How many of these toxic kitchen items do you own? Comment and let us know (and what you're planning on decluttering!) ► 📋FREE 10-PAGE DECLUTTERING CHECKLIST » atozenlife.com/free-declutter-checklist
The black plastic kitchen utensils went in the garbage this week. The cutting boards are next. Years ago, I was mashing my potatoes, wanting to make sure they were lovely and as lump-free as possible .. and I wondered what the black flakes were? I hadn't added pepper yet .. hmm .. ohhh * * YUK * * it's the non-stick coating! My vigorous mashing was ripping apart the teflon and adding it to my spuds! ewww .. lol
Former head chef here - stainless steel pans will not stick if heated properly before adding food. Once you get the hang of the heating process, you'll never get another sticky pan again, and they are much safer and easier to maintain than non-stick. There are lots of helpful RUclips tutorials for how to heat them. Edit: Eggs in stainless steel - If you're still learning to gauge "hot enough" use the water test. Heat the pan over medium-low until a bead of water slides around without breaking up, then add oil (don't skimp or it'll stick) and then the egg. Turn the heat down once the egg is added. This really is a practice makes perfect situation.
Yes I think I saw one of those RUclips videos a while back. I need to go find it again. If all cooks found out about this “trick” then cookware manufacturers would have to phase out their non-stick pans. 😊
I finally figured this out after decluttering 2 amazing skillets - As usual- the non stick is a shortcut for good technique . But it does take a few tries to learn it as muscle memory
Yes! I changed to a stainless steel skillet several months ago. Watched a couple of RUclips videos and got the hang of it and now my eggs are perfection *chef’s kiss. 😊 Once you figure out how to heat it and get the patience for it, you’ll love it. (Patience was the key for me 😊)
Our family started swapping food items with dye free versions. It makes my heart happy that US companies are starting to get on board with using natural dyes over artifical ones.
I remember a few years ago U.S. Aldi's goal to sell dye free foods. They must not have had enough products to meet that goal. Know some folks as kids who had terrible issues with dyes. One had behavior issues and another had hives. The worst dye has been red 40. Learned to find dye free meds or commercially made treats made with natural colors. Thankfully the one with hives had fewer issues when she was older.
@jenniferh1416 To my knowledge, all of Aldi's store brand products are free of artificial dyes, but Aldi doesn't have the selection of products that bigger stores do.
@@ChristinaDunnigan Some products sold in Aldi are not dye free. These might be third party items. About a year after they posted to be provide dye free only products, we did see blue applesauce cups by the register. During another visit saw the packs of highly colored freezer popsicles. Best practice is to keep reading labels. We have to avoid other ingredients on a regular basis, some of which may be more natural but not ones we can use. At least they have the base ingredients so we can prepare it at home.
@@jenniferh1416 I know that they sell some name brands items that have dyes in them, but I was under the impression that their branded products didn't. Now I'm curious if what I thought is true or not.
My daughter was on 7 asthma meds. I couldn't find her any relief, so started researching about 8 years ago. Took dyes out, particularly red 40 (was also surprised about pickles). In one month she was down to one inhaler.
Cinnamon does wonders for asthma, I've had it since childhood and I'm 41 and only need an inhaler if I get really sick with a chest cold for a few weeks then I'm back off the inhaler . Might help your kid, helped my asthmatic son a TON he's a young adult born with Asthma as well, he doesn't use an inhaler at all😊
Yeah. When our daughter (she’s now 35) was a child, Red40 would make her loopy or even unconscious. We utterly stopped buying foods with any red dyes and the improvement was almost immediate. She still avoids anything with dyes in it.
Woodstock brand pickles Do not have any artificial colors, but you have to go to a place like Whole Foods Or natural grocers by vitamin cottage to get that brand
When cooking in a stainless steel pan, spread a little oil and heat the pan well until it starts to smoke a little and nothing will be sticking. They are easier to maintain than non-stick pans.
I use butter. Makes your eggs taste delicious. Very little sticking. If I do a veggie stir fry I use just a dime size amount of oil and it works great. Love my stainless steel pans.
Im so glad that this conversation about food dyes is becoming mainstream 🙌🏼 my middle son has struggled with this his whole life and we have just recently figured it out and cutting these dyes out of his diet and helped enormously, including stopping his night terrors 🙌🏼 Just a note about WHITE, it often had blue dye in it to make it more white 🤦🏼♀️
Save the pickle juice! Cut up some cucumbers, put in the juice overnight - your own pickles. You may get 2 batches this way, it gets watered down after 2 processes. You can try adding white vinegar to the mix for a third batch.
The wood utensils you were thinking of decluttering just need a good oiling with some olive oil which will bring back some of their beautiful patina :)
Whenever we have a plate we don't want to eat of of (usually because of a chip) we make it a plant plate. For some reason whenever we get decorative pots for house plants either it doesn't come with the saucer or the saucer breaks so we use plates.
I was that child who could not tolerate red 40 due to behavioral issues. My mom was ahead of her time in the 90s & did not buy products with artificial colors back when I was a kid. It's such a shame that we in the US allow our children to ingest artificial dyes that have known health effects.
Norwegian here, only about 10% of the additives legal in the US is legal in Europe. Here the food producers have to prove that something is safe, not like in the US where the rule seems to be "let's wait and see" That is also why GMO is banned here
My eldest when he was a toddler suffered from migraines in the early 80’s. An Italian doctor suggested removing processed foods. In Italy he wasn’t even eating much processed food so that was pretty easy. At any rate he went from weekly migraines to one every couple months and they pretty much stopped after puberty. He still suffers from normal headaches and blefariti and the same it is all tied to what he eats. I’m so grateful though that Europe has stricter laws on many additives.
Marissa, I truly appreciate the work and time you put into your videos. What's next? Our plastic car interiors off gassing in heat and causing health issues? Gosh, it is hard to determine what's safe any more. Very scary.
In 1978 I took my son to a doctor in Houston who put him on a diet free of dyes, coloring and food preservatives. the change in his ADHD was amazing. Too bad most other doctors are still ignorant of this simple thing to be!p kids with adhd.
I can't believe I just read this ! Back in that same year I also followed the same diet with my son. It was like a miracle. His Dr. Wanted to put him on Ritalin of course. Which I refused. It was a lot more effort to research, shop and cook but SO worth it. Many of the colours are added to food for eye appeal. With the numbers of people ' diagnosed' with ADHD increasing exponentially why oh why doesn't the medical profession make this way of eating the number one recommendation. (Money?) Nobody I ever mention it to has ever heard of it.
There are several options for those plates. The most straightforward would be to use them as hot pads for a nice dinner or put them underneath potted plants. Since they are antique keepsakes, you could also decorate them on the wall. For dinnerware or cups, you aren't too attached to them; you can break them up and make mosaics. For older silverware, you can make wind chimes.
Love videos like this, more people need to know this stuff! I've been on a journey the last while to rid my kitchen of non-stick pans, plastic cooking utensils, plastic cutting boards, and plastic food storage containers, but the deeper I read into things online, I keep finding out about more toxic stuff, and it is quite overwhelming to be honest. Especially given that we are ingesting these toxins more and more from the air and our water (even if we try to eliminate them while we're cooking), it feels like a losing situation, especially since a lot of the things that are considered healthier options, are way more expensive!
I have all-clad pans. The trick is to heat them to the right temperature. Put a few drops of water in the hot pan. If they evaporate immediately, it is not hot enough. If the drops become spherical and roll on the surface of the pan, you have reached the right temperature.
Omgosh, how timely! I just decluttered my kitchen utensils yesterday. I was decluttering the metal and wooden items and keeping the plastic ones to be gentle on my new skillets. I will definitely switch them out. I did declutter my plastic cutting boards. I was concerned about the plastics getting into my body with all the slice marks and scars on the boards. I was aware of the Red dye destruction for years, and it made me cautious of the red and blue colors. However, it wasn't until i had a dear neighbor with severe asthma, extremely sensitive to the yellow dye, that I became more aware. Another thing I have given up are the washing machine pods. The plastic goes into our drinking water and then the ocean. Manufacturers come out with all the claims of time saving and easy clean up with no mention of shortening our lives or imparing our children or our bodies. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Oh man. If it's not one thing it's another. And things are constantly changing. I'm afraid the only thing I can afford to replace are the black plastic cooking utensils. At least some of them. Thanks for the info. But I'm 80 yo and I'll just add these to the long list of things that might kill me! I'm not sure I care anymore!
My father had a quadruple bypass when he was 83, and I asked the surgeon's office about a diet. They just said, if he has an appetite, let him eat what he wants. It seems the older one gets, the less interested one is in food. If I could only become uninterested in chips and junk food....
