they have to choose from.

Creating a nontoxic kitchen can feel like an overwhelming task, but I also found it to be a wonderful opportunity to become more acquainted with our home. The topic of toxins can be controversial, so I encourage you to bring this to the Lord in prayer for wisdom and guidance for your family.

My prayer for our home as well as yours, is that Jesus will bless it and make it a safe place - filled with peace, love, and warm fellowship with our families. Let’s enjoy baking gooey chocolate chip cookies, frying up the perfect over-easy egg, and lightly dressing a fresh citrus salad with the ones we love. Happy cooking!

til next time,

Becks