Purposeful Pantry

I recently posted about our decision to go plastic-free in our home as part of our journey to simplicity. I wanted to revisit this topic because while going plastic-free can lead to less chemicals in your body, it can also cause you to eat healthier overall.

Going Glass

I emphasized using glass or stainless steel containers to store food in my previous post. There are an assortment of glass storage containers on the market, some of which have plastic lids. While I don't condone using containers that contain plastic, using these containers are generally safe as long as the food is not touching the plastic. My favorite containers to use are glass cracker jars that have a screw-on metal lid and rubber gasket glass canning jars. If you are like me and prefer labeling, you can purchase chalkboard stickers to put on the jars and a liquid chalk pen to write with.

Other Options
Baskets are a wonderful option for storage in the pantry or refrigerator. You can store fruit and veggies in them or keep spices (in glass containers) organized. Baskets with handles make it easier to get in and out of the cabinet and onto the counter. Wire baskets like this one are another great storage solution.

Bread boxes are great for families with pets. Wooden or metal boxes that have a lid closure can keep bread from going stale and safe from pets.

Other helpful plastic-free additions to the pantry and refrigerator are ceramic egg crates, glass butter dishes and hanging wire baskets to hold fruit and vegetables in that should not be refrigerated.

Container Contents
One of the benefits to having a storage container for the items you need is that when you run out of that item you have an empty container. This can serve as a reminder of what you need to restock in your pantry on your next market run. By having dry ingredients on hand, you have them readily available to make a quick soup or stew when short on time. This can promote healthier eating and less chance that you will fill up your pantry with processed food. Here is a list of dry items to keep in your pantry:

- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Flour
- Sugar
- Dry beans (kidney, navy, etc.)
- Popcorn
- Brown sugar
- Rice (white, brown, wild, etc.)
- Seeds (chia, sunflower, etc.)
- Nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.)
- Cornmeal
- Dry pasta (macaroni, spaghetti, etc.)
- Breadcrumbs
- Oats (oatmeal, etc.)

Canned Concerns
While canned foods have been a staple in pantries for decades, it has come out recently that today's canned foods are not packaged the same way they were 20 years ago. The BPA linings that keep the cans from rusting are dangerous to your health and deemed unsafe for consumption. While you might be feeling good about the fact that you've been purchasing canned goods that are labeled "BPA Free", there is new evidence to suggest that companies are replacing the linings with alternative plastics that have similar effects as BPA and that have not been tested for safety. As of today, the only canned good company that is safe is Eden Organics because they use the classic method of canning that does not require a BPA can lining. Even so, the worst culprits are acidic canned foods like tomatoes because they retain the most chemicals from the lining. I try to stay clear of any canned goods if possible, and instead use dry ingredients when I can. It may mean soaking dry beans overnight or chopping my own vegetables, but our health is worth the time spent doing these extra steps.

Getting Groceries
Not everyone has a farmers market readily available and most are only around during the spring and summer months. While a farmers market is your best option for purchasing breads and produce without plastic packaging, there are options for getting groceries from store to pantry without ever touching plastic.

1. Bring a bag: This seems obvious, but sometimes you forget. One way to prevent this is to keep bags in your car for those unexpected grocery store runs. Having a reusable cloth bag is also a way to keep plastic grocery bags out of landfills. Be careful when you purchase a reusable bag, some bags are made from recycled plastics or artificial and synthetic material which can also be toxic.

Bringing your own bag does not mean just to carry groceries out. There are also vegetable bags that have a cinch tie for closure to keep from needing those flimsy plastic fruit and vegetable bags. These bags can also store dry beans and rice.

2. Choose items that have cardboard or glass packaging: There was a time when ketchup did not come in a plastic squeeze bottle. It is possible to get ketchup out of a glass bottle with a little patience, and these glass bottles are still available as an option in grocery stores. There are many soda options in glass bottles and pastas can be purchased in cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags. The best part about buying items in glass containers is once you use up all of the items in those glass containers you can clean and use them as storage containers in your pantry.

3. Bake your own bread: Bakery bread is fresher, has less preservatives and is not stored in plastic. But an even better option is to make it at home. There's not many things better than the smell of fresh baked bread, and baking bread does not need to be the labor of love it used to be. You can now purchase a countertop bread oven and there are plenty of recipes for a no-knead and self-rising bread.