@ as we get older as i have found out now at 66 our bodies change i can not tolerate sweet cakes any more i still love my Chips😂enjoy them stop worrying about what so called science ect tell you to eat just listen to your body not man i get fed up with people saying dont eat this its bad for you i past caring what they say and this so called high cholestrol being bad is rubbish
@Glory3823 yes, but I can see them on my hips.... And I hate buying new clothes.... 😂 On the other hand, I bought some Lindt truffles today and they were so sweet, I couldn't eat them. Me. And candy. Who would have thought? 😳
I'm so glad you're addressing this issue! For the last few years I've been slowly revamping my kitchen as I learn about different products. I've spent many hours going down various rabbit holes researching different items and still feel like the available info is woefully inadequate. At this point, my kitchen is almost completely plastic-free aside from some pyrex dish lids and my rice cooker has a teflon coated pot (one of my favorite and most used appliances and I'm unwilling to part with it). I gave up a crockpot a while ago because I discovered the ceramic pots leach lead. I'm using Cuisinart stainless steel pans and learning how to prep them and check for when they're ready to add food, etc. My chef's everyday pan is becoming one of my favorite tools and aside from an 8" skillet it has replaced all my other pans. I now use less cookware overall, focus on bamboo items like a steamer and utensils, and try different cooking methods. I didn't know about Corelle, though. Another rabbit hole....
Food is an excellent choice of dye sources. I have an antique book that discusses which foods yield which colors; it’s fascinating. Some are obvious, such as beets for reddish purple. Even onion skins …
Late last year I responded to those initial reports too, about black plastic. I had only a few utensils to let go of. Then I had to get rid of all my non-stick pans. It made me sad to let go of my oversized frying pan. But it was clearly compromised. I bought a set of stainless steel pots and pans from a Korean company. I also bought some s.s. cookie sheets and a new large pizza pan, no longer non-stick but to date it's working great. Most of these were Black Friday prices with free delivery. Glad my Corelle dinnerwear is relatively new and all white. It was a very useful video. I still learned a few new things.
Lots to think about. I have decluttered before, but now making another pass through my home. Haven't done kitchen yet, so this will be very helpful moving forward.
About ten years ago I went down the rabbit hole of checking everyday household items for toxins, and whoa!!! It was a true eye opener. The thing is, once you know, you can't un-know! So I would advise anyone getting started to first be patient with the journey of it all. Back then, I bought lead strips to check the lead on all my plates. They were relatively inexpensive. (They look like q-tips with red tips). Once I saw how much lead was in my plates, it was no-brainer for me not to use them. . . . Lastly, there's a tendency to get angry at oneself. I blamed myself so hard for my ignorance. So it's also a process of learning to give yourself grace for not knowing better ♥
Love my all clad pans! I ditched non stick near 20 years ago. I feel your pain as far as cooking eggs without non stick. My hubby loves eggs. I purchaed a Le Creuset small frying pan. I preheat it for a couple minutes then add some sun flower oil and add the eggs. I have pretty good luck getting them out perfectly. It does take some trial and error, but i found thats whats best for us. I use the same parchment you purchase as well. I wish it came in precut sheets like my old brand but oh well. Your videos are a real service to people.
I went through this whole de-toxifying my kitchen thing a while back, when a couple of ladies came to my house to sell me their (I didn't know HOW expensive) fancy stainless steel cookware. They asked me to get out one of each type of cookware I had in my house, to prove to me that their stuff was superior. I got out a Japanese donabe pot (they'd never seen one of those), a cast iron skillet, and a Martha Stewart stainless steel skillet. The test was to boil water in each of these containers, then taste the water; you can taste the chemicals in the boiled water. As a result of that taste test and subsequent research, I got rid of ALL of the Martha Stewart stainless items, most of my cast iron items, and I haven't used any of them since, KEPT the Japanese donabe pots, all of those, bought a glass teakettle from Amazon (borosilicate) and make my hot water for coffee or tea in there, and bought some very expensive black Chamba ware (handmade pottery from Colombia, South America, made by the women of the village for the past 700 years), which I love. It's fragile and breaks, though, so be ready to replace pieces from time to time. A household with a husband and kids is probably not ready for Chamba ware, or donabe pots, or even a glass teakettle. Rice cooker!! I bought a ceramic rice cooker from Amazon. It's in 3 pieces, with the bottom, a flat lid with a hole for the steam to escape, and a top domed lid. I don't eat rice anymore (I'm on the keto diet) but sometimes make quinoa. This is perfect. If you follow the directions, it doesn't burn the rice on my gas stove. When I want a fried egg, what's worked great for me while camping is a little lightweight enamelware skillet. I fry up the bacon in the skillet, leave most of the grease, and fry the eggs in the grease. That's about as nonstick as you're going to find in the world of healthy non-nonstick cookware. Cheap, lightweight enamelware is not something I've tested yet to see if it tastes chemical-y, and it might, but I'm okay with it. For utensils, there are makers on Etsy who handcraft wooden utensils, and I love those. I have bought a broad, wide silicone pancake turner and use it all the time; same for some silicone spatulas; I found the pancake turner on Amazon after watching someone's RUclips video about it. I have a vintage enamelware ladle and big soup spoon and use those a lot; found those on Etsy when I was looking for vintage camping utensils. Also there's lead to think about, not just the dyes. Be careful about any pottery cups or plates you might use, and make sure the glazes used are lead-free. Basically don't trust anything red or yellow, and if it's hand-made by a local potter currently, it's probably okay. The glazes most people use now are purchased from trusted glaze-makers, and they're lead-free. If you have questions, ask the potter. Just don't buy anything that might have lead in it. Items not from the US, I'd be skeptical of. I replaced all of the plastic storage containers in my kitchen with glass with silicone lids. Even the salad container that I used to mix up several days' worth of salad and use out of it daily, a meal prep for the weekend -- replaced that with a big lidded glass container that again would probably not be good to have around if you have kids: it's big, heavy, and it will break. My mom used to wash out all plastic containers and save them to store leftovers. I really don't buy much in plastic anymore, so that's not an issue for me. I do keep some (a very few) glass jars to store leftover items. I also don't collect plastic grocery bags now like I used to. Now I have vintage market baskets that I take shopping with me, or the lovely African woven basket if I'm going to be buying a ton of heavy stuff. Which is sad; I reuse the grocery bags as trash bags in my bathroom and laundry room, and now I don't have all the plastic bags to reuse anymore. But the vintage market baskets are beautiful -- I love baskets -- and you can get some really excellent out-of-favor Longaberger baskets from the online Goodwill store for far cheaper than when they were selling them at Longaberger parties. Baskets, pottery, wood and enamelware -- and glass and silicone. That's where I've settled for now.
I cook my eggs fried sunny side up or over easy in a small cast iron pan. Practice getting it seasoned my egg slide around like a nonstick pan that's wonderful. The trick is that you start out with a lower heat because the pans heat up so fast, and so evenly people have a tendency to burn things. It's a great life to cook with cast iron.
I love your videos! For eggs on stainless steel - heat on high heat until it passes the mercury test with water. Then reduce to med-low for about 30ish secs. Then add a good amount of oil (beef tallow makes eggs soooo good!). Fry as usual! Use the plates as decor! My mom has this cool hanging thing that holds 3 plates on it. I can't wait to inherit it from her!
Thank you!!! This needs to be shared!! It's upsetting to know that there are very few protections for these types of products and that consumers are in many ways solely responsible for their health and well being! Don't worry! You are not the only one who has eaten off of Corelle plates for their whole life! I'm right there with you!
alternative to parchment paper to keep baked goods from sticking to the pan: I use nothing else rolled oats spread over the bottom of the pan, whether I’m baking bread, cookies, or vegetarian meatloaf. It’s incredibly simple, healthy, and delicious.
Goodness, I didn't realize how behind on your videos I am! You don't know this but you're hanging out with me while I do housework today lol I always feel calm and inspired to get the work done when I have your videos playing. I have several lined up to play while I work
Aldi has swapped out most food dyes from their house brands. You can use exhaust fans and open windows to rid the fumes when cooking. Cast iron is a good alternative and helps you meet your iron intake needs. You just have to care for it properly. We use a silicone microwave popcorn popper. With plates, just don't put anything highly acidic on them.
We use a silicone microwave popcorn popper too. Jealous that you have Aldi. We don't in my part of Canada. I remember shopping at Aldi long ago in Germany though.
Our family has started on this journey, so this video is perfect for us! I've been replacing pans and things over the last month and am currently trying to find some good safe spatulas etc. Thank you for this information! ❤
Here’s a trick for making over easy eggs that don’t require you to flip them. Cook the eggs to the point when you would normally be about ready to flip them, add a little bit of water to the pan. Not a ton just a thin layer. Then put a lid on the pan for about 30 seconds. When the time is up you’ll lift the lid to find your eggs over easy! If 30 seconds isn’t long enough add another 10-15 seconds. It works amazingly!
