Ditch the Plastic – Non Toxic Snack Containers

When transitioning to a non toxic lifestyle, it can be very overwhelming. Most people get stuck and think that they should just switch out everything. The reality is that most people can’t just overhaul every single avenue in their lives. It has to be done piece by piece and remembering this will help you not get overwhelmed. Switching to safer shouldn’t be overwhelming. It’s about progress not perfection and every step you take makes a huge impact.

One of the areas that took me a little longer to switch out was plastic storage containers and zip lock bags. I never made this a priority until the kids started going to school. I had to make lunches every day and this brought my switch to safer. When ditching plastic, my mind immediately went to glass but let me share two things. Glass is expensive and the school doesn’t want children taking glass containers because they can break. So here’s how I still use the glass and don’t go bankrupt. Every other week with my grocery pick up, I make sure to include a few glass storage containers and replace any plastic that’s in the house. I use the glass storage for fruits, veggies and left overs at home. For school, I’ve gone a different avenue.

You might be thinking, “what’s the big deal with plastic?” But here’s what I want to ask you, “Have you ever looked into the dangers?” Unfortunately there are multiple reasons that you should stay away. There’s no such thing as safe plastic because all plastics contain a really toxic compound called BPA. As you’ve probably seen lately, companies are catching on and seeing that we don’t want to use BPA in our products so they’ve been marketing “BPA-Free.” In the place of BPA, companies are using the cloys cousin on BPA called BPS.

BPS is a lot like BPA in the fact that it mimics estrogen. An abundance of estrogen in the body can cause breast cancer and thus why we want to steer clear of this in our products. BPA has also been known to cause infertility issues among women and has a negative effect on immunity and hormone regulation.

There are other issues that using plastic can cause including obesity. But, it’s just not good for the planet! I steer clear of all things plastic as much as possible and my storage and snack containers were the next clean up in our house. We are currently rotating three non glass containers and bags for our foods, here are our favorites.

1. stainless steel – it’s just as pricy, if not more pricy than glass BUT the kids can take it to school and it keeps things cooler than glass would. I found these containers from UKONSERVE and they look brand new. I bought them about 5 years ago and I haven’t had one issue with them since.
2. Stasher Bags – My entire family uses Stasher Bags to put our snacks in. These range in sizes and are perfect for kids and adults. I pack sandwiches, fruits, veggies and chips in these for the kids. Derrek uses these for his veggie straws and sandwiches and I use this for my snack bars in the car or if I’ve cut up an apple to eat in carline. I love that you can also cut up avocados or bananas to freeze for smoothies and keep them in the freezer. These bags are also perfect for marinating meats or veggies for supper! Check these out on the Stasher website or at your local Target.
3. Lunchskins – I first found out about this brand when I went on a Beautycounter incentive trip to California. Ya’ll! I have loved them ever since. The zippers on these are perfect for tiny hands and to keep things in place. I also love that they are easy to wipe out and reuse in the same way. The kids are always wanting to label their belongings and these come with spaces on them to write names or notes as you need. I keep these near their snack drawer and they will grab one to put a handful of fruit in before they go play in the back yard. My kids are HUGE snackers so these have been used daily since we first got them.

Thank ya’ll for taking the time to learn more about non plastic alternatives to containers. I hope that you start using these brands in your own homes and see for yourself how amazing it is to switch to safer. Let me know which ones you use and how you like them!