I'm on the same journey of replacing toxic items. They aren't all easy, that's for sure. Money is part of it. Ease of use is another part. I've learned to try to focus on ONE thing at a time. Get that one thing straightened out, then move on to your next thing. Make a list of changes you want to make so you don't forget, you can keep adding to the list. The list makes you feel like you have a plan and that you're doing something. Pick your top most important thing, make that change. Then pick the next most important thing, and so on.
I really appreciate this video. I’m a couple years older than you, and back in high school, I started getting rashes on my back. After narrowing it down, it was due to eating Pop Tarts with red dye in them. Red 40 seems to be the culprit. Even to this day, I can’t have any without getting a rash, not even two red Skittles. I’m not allergic to any foods or anything else that I know of, either. That tells me a lot.
After watching this, it made me feel overwhelmed as I had already done some changes but didn't realize about others. I went down rabbit holes doing my own research and found almost everything is toxic or can be toxic, so you almost feel helpless. I'm just going to decide what works for me and not worry about the rest.
Oh man, I have banned soooo many toxic things from my life so I got excited about this video when I saw the title. Loved your Erin Brockovich scene haha. I am glad you are educating people about these items. Tip for egg cooking: lotsss of butter. I use If You Care too. I make popcorn old school with shaking a pot, but I also got rid of toxic microwaves over a decade ago.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, I removed all the plastic food containers, plastic cutting boards, and non-stick pots and pans. I seldom use the microwave. I use the oven or stove top to reheat food. I store leftovers in glass containers. Hopefully, glass is safe to use! Regarding your beloved dishware, I suggest hanging them on the wall or displaying them on easels in a china hutch. Having them out to see every day will bring joy. ❤
One of my children had a seizure disorder and the doctors instructed me to eliminate red and yellow dyes from her food, as well as a few other things. So this has been in my mind set for many years. ( I can’t imagine how much would be in red velvet cake!). Moving on, I also became aware of lead in the paint on dinnerware, and replaced all of my old long loved Corelle with new plain white Corelle. Just this Christmas I splurged and replaced my old nonstick (flaking) cookware with a set of ceramic. I’ve only had it for a month, and so far the non stick quality is excellent, clean up is easy, and they look good. It came with two silicone (type) utensils with wood handles, I otherwise have the black dollar store utensils that should be on the next replacement list. As I have been downsizing and decluttering it has been a treat for me to upgrade the things I am getting rid of with smaller, more functional sets. Thank you for this information. It is so important to be aware of the toxicity in our everyday items.
This video couldn’t have come at a better time. A couple of our nonstick pans have been looking a little sketchy. I had to pause your video and we just ordered ceramic (coated) on Amazon. There is no way in this lifetime could afford pure ceramic. This might be a little late for my husband and I because we are 70 and 65. But my grandchildren eat here so I think it’s more for them. My husband does the cooking and doesn’t like wooden spoons so that may not change. I want to replace our plastic cutting boards, as well. But at this point, we have used plastic cutting boards for 40 years 😮 (plus I put them in the dishwasher 😊). I love this video because I am on a health journey. I am also going to try and wean myself off of coffee and move into herbal teas. This will take a while. 😮. I love these kinds of videos and find them so helpful! 🙏 Thank you! 😮😮😮I just back to finish your video and I use those types of dishes 😢😢😢. Corelle ware has been my go to for over 40 years!! I checked and they are in the list that have lead. I ended getting same day delivery for plain white.
Love this video! Perhaps you could hang your favorite plates on the wall (perhaps near kitchen or dining table). There are easy spring systems that only cost a few euros (in NL) and make it super simple to hang them 🤗
German viewer here: I recently got rid of all my non-stick cooking utensils: the gamechanging news for me: turn the stainless steel pan hot, drop some drops of water in the pan. When the drops beginn to „dance“ the pan is hot enough. Now you can reduce the heat and begin cooking. This totally works for me, even with all sorts of „egg-meals“!
I haven't tried it in stainless steel but I often will heat a skillet, drop the eggs in, add a couple of tablespoons of water, and cover with a lid for 1.5 minutes (or however you like your eggs) and the water keeps it from sticking. You can try!
We have cut out all artifical food colours about 6 months ago. My son has ADHD and we notice a massive difference. It's tough during Halloween season, Christmas Season and in the summer when there are parades. We are lucky in Canada that a lot our cereals have natural food dyes in them. Even our fruit loops. We also do not burn any candles, use any non stick cookware, or use any toxic cleaners. We use stainless steel cooking utensils and when you only use cast iron pots and pans, you can use them.
We have switched to cast iron and have been loving it! The maintenance is different but about the same time and energy as cleaning and maintaining any thing else. we have had so much success in cooking and the food comes out amazing. There is a bit of a learning curve at first with heat, as they take a sec to heat but once they are heated they can burn very quickly if you have too much heat on your stove because they maintain and hold heat so well. As long as they are always seasoned well we don't have any problems with sticking. Hope this info helps, thank you for all your info!
Very informative! Thanks for posting. Easy decision to declutter poisonous kitchenware. 1. "Natural colors" and "natural flavors" do not have legal meanings. The chemicals are proprietary and secret; not for me. 2. Sneaky plastic: paper hot cups are coated with plastic to keep the cups from dissolving by the hot liquid. 3. Taryn Maria just put up a RUclips video on the safety of silicone cookware yesterday. Surprised me. 4. Taryn also has another video on ceramic non-stick coatings containing PFAS chemicals. 5. Stainless steel is supposed to be the best. I have not mastered heating the pan until a bead of water "dances across the surface" in order to cook non-stick. I am using a lot of avocado oil. 6. Fractionated coconut oil is good for coating solid wood utensils and wood cutting boards. Any info on bamboo utensils and cutting boards?
My little sister was the one sensitive to red and orange food dyes when we were kids. I always remember being impressed, as a kid myself, when my parents observed that eating those red Cheetos made her go wild.
It can affect people in different ways. I think it gave me a temper for a long time even bit after i cut it out. Takes while to release and body to forget it
i had a Glass hallogin they are good however the bowl is heavy and having arthritis its to heavy you do need to take care of the element when taking off ❤
The issue with black dye was an error in the decimal point in the original research noted weeks ago!! Continuing this error is a disservice. There is no risk of harm to people using them--maybe eating a few hundred of the utensils themselves in one sitting, but using them to prepare & serve food is safe.
I saw that too. They made an error yet its hard for the truth to get out once a claim has been made. I saw the retraction a couple of weeks ago. It wond impact me because I don't use black plastic with food but still the truth is important.
7 дней назад+4
Cast iron skillets take practice, but are fabulous once mastered. For oven roasting, I always use Pyrex or Corningware, the same my mom used from 40 years ago! I really think that the cooking pots and pans from the past: 1950s-70s do not have these chemicals, a lot of my items are over 40 years old. But honestly, breathing air can kill you nowadays. Toxicity is everywhere: air, soil, water. So no matter how much you try to keep your family safe, there are still dangers in the environment. My point is: you can only do so much….
Totally get it! I'm on my way to get rid of those black cooking utilities. I'm allergic to corn and by products, so I am not surprised what is in our food. So many of my products come from other countries since their food regulations are much better towards pure food.
Marisa, I ordered a small skillet from xtrema which I read was the safest nonstick brand. I paid so much and was disappointed. You still have to use butter or oil plus directions say heat on med heat for 3-5 minutes before each use. Thank you for this, we are all trying to eliminate toxins but we will never get them all out.
I own a black plastic spatula and I don’t even like it! Goodbye spatula! I understand how you feel about non-stick pans… it’s not easy to declutter something that works well.
Right? In some cases it’s just not practical. I try to use the 80/20 or 90/10 rule…be better 80 to 90% of the time, and the other 10-20% is what it is. 😅
I feel like these are all pretty common knowledge. On the note of cast iron leaching iron into food, that's never been considered a bad thing as it's a vital nutrient and roughly 1/3 of the world's population is iron deficient. Cast iron is considered to be non-toxic just like stainless steel. The trick to either pan cooking like non-stick is proper heating. With both you'll want to pre-heat the pan to be hot (look for leidenfrost effect for stainless and a smoking pan for cast iorn), then heat the oil or butter fully, then cook. If you really want to switch to more non-toxic items take a look at your cinnamon (most are using cassia when they should be using ceylon), dish sponge, dishwashing pods, cleaning products, feminine hygiene products, your clothing, furniture, and mattress.
I found out the hard way about the microwave popcorn pouches. I have no breathing issues. But if I smell microwave popcorn as it pops or even walk into a room where it had been popped a good 1/2 hr later, I can’t breathe. It’s a quick and extreme reaction. Been this way since the 1990s. I don’t have that reaction with stove popped or air popped popcorn. I recently purchased a microwave bowl to pop in. It works fine, but now I wonder about the plastic it’s made of. I’ll be checking into it. Thanks for this information!👍☀️❤️
I love how honest you are about these things. It's really not so easy to switch up everything to safe-mode with a tight budget. As for the plates, I'd keep 'em and just eat on special ocations. You lasted 40+ years eating off of those, so I'm gessing your family will be fine if you use them for celebrations, hollidays or a special dinner one in a while. I could not get rid of those, since I have a similar situation with a tea set my grandma passed down. So I have it as decoration mostly but use it on special ocassions.
My 39 year old was watching. She said I’ve been using these forever and I’m fine. As I said to her… maybe now. But it catches up to u in yiur 50’s… or can. The young can seemingly get away with the chemicals. But in my mid 50’s I’m feeling (maybe) the effects of many years of j knowingly ingesting all the chemicals. Still not sure what does and does not have effect. But as I learn I’m replacing items. For more natural.
Excellent video...this will be a process to start for many of us just like decluttering our homes ( very informative). Idea for your cherished plates...you can always put a clear glass plate on top. Thanks for researching!
When it comes to wooden cutting boards, avoid cutting meat on them. Also, it's important to seal your boards with a mineral oil in order to keep them from growing bacteria.
Please be aware, though, of the difference between hardwood (maple, walnut, oak, ebony … ) and bamboo (grass) for cutting boards. If it’s really inexpensive, and looks almost like plywood, it’s probably bamboo. Pass. And you can certainly cut meat, either raw or cooked, on a hardwood board. It’s very easy and fast to wash it immediately so you can use it again.
I have those same Corelle dishes, and have always loved them, too. The pattern is so sweet. Concerning to know about the possible lead in them. Thanks for the great video, Marissa.
Good video!! The pods for the dishwasher also contain microplastics. And the pods for your cloth too. Better use the new litlle papers for washing instead of pods and plastic bottles.
I would love your insight in the same manner for beauty products. I rarely use makeup and my skincare is dove soap and Cetaphil lotion/face moisturizer. But that doesn't mean I don't ever let a good smelling Bath and Body Works gift or something go to waste. I think you've touched on these before. Do you have a whole video on skin care?
I don’t have a video on this, but I can keep that in mind! TBH, we also use Cetaphil because it works for the entire family (my kids are prone to eczema) and was recommended by our allergist…we probably won’t change that, no matter what. 😅✌️
@@AtoZenLife Love the sensitive skin daily wash from Cetaphil. My skin has never looked so healthy now. Also not a strong scent. I would hesitate to give it up too.
if you want to keep your vintage corelle dishes, it is pretty safe to place cool, dry foods such as cookies/biscuits or chips/crisps in them. you might find some safer dishes that coordinate nicely with your pattern and just use the plates and bowls for serving dishes with them occasionally. you won't want to use your corelle to eat warm, high-lipid, foods or liquids, nor anything that will be cut/sliced, of course. another option may be using a (non PFAS) paper doily or reusable cloth one underneath things like scones or cakes.
As for lead in plates - although they were banned, as you mentioned, in the 70s - from what I read: it was not really 'banned' but there was a maximum that was allowed. Essentially, if a plate, cup, etc. has a shiny surface, there will be lead in it - maybe not "harmful" levels - but there really is no getting away from it; including shiny toys, and even every day things like extension cords (that say to wash your hands after use...like, who ever does that?!). Eliminating everything that we use - which is what you would need to do to avoid all toxic things (new cars are really bad too - not to mention the air that we breathe) may give us a few extra years of life, but probably not enough that will make a huge difference. I think genetics play more of a role on how susceptible we are to the environment than anything. Enjoy life and thank God for all the days you were given. :-)
In addition to utensils, care can be taken with cleaners and cleaning supplies. My favorites for eco products: Marley's Monsters, Me Mother Earth, and Blueland which offers zero-waste packaging. 💚
Alternative to non-stick frying pans: Use another one that has a non-stick treatment, add a little oil and fry your egg normally, but cover it with the lid. The steam generated during frying will condense on the lid and return to the base of the pan, preventing the egg from sticking. Some pans work better than others. I use a stainless steel one and do not preheat it before adding the oil and egg. It works very well with vegetables.
Ooo I'm bummed about the parchment paper additives. I definitely thought those were only made with paper (wood) and silicone, in a safe way. Recently we've bought some stainless steel grates that we've been using over our half sheet pans, to kind of fake an air-fry texture on our foods, even though our oven isn't a convection oven. I'll probably stick with those for frozen foods, but I'll have to find an alternative for baked goods or cookies if I'm not using my parchment paper anymore. 🤔 Thanks for the info though! (Bonus: the stainless steel grates are dishwasher-safe so I don't have to scrub the crusty bits off!)
Gave up coffee makers since everything on them is plastic. We purchased stainless steel filters you place over your cup and do one at a time pour overs. Delicious coffee everytime and no more paper filters to buy.
I did not know about parchment paper, so thank you! Same for wooden utensils. I have very little plastic in my kitchen or even in my home. TIP: In case you don't know - RICE contains arsenic, and is worth the time to learn how to use it properly. As for food, I eat a plant-based diet (lots of organic produce) which avoids unhealthy additives.
My trick for eggs and other things that can be difficult to do without a nonstick pan is to use a ceramic electric griddle. You can find them for surprisingly decent prices, have really good temperature control, give you a much larger and easier to use cooking surface, and at least for me, I find it easier to multitask cooking multiple items while using a griddle over having lots of pans.
I purchased new stainless steel skillets a couple years ago and they said to preheat the pan for a several minutes and then heat your fat until hot to keep eggs from sticking. I have also found, since I stopped using seed oils and started using healthier fats, that my food doesn't stick as much but I can't be skimpy on fat.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
How many of these toxic kitchen items do you own? Comment and let us know (and what you're planning on decluttering!) ► 📋FREE 10-PAGE DECLUTTERING CHECKLIST » atozenlife.com/free-declutter-checklist
I AM FINALLY GETTING AHEAD ON MY DECLUTTERING
Also I'm actually shocked that the US allows so many toxins
The black plastic kitchen utensils went in the garbage this week. The cutting boards are next. Years ago, I was mashing my potatoes, wanting to make sure they were lovely and as lump-free as possible .. and I wondered what the black flakes were? I hadn't added pepper yet .. hmm .. ohhh * * YUK * * it's the non-stick coating! My vigorous mashing was ripping apart the teflon and adding it to my spuds! ewww .. lol
P.S. I have read that non-stick is "safer" if you do not cook with HIGH temps and don't put in the dishwasher
More than I care to know! 😮
You can use plate hangers and put your vintage plates on the wall as decoration or use them as saucers for plants as key or mail trays.
Former head chef here - stainless steel pans will not stick if heated properly before adding food. Once you get the hang of the heating process, you'll never get another sticky pan again, and they are much safer and easier to maintain than non-stick. There are lots of helpful RUclips tutorials for how to heat them.
Edit: Eggs in stainless steel - If you're still learning to gauge "hot enough" use the water test. Heat the pan over medium-low until a bead of water slides around without breaking up, then add oil (don't skimp or it'll stick) and then the egg. Turn the heat down once the egg is added. This really is a practice makes perfect situation.
Yes I think I saw one of those RUclips videos a while back. I need to go find it again. If all cooks found out about this “trick” then cookware manufacturers would have to phase out their non-stick pans. 😊
I do this, easy once you get the hang of it.
I finally figured this out after decluttering 2 amazing skillets - As usual- the non stick is a shortcut for good technique . But it does take a few tries to learn it as muscle memory
I'm not a professional, but I've never owned a nonstick pan and I came here to say this
Yes! I changed to a stainless steel skillet several months ago. Watched a couple of RUclips videos and got the hang of it and now my eggs are perfection *chef’s kiss. 😊 Once you figure out how to heat it and get the patience for it, you’ll love it. (Patience was the key for me 😊)
Our family started swapping food items with dye free versions. It makes my heart happy that US companies are starting to get on board with using natural dyes over artifical ones.
I remember a few years ago U.S. Aldi's goal to sell dye free foods. They must not have had enough products to meet that goal. Know some folks as kids who had terrible issues with dyes. One had behavior issues and another had hives. The worst dye has been red 40. Learned to find dye free meds or commercially made treats made with natural colors. Thankfully the one with hives had fewer issues when she was older.
@jenniferh1416 To my knowledge, all of Aldi's store brand products are free of artificial dyes, but Aldi doesn't have the selection of products that bigger stores do.
@@ChristinaDunnigan Some products sold in Aldi are not dye free. These might be third party items. About a year after they posted to be provide dye free only products, we did see blue applesauce cups by the register. During another visit saw the packs of highly colored freezer popsicles.
Best practice is to keep reading labels. We have to avoid other ingredients on a regular basis, some of which may be more natural but not ones we can use. At least they have the base ingredients so we can prepare it at home.
There is an alternative to M&Ms called unreal that uses colors from nature I think red cabbage is one of the colors.
@@jenniferh1416 I know that they sell some name brands items that have dyes in them, but I was under the impression that their branded products didn't. Now I'm curious if what I thought is true or not.
My daughter was on 7 asthma meds. I couldn't find her any relief, so started researching about 8 years ago. Took dyes out, particularly red 40 (was also surprised about pickles). In one month she was down to one inhaler.
awesome!
Cinnamon does wonders for asthma, I've had it since childhood and I'm 41 and only need an inhaler if I get really sick with a chest cold for a few weeks then I'm back off the inhaler . Might help your kid, helped my asthmatic son a TON he's a young adult born with Asthma as well, he doesn't use an inhaler at all😊
Yeah. When our daughter (she’s now 35) was a child, Red40 would make her loopy or even unconscious. We utterly stopped buying foods with any red dyes and the improvement was almost immediate. She still avoids anything with dyes in it.
Woodstock brand pickles Do not have any artificial colors, but you have to go to a place like Whole Foods Or natural grocers by vitamin cottage to get that brand
Asthma and allergies are on increase, which is also from poor air quality. Check out EPA/ Asthma before it is shut down & disappears in the US. #nurse
When cooking in a stainless steel pan, spread a little oil and heat the pan well until it starts to smoke a little and nothing will be sticking. They are easier to maintain than non-stick pans.
Recently got rid of non-stick and took advantage of deals the end of 2024 and invested in a stainless steel set.
I use butter. Makes your eggs taste delicious. Very little sticking. If I do a veggie stir fry I use just a dime size amount of oil and it works great. Love my stainless steel pans.
I regret decluttering Mom's old Revere Ware pans. They were the best but I hated cleaning the copper bottoms.
I struggle with stainless steel. I use cast iron now.
@@eileencarroll6418I inherited my grandmas set and that was the only stainless I liked. I used them til the handles fell apart.
Im so glad that this conversation about food dyes is becoming mainstream 🙌🏼 my middle son has struggled with this his whole life and we have just recently figured it out and cutting these dyes out of his diet and helped enormously, including stopping his night terrors 🙌🏼 Just a note about WHITE, it often had blue dye in it to make it more white 🤦🏼♀️
A lot of the main stream marshmallow brands like jet puffed uses blue dye In the marshmallows that’s just insane.
Save the pickle juice! Cut up some cucumbers, put in the juice overnight - your own pickles. You may get 2 batches this way, it gets watered down after 2 processes. You can try adding white vinegar to the mix for a third batch.
Yes! Great video. I use only stainless steel and cast iron cookware. Also, I'm trying to minimize plastic every where I can. And clean eating.
The wood utensils you were thinking of decluttering just need a good oiling with some olive oil which will bring back some of their beautiful patina :)
Whenever we have a plate we don't want to eat of of (usually because of a chip) we make it a plant plate. For some reason whenever we get decorative pots for house plants either it doesn't come with the saucer or the saucer breaks so we use plates.
Not for everyone's taste but you can get supports to hang plates on the wall. My grandmother had some decorative plates in the kitchen wall 😊
I was that child who could not tolerate red 40 due to behavioral issues. My mom was ahead of her time in the 90s & did not buy products with artificial colors back when I was a kid. It's such a shame that we in the US allow our children to ingest artificial dyes that have known health effects.
Norwegian here, only about 10% of the additives legal in the US is legal in Europe. Here the food producers have to prove that something is safe, not like in the US where the rule seems to be "let's wait and see" That is also why GMO is banned here
That is all about to change. Parents just grew up on things and didn't know what the FDA was doing.
My eldest when he was a toddler suffered from migraines in the early 80’s. An Italian doctor suggested removing processed foods. In Italy he wasn’t even eating much processed food so that was pretty easy. At any rate he went from weekly migraines to one every couple months and they pretty much stopped after puberty. He still suffers from normal headaches and blefariti and the same it is all tied to what he eats. I’m so grateful though that Europe has stricter laws on many additives.
This video deserves millions of views!
🙏❤️
Yes definitely. Excellent video
Marissa, I truly appreciate the work and time you put into your videos. What's next? Our plastic car interiors off gassing in heat and causing health issues? Gosh, it is hard to determine what's safe any more. Very scary.
I wonder about that all the time!!
In 1978 I took my son to a doctor in Houston who put him on a diet free of dyes, coloring and food preservatives. the change in his ADHD was amazing. Too bad most other doctors are still ignorant of this simple thing to be!p kids with adhd.
Wow! So happy for your son.
I can't believe I just read this ! Back in that same year I also followed the same diet with my son. It was like a miracle. His Dr. Wanted to put him on Ritalin of course. Which I refused.
It was a lot more effort to research, shop and cook but SO worth it.
Many of the colours are added to food for eye appeal.
With the numbers of people ' diagnosed' with ADHD increasing exponentially why oh why doesn't the medical profession make this way of eating the number one recommendation. (Money?)
Nobody I ever mention it to has ever heard of it.
My son also in about 1994. It was called the ‘Feingold’ diet. Low in salicylates, colourings and dairy.
Absolutely. All that fake stuff is actually called "excitotoxins".
There are several options for those plates. The most straightforward would be to use them as hot pads for a nice dinner or put them underneath potted plants. Since they are antique keepsakes, you could also decorate them on the wall. For dinnerware or cups, you aren't too attached to them; you can break them up and make mosaics. For older silverware, you can make wind chimes.
can also use under house plants
Love videos like this, more people need to know this stuff! I've been on a journey the last while to rid my kitchen of non-stick pans, plastic cooking utensils, plastic cutting boards, and plastic food storage containers, but the deeper I read into things online, I keep finding out about more toxic stuff, and it is quite overwhelming to be honest. Especially given that we are ingesting these toxins more and more from the air and our water (even if we try to eliminate them while we're cooking), it feels like a losing situation, especially since a lot of the things that are considered healthier options, are way more expensive!
Sorry, just had to comment again because I rewatched the Erin Brockovich bit like 20 times…HILARIOUS!! 😂
Hahaha, glad you appreciated that! I had fun making it. 🤭
I have all-clad pans. The trick is to heat them to the right temperature. Put a few drops of water in the hot pan. If they evaporate immediately, it is not hot enough. If the drops become spherical and roll on the surface of the pan, you have reached the right temperature.
This !!! Learning my stove and that each stove heats slightly differently. Warm it up first -
Thanks! I’m going to check my pickles ASAP! We love our pickles too gherkins and bread and butter varieties though.
Omgosh, how timely! I just decluttered my kitchen utensils yesterday. I was decluttering the metal and wooden items and keeping the plastic ones to be gentle on my new skillets. I will definitely switch them out. I did declutter my plastic cutting boards. I was concerned about the plastics getting into my body with all the slice marks and scars on the boards. I was aware of the Red dye destruction for years, and it made me cautious of the red and blue colors. However, it wasn't until i had a dear neighbor with severe asthma, extremely sensitive to the yellow dye, that I became more aware. Another thing I have given up are the washing machine pods. The plastic goes into our drinking water and then the ocean. Manufacturers come out with all the claims of time saving and easy clean up with no mention of shortening our lives or imparing our children or our bodies. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Oh man. If it's not one thing it's another. And things are constantly changing. I'm afraid the only thing I can afford to replace are the black plastic cooking utensils. At least some of them. Thanks for the info. But I'm 80 yo and I'll just add these to the long list of things that might kill me! I'm not sure I care anymore!
do not worry we all die one day
Just waking up is enough
if we listen to all this stuff
you will be afraid to even Eat
My father had a quadruple bypass when he was 83, and I asked the surgeon's office about a diet. They just said, if he has an appetite, let him eat what he wants. It seems the older one gets, the less interested one is in food. If I could only become uninterested in chips and junk food....
@ as we get older as i have found out now at 66 our bodies change
i can not tolerate sweet cakes any more
i still love my Chips😂enjoy them stop worrying about what so called science ect tell you to eat
just listen to your body not man
i get fed up with people saying dont eat this its bad for you
i past caring what they say
and this so called high cholestrol being bad is rubbish
@Glory3823 yes, but I can see them on my hips.... And I hate buying new clothes.... 😂
On the other hand, I bought some Lindt truffles today and they were so sweet, I couldn't eat them. Me. And candy. Who would have thought? 😳
@ 👍🤣🤣💞
I'm so glad you're addressing this issue! For the last few years I've been slowly revamping my kitchen as I learn about different products. I've spent many hours going down various rabbit holes researching different items and still feel like the available info is woefully inadequate. At this point, my kitchen is almost completely plastic-free aside from some pyrex dish lids and my rice cooker has a teflon coated pot (one of my favorite and most used appliances and I'm unwilling to part with it). I gave up a crockpot a while ago because I discovered the ceramic pots leach lead. I'm using Cuisinart stainless steel pans and learning how to prep them and check for when they're ready to add food, etc. My chef's everyday pan is becoming one of my favorite tools and aside from an 8" skillet it has replaced all my other pans. I now use less cookware overall, focus on bamboo items like a steamer and utensils, and try different cooking methods. I didn't know about Corelle, though. Another rabbit hole....
😮Take a look at fabric Dye’s and microfibre. There's another rabbit hole for you.
Excellent video.
@amberklien. I remember my eyes always burning when I went to the fabric stores with my Mother!
I refuse to look… I’m laying on my new microfiber couch rn 😭
Food is an excellent choice of dye sources. I have an antique book that discusses which foods yield which colors; it’s fascinating. Some are obvious, such as beets for reddish purple. Even onion skins …
Late last year I responded to those initial reports too, about black plastic. I had only a few utensils to let go of. Then I had to get rid of all my non-stick pans. It made me sad to let go of my oversized frying pan. But it was clearly compromised. I bought a set of stainless steel pots and pans from a Korean company. I also bought some s.s. cookie sheets and a new large pizza pan, no longer non-stick but to date it's working great. Most of these were Black Friday prices with free delivery. Glad my Corelle dinnerwear is relatively new and all white. It was a very useful video. I still learned a few new things.
Stainless steel baking sheets have a non stick coating on them. There really aren’t any healthy options for bakeware unfortunately.
Lots to think about. I have decluttered before, but now making another pass through my home. Haven't done kitchen yet, so this will be very helpful moving forward.
About ten years ago I went down the rabbit hole of checking everyday household items for toxins, and whoa!!! It was a true eye opener. The thing is, once you know, you can't un-know! So I would advise anyone getting started to first be patient with the journey of it all. Back then, I bought lead strips to check the lead on all my plates. They were relatively inexpensive. (They look like q-tips with red tips). Once I saw how much lead was in my plates, it was no-brainer for me not to use them. . . . Lastly, there's a tendency to get angry at oneself. I blamed myself so hard for my ignorance. So it's also a process of learning to give yourself grace for not knowing better ♥
Love my all clad pans! I ditched non stick near 20 years ago. I feel your pain as far as cooking eggs without non stick. My hubby loves eggs. I purchaed a Le Creuset small frying pan. I preheat it for a couple minutes then add some sun flower oil and add the eggs. I have pretty good luck getting them out perfectly. It does take some trial and error, but i found thats whats best for us. I use the same parchment you purchase as well. I wish it came in precut sheets like my old brand but oh well. Your videos are a real service to people.
I went through this whole de-toxifying my kitchen thing a while back, when a couple of ladies came to my house to sell me their (I didn't know HOW expensive) fancy stainless steel cookware. They asked me to get out one of each type of cookware I had in my house, to prove to me that their stuff was superior. I got out a Japanese donabe pot (they'd never seen one of those), a cast iron skillet, and a Martha Stewart stainless steel skillet. The test was to boil water in each of these containers, then taste the water; you can taste the chemicals in the boiled water.
As a result of that taste test and subsequent research, I got rid of ALL of the Martha Stewart stainless items, most of my cast iron items, and I haven't used any of them since, KEPT the Japanese donabe pots, all of those, bought a glass teakettle from Amazon (borosilicate) and make my hot water for coffee or tea in there, and bought some very expensive black Chamba ware (handmade pottery from Colombia, South America, made by the women of the village for the past 700 years), which I love. It's fragile and breaks, though, so be ready to replace pieces from time to time. A household with a husband and kids is probably not ready for Chamba ware, or donabe pots, or even a glass teakettle.
Rice cooker!! I bought a ceramic rice cooker from Amazon. It's in 3 pieces, with the bottom, a flat lid with a hole for the steam to escape, and a top domed lid. I don't eat rice anymore (I'm on the keto diet) but sometimes make quinoa. This is perfect. If you follow the directions, it doesn't burn the rice on my gas stove.
When I want a fried egg, what's worked great for me while camping is a little lightweight enamelware skillet. I fry up the bacon in the skillet, leave most of the grease, and fry the eggs in the grease. That's about as nonstick as you're going to find in the world of healthy non-nonstick cookware. Cheap, lightweight enamelware is not something I've tested yet to see if it tastes chemical-y, and it might, but I'm okay with it.
For utensils, there are makers on Etsy who handcraft wooden utensils, and I love those. I have bought a broad, wide silicone pancake turner and use it all the time; same for some silicone spatulas; I found the pancake turner on Amazon after watching someone's RUclips video about it. I have a vintage enamelware ladle and big soup spoon and use those a lot; found those on Etsy when I was looking for vintage camping utensils.
Also there's lead to think about, not just the dyes. Be careful about any pottery cups or plates you might use, and make sure the glazes used are lead-free. Basically don't trust anything red or yellow, and if it's hand-made by a local potter currently, it's probably okay. The glazes most people use now are purchased from trusted glaze-makers, and they're lead-free. If you have questions, ask the potter. Just don't buy anything that might have lead in it. Items not from the US, I'd be skeptical of.
I replaced all of the plastic storage containers in my kitchen with glass with silicone lids. Even the salad container that I used to mix up several days' worth of salad and use out of it daily, a meal prep for the weekend -- replaced that with a big lidded glass container that again would probably not be good to have around if you have kids: it's big, heavy, and it will break.
My mom used to wash out all plastic containers and save them to store leftovers. I really don't buy much in plastic anymore, so that's not an issue for me. I do keep some (a very few) glass jars to store leftover items. I also don't collect plastic grocery bags now like I used to. Now I have vintage market baskets that I take shopping with me, or the lovely African woven basket if I'm going to be buying a ton of heavy stuff. Which is sad; I reuse the grocery bags as trash bags in my bathroom and laundry room, and now I don't have all the plastic bags to reuse anymore. But the vintage market baskets are beautiful -- I love baskets -- and you can get some really excellent out-of-favor Longaberger baskets from the online Goodwill store for far cheaper than when they were selling them at Longaberger parties.
Baskets, pottery, wood and enamelware -- and glass and silicone. That's where I've settled for now.
You aren't supposed to boil water in cast iron. I thought everyone knew that.
Rice comes out beautifully in the Instant Pot.
We share your heart - felt nostalgia about vintage Corelle. And will begin testing our collections. Thank you.
I cook my eggs fried sunny side up or over easy in a small cast iron pan. Practice getting it seasoned my egg slide around like a nonstick pan that's wonderful. The trick is that you start out with a lower heat because the pans heat up so fast, and so evenly people have a tendency to burn things. It's a great life to cook with cast iron.
I love your videos! For eggs on stainless steel - heat on high heat until it passes the mercury test with water. Then reduce to med-low for about 30ish secs. Then add a good amount of oil (beef tallow makes eggs soooo good!). Fry as usual!
Use the plates as decor! My mom has this cool hanging thing that holds 3 plates on it. I can't wait to inherit it from her!
Thank you!!! This needs to be shared!! It's upsetting to know that there are very few protections for these types of products and that consumers are in many ways solely responsible for their health and well being!
Don't worry! You are not the only one who has eaten off of Corelle plates for their whole life! I'm right there with you!
alternative to parchment paper to keep baked goods from sticking to the pan: I use nothing else rolled oats spread over the bottom of the pan, whether I’m baking bread, cookies, or vegetarian meatloaf. It’s incredibly simple, healthy, and delicious.
@Memoria. Never heard of that. Thanks fir sharing
My mother used to use cornmeal that way. Of course cornmeal will probably kill you now too, everything will, this is why people give up even trying.
Goodness, I didn't realize how behind on your videos I am! You don't know this but you're hanging out with me while I do housework today lol I always feel calm and inspired to get the work done when I have your videos playing. I have several lined up to play while I work
Aldi has swapped out most food dyes from their house brands. You can use exhaust fans and open windows to rid the fumes when cooking. Cast iron is a good alternative and helps you meet your iron intake needs. You just have to care for it properly. We use a silicone microwave popcorn popper. With plates, just don't put anything highly acidic on them.
I was so happy to see cute heart pasta at Aldi where the only coloring was natural from beets! How cool!
We use a silicone microwave popcorn popper too. Jealous that you have Aldi. We don't in my part of Canada. I remember shopping at Aldi long ago in Germany though.
Silicone seems to be problematic too. Do some research.
Our family has started on this journey, so this video is perfect for us! I've been replacing pans and things over the last month and am currently trying to find some good safe spatulas etc. Thank you for this information! ❤
Here’s a trick for making over easy eggs that don’t require you to flip them. Cook the eggs to the point when you would normally be about ready to flip them, add a little bit of water to the pan. Not a ton just a thin layer. Then put a lid on the pan for about 30 seconds. When the time is up you’ll lift the lid to find your eggs over easy! If 30 seconds isn’t long enough add another 10-15 seconds. It works amazingly!
I'm on the same journey of replacing toxic items. They aren't all easy, that's for sure. Money is part of it. Ease of use is another part. I've learned to try to focus on ONE thing at a time. Get that one thing straightened out, then move on to your next thing. Make a list of changes you want to make so you don't forget, you can keep adding to the list. The list makes you feel like you have a plan and that you're doing something. Pick your top most important thing, make that change. Then pick the next most important thing, and so on.
I really appreciate this video. I’m a couple years older than you, and back in high school, I started getting rashes on my back. After narrowing it down, it was due to eating Pop Tarts with red dye in them. Red 40 seems to be the culprit. Even to this day, I can’t have any without getting a rash, not even two red Skittles. I’m not allergic to any foods or anything else that I know of, either. That tells me a lot.
I have Corelle plates and love them. I got rid of all the non-stick cookware years ago.
THANKS FOR SAVING OUR LIFE MARISSA
I feel after watching this we’re all screwed. Pick a few changes and don’t beat yourself up for not doing the rest.
After watching this, it made me feel overwhelmed as I had already done some changes but didn't realize about others. I went down rabbit holes doing my own research and found almost everything is toxic or can be toxic, so you almost feel helpless. I'm just going to decide what works for me and not worry about the rest.
Oh man, I have banned soooo many toxic things from my life so I got excited about this video when I saw the title.
Loved your Erin Brockovich scene haha.
I am glad you are educating people about these items.
Tip for egg cooking: lotsss of butter.
I use If You Care too. I make popcorn old school with shaking a pot, but I also got rid of toxic microwaves over a decade ago.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, I removed all the plastic food containers, plastic cutting boards, and non-stick pots and pans. I seldom use the microwave. I use the oven or stove top to reheat food. I store leftovers in glass containers. Hopefully, glass is safe to use! Regarding your beloved dishware, I suggest hanging them on the wall or displaying them on easels in a china hutch. Having them out to see every day will bring joy. ❤
Fantastic video!!!!! Thank you for putting this information all in one place. I will be sharing it with everyone. 😊
Thanks so much, Susan! 🙏❤️
One of my children had a seizure disorder and the doctors instructed me to eliminate red and yellow dyes from her food, as well as a few other things. So this has been in my mind set for many years. ( I can’t imagine how much would be in red velvet cake!). Moving on, I also became aware of lead in the paint on dinnerware, and replaced all of my old long loved Corelle with new plain white Corelle. Just this Christmas I splurged and replaced my old nonstick (flaking) cookware with a set of ceramic. I’ve only had it for a month, and so far the non stick quality is excellent, clean up is easy, and they look good. It came with two silicone (type) utensils with wood handles, I otherwise have the black dollar store utensils that should be on the next replacement list. As I have been downsizing and decluttering it has been a treat for me to upgrade the things I am getting rid of with smaller, more functional sets. Thank you for this information. It is so important to be aware of the toxicity in our everyday items.
This video couldn’t have come at a better time. A couple of our nonstick pans have been looking a little sketchy. I had to pause your video and we just ordered ceramic (coated) on Amazon. There is no way in this lifetime could afford pure ceramic. This might be a little late for my husband and I because we are 70 and 65. But my grandchildren eat here so I think it’s more for them. My husband does the cooking and doesn’t like wooden spoons so that may not change. I want to replace our plastic cutting boards, as well. But at this point, we have used plastic cutting boards for 40 years 😮 (plus I put them in the dishwasher 😊). I love this video because I am on a health journey. I am also going to try and wean myself off of coffee and move into herbal teas. This will take a while. 😮. I love these kinds of videos and find them so helpful! 🙏 Thank you!
😮😮😮I just back to finish your video and I use those types of dishes 😢😢😢. Corelle ware has been my go to for over 40 years!! I checked and they are in the list that have lead. I ended getting same day delivery for plain white.
You could try glass cutting boards if you want to move away from plastic, but still want to put them in the dishwasher ❤
@@tabithaannen4761Glass will dull your knives really fast.
I look forward to your videos every week ❤ Thank you for making them!
Woweee I had no idea on most of this! Thank you for the time you put in to research. 😊
Stainless steel instant pot as a rice cooker. Works brilliantly.
After I found out how bad the parchment paper is, I switched to the same brand as you. I’ve used them for years now and it’s great 👍
Thank you for the info, I started learning this on TikTok, threw out all my plastic Tupperware and bought glass. 🤩👍🏻
Put your favorite plates on the wall as a decoration 😊
Love this video! Perhaps you could hang your favorite plates on the wall (perhaps near kitchen or dining table). There are easy spring systems that only cost a few euros (in NL) and make it super simple to hang them 🤗
I completely agree with you on the sticker shock of pure ceramic cookware. 🙀
German viewer here: I recently got rid of all my non-stick cooking utensils: the gamechanging news for me: turn the stainless steel pan hot, drop some drops of water in the pan. When the drops beginn to „dance“ the pan is hot enough. Now you can reduce the heat and begin cooking. This totally works for me, even with all sorts of „egg-meals“!
I haven't tried it in stainless steel but I often will heat a skillet, drop the eggs in, add a couple of tablespoons of water, and cover with a lid for 1.5 minutes (or however you like your eggs) and the water keeps it from sticking. You can try!
We have cut out all artifical food colours about 6 months ago. My son has ADHD and we notice a massive difference. It's tough during Halloween season, Christmas Season and in the summer when there are parades. We are lucky in Canada that a lot our cereals have natural food dyes in them. Even our fruit loops. We also do not burn any candles, use any non stick cookware, or use any toxic cleaners. We use stainless steel cooking utensils and when you only use cast iron pots and pans, you can use them.
We have switched to cast iron and have been loving it! The maintenance is different but about the same time and energy as cleaning and maintaining any thing else. we have had so much success in cooking and the food comes out amazing. There is a bit of a learning curve at first with heat, as they take a sec to heat but once they are heated they can burn very quickly if you have too much heat on your stove because they maintain and hold heat so well. As long as they are always seasoned well we don't have any problems with sticking.
Hope this info helps, thank you for all your info!
Very informative! Thanks for posting. Easy decision to declutter poisonous kitchenware.
1. "Natural colors" and "natural flavors" do not have legal meanings. The chemicals are proprietary and secret; not for me.
2. Sneaky plastic: paper hot cups are coated with plastic to keep the cups from dissolving by the hot liquid.
3. Taryn Maria just put up a RUclips video on the safety of silicone cookware yesterday. Surprised me.
4. Taryn also has another video on ceramic non-stick coatings containing PFAS chemicals.
5. Stainless steel is supposed to be the best. I have not mastered heating the pan until a bead of water "dances across the surface" in order to cook non-stick. I am using a lot of avocado oil.
6. Fractionated coconut oil is good for coating solid wood utensils and wood cutting boards. Any info on bamboo utensils and cutting boards?
I'm guessing bamboo is laminated so what's in the glue they use?
I fry my eggs with lard or bacon grease in a cast iron pan, we make popcorn in a corning ware glass topped dish
My little sister was the one sensitive to red and orange food dyes when we were kids. I always remember being impressed, as a kid myself, when my parents observed that eating those red Cheetos made her go wild.
It can affect people in different ways. I think it gave me a temper for a long time even bit after i cut it out. Takes while to release and body to forget it
Thank you for these reminders! 👍
I am keeping all the items I depend on. What is bad one day can be reconsidered ok the next science can be fickle.
i had a Glass hallogin they are good
however the bowl is heavy
and having arthritis its to heavy
you do need to take care of the element when taking off ❤
The issue with black dye was an error in the decimal point in the original research noted weeks ago!! Continuing this error is a disservice. There is no risk of harm to people using them--maybe eating a few hundred of the utensils themselves in one sitting, but using them to prepare & serve food is safe.
I saw that too. They made an error yet its hard for the truth to get out once a claim has been made. I saw the retraction a couple of weeks ago. It wond impact me because I don't use black plastic with food but still the truth is important.
Cast iron skillets take practice, but are fabulous once mastered.
For oven roasting, I always use Pyrex or Corningware, the same my mom used from 40 years ago!
I really think that the cooking pots and pans from the past: 1950s-70s do not have these chemicals, a lot of my items are over 40 years old.
But honestly, breathing air can kill you nowadays. Toxicity is everywhere: air, soil, water.
So no matter how much you try to keep your family safe, there are still dangers in the environment.
My point is: you can only do so much….
Totally get it! I'm on my way to get rid of those black cooking utilities. I'm allergic to corn and by products, so I am not surprised what is in our food. So many of my products come from other countries since their food regulations are much better towards pure food.
Green Pan makes a PFAS-free non-stick frying pan. I really enjoy your videos--Very inspiring! Thank you!
Marisa, I ordered a small skillet from xtrema which I read was the safest nonstick brand. I paid so much and was disappointed. You still have to use butter or oil plus directions say heat on med heat for 3-5 minutes before each use.
Thank you for this, we are all trying to eliminate toxins but we will never get them all out.
I got one 8 years ago and it ended up at goodwill eventually for the same reason. Might as well just use stainless steel at that point 😔
I own a black plastic spatula and I don’t even like it! Goodbye spatula! I understand how you feel about non-stick pans… it’s not easy to declutter something that works well.
Right? In some cases it’s just not practical. I try to use the 80/20 or 90/10 rule…be better 80 to 90% of the time, and the other 10-20% is what it is. 😅
Butter. Old fashioned, but my over easy eggs do not stick to my uncoated stainless steel pan, ever.
Same. And it's delicious 😋
That works for me too!
I read on here to keep seasoned with olive oil. Do you do that! Or maybe that was cast iron
I feel like these are all pretty common knowledge. On the note of cast iron leaching iron into food, that's never been considered a bad thing as it's a vital nutrient and roughly 1/3 of the world's population is iron deficient. Cast iron is considered to be non-toxic just like stainless steel. The trick to either pan cooking like non-stick is proper heating. With both you'll want to pre-heat the pan to be hot (look for leidenfrost effect for stainless and a smoking pan for cast iorn), then heat the oil or butter fully, then cook. If you really want to switch to more non-toxic items take a look at your cinnamon (most are using cassia when they should be using ceylon), dish sponge, dishwashing pods, cleaning products, feminine hygiene products, your clothing, furniture, and mattress.
Oh no, mainstream cinnamon is a problem too. Cry.
@CitizenTurtleIsland Cassia cinnamon is toxic in doses larger than 0.5-1 grams, but go off with your ignorance.
Hi dear. Thank you for all the tips. 😊❤
You are so welcome!
I only use stainless steel for eggs. My trick is to reheat the skillet for 10 min on low with olive oil before eggs go in
My rice cooker has a stainless steel inner pot and glass lid. I love it so much!
Would you mind sharing the brand?
I found out the hard way about the microwave popcorn pouches. I have no breathing issues. But if I smell microwave popcorn as it pops or even walk into a room where it had been popped a good 1/2 hr later, I can’t breathe. It’s a quick and extreme reaction. Been this way since the 1990s. I don’t have that reaction with stove popped or air popped popcorn. I recently purchased a microwave bowl to pop in. It works fine, but now I wonder about the plastic it’s made of. I’ll be checking into it. Thanks for this information!👍☀️❤️
I love how honest you are about these things. It's really not so easy to switch up everything to safe-mode with a tight budget.
As for the plates, I'd keep 'em and just eat on special ocations. You lasted 40+ years eating off of those, so I'm gessing your family will be fine if you use them for celebrations, hollidays or a special dinner one in a while. I could not get rid of those, since I have a similar situation with a tea set my grandma passed down. So I have it as decoration mostly but use it on special ocassions.
Wow! I knew about the other stuff and have slowly been replacing them but I had no idea about the Corelli plates! Thanks for the information!
My 39 year old was watching. She said I’ve been using these forever and I’m fine. As I said to her… maybe now. But it catches up to u in yiur 50’s… or can. The young can seemingly get away with the chemicals. But in my mid 50’s I’m feeling (maybe) the effects of many years of j knowingly ingesting all the chemicals. Still not sure what does and does not have effect. But as I learn I’m replacing items. For more natural.
Excellent video...this will be a process to start for many of us just like decluttering our homes ( very informative). Idea for your cherished plates...you can always put a clear glass plate on top. Thanks for researching!
When it comes to wooden cutting boards, avoid cutting meat on them. Also, it's important to seal your boards with a mineral oil in order to keep them from growing bacteria.
You just need two cutting boards: one for meats and one for other things.
Please be aware, though, of the difference between hardwood (maple, walnut, oak, ebony … ) and bamboo (grass) for cutting boards. If it’s really inexpensive, and looks almost like plywood, it’s probably bamboo. Pass. And you can certainly cut meat, either raw or cooked, on a hardwood board. It’s very easy and fast to wash it immediately so you can use it again.
@@writerinfact1768I use glass cutting boards, much easier to keep clean
@writerinfact1768 why not bamboo?
I have those same Corelle dishes, and have always loved them, too. The pattern is so sweet. Concerning to know about the possible lead in them. Thanks for the great video, Marissa.
Good video!! The pods for the dishwasher also contain microplastics. And the pods for your cloth too. Better use the new litlle papers for washing instead of pods and plastic bottles.
I appreciate the info u have shared here it's a plus to be aware of this stuff
I would love your insight in the same manner for beauty products. I rarely use makeup and my skincare is dove soap and Cetaphil lotion/face moisturizer. But that doesn't mean I don't ever let a good smelling Bath and Body Works gift or something go to waste. I think you've touched on these before. Do you have a whole video on skin care?
I don’t have a video on this, but I can keep that in mind! TBH, we also use Cetaphil because it works for the entire family (my kids are prone to eczema) and was recommended by our allergist…we probably won’t change that, no matter what. 😅✌️
@@AtoZenLife Love the sensitive skin daily wash from Cetaphil. My skin has never looked so healthy now. Also not a strong scent. I would hesitate to give it up too.
if you want to keep your vintage corelle dishes, it is pretty safe to place cool, dry foods such as cookies/biscuits or chips/crisps in them. you might find some safer dishes that coordinate nicely with your pattern and just use the plates and bowls for serving dishes with them occasionally. you won't want to use your corelle to eat warm, high-lipid, foods or liquids, nor anything that will be cut/sliced, of course. another option may be using a (non PFAS) paper doily or reusable cloth one underneath things like scones or cakes.
As for lead in plates - although they were banned, as you mentioned, in the 70s - from what I read: it was not really 'banned' but there was a maximum that was allowed. Essentially, if a plate, cup, etc. has a shiny surface, there will be lead in it - maybe not "harmful" levels - but there really is no getting away from it; including shiny toys, and even every day things like extension cords (that say to wash your hands after use...like, who ever does that?!). Eliminating everything that we use - which is what you would need to do to avoid all toxic things (new cars are really bad too - not to mention the air that we breathe) may give us a few extra years of life, but probably not enough that will make a huge difference. I think genetics play more of a role on how susceptible we are to the environment than anything. Enjoy life and thank God for all the days you were given. :-)
I started making popcorn for the fun of it but ended up sticking with it since it’s so easier!! Plus you can play around with flavorings
In addition to utensils, care can be taken with cleaners and cleaning supplies. My favorites for eco products: Marley's Monsters, Me Mother Earth, and Blueland which offers zero-waste packaging. 💚
Alternative to non-stick frying pans: Use another one that has a non-stick treatment, add a little oil and fry your egg normally, but cover it with the lid. The steam generated during frying will condense on the lid and return to the base of the pan, preventing the egg from sticking. Some pans work better than others. I use a stainless steel one and do not preheat it before adding the oil and egg. It works very well with vegetables.
You can use mineral oil on your wooden utensils.
Hey Marissa! I use a cast iron pan for all my eggs( omelettes, sunny side up, over easy and scrambled) just make sure to oil it well.
Ooo I'm bummed about the parchment paper additives. I definitely thought those were only made with paper (wood) and silicone, in a safe way. Recently we've bought some stainless steel grates that we've been using over our half sheet pans, to kind of fake an air-fry texture on our foods, even though our oven isn't a convection oven. I'll probably stick with those for frozen foods, but I'll have to find an alternative for baked goods or cookies if I'm not using my parchment paper anymore. 🤔 Thanks for the info though! (Bonus: the stainless steel grates are dishwasher-safe so I don't have to scrub the crusty bits off!)
Gave up coffee makers since everything on them is plastic. We purchased stainless steel filters you place over your cup and do one at a time pour overs. Delicious coffee everytime and no more paper filters to buy.
I did not know about parchment paper, so thank you! Same for wooden utensils. I have very little plastic in my kitchen or even in my home. TIP: In case you don't know - RICE contains arsenic, and is worth the time to learn how to use it properly. As for food, I eat a plant-based diet (lots of organic produce) which avoids unhealthy additives.
I ditched the non-stick pan when I purchased a cast iron one.
My trick for eggs and other things that can be difficult to do without a nonstick pan is to use a ceramic electric griddle. You can find them for surprisingly decent prices, have really good temperature control, give you a much larger and easier to use cooking surface, and at least for me, I find it easier to multitask cooking multiple items while using a griddle over having lots of pans.
I purchased new stainless steel skillets a couple years ago and they said to preheat the pan for a several minutes and then heat your fat until hot to keep eggs from sticking. I have also found, since I stopped using seed oils and started using healthier fats, that my food doesn't stick as much but I can't be skimpy on fat.