Non-Toxic Kitchen Swaps | Easy & Realistic Switches We Are Making in 2025

My husband and I always get a chuckle watching the Fresh Pet commercials. Have you seen them? They focus on their dog being healthier, having more energy, and a better coat of fur when eating fresh, real, whole foods. What a concept! Yet, many times, we don’t treat our own bodies better by eating fresh, unprocessed whole foods!

Today’s post doesn’t focus on eating whole foods but rather on the vessels we use to prepare, cook, and eat those foods.

After my daughter was born, I read a magazine article about Tosca Reno and clean eating. I had read fitness magazines my whole life, so I was no stranger to this information. However, for some reason, THIS time, I told myself, “I can do this… I WANT to do this.” And so, I started my journey of clean eating.

Why Did I Need to Make Changes in the Kitchen?

That was 18 years ago, and while I have relaxed a lot regarding what foods I put into my body, I know I still do better than the average person. Now, I am shifting my focus to what I use in the kitchen.

For the past year, my son would repeatedly walk by me in the kitchen and comment about how I was “eating plastic.” I would be cutting something on my plastic cutting board, and he would refuse to eat because of it! “Mom, you are getting plastic in the food every time you cut.”

Then, my husband mentioned that black plastic utensils are the absolute worst because they are typically made from recycled electronics.

Next, we had a microwave cover that my husband placed somewhere he shouldn’t have, and it melted… but we kept using it. That got me wondering—does the heat from the microwave leach chemicals into our food?

What else have we melted? My beloved meat chopper. We have two because we use this utensil so frequently. Guess what? It’s black plastic!

When I started eating clean years ago, part of that was increasing my water intake. My goal is to drink a gallon of water a day. The key to achieving this is having a gallon jug on the counter that I fill up in the morning and try to finish during the day.

That gallon jug? An old plastic milk jug. I thought I was making a good decision because milk jugs don’t get stored in hot places like plastic water bottles might. Have you ever been to a gas station that has cases of water bottles sitting out front?

When our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease, we made many changes in the kitchen. For the most part, we just got her a separate set of everything she uses from her toaster, to skillets and utensils. However, she used Tupperware frequently for packing lunches and traveling. Instead of buying more plastic, we switched to glass.

What Changes Have I Made in the Kitchen?

Water Bottle

Let’s start with that milk jug. In today’s world, there are a million water bottle options: Stanley, Brumate, Camelbak, Hydro Flask, just to name a few. The problem? I don’t like drinking out of them! Trust me, I’ve tried. I don’t like a wide mouth, non-circle-shaped mouths, straws, no handle—the list goes on.

I can easily drink a gallon from a milk jug, but I struggle with anything else. But now, I have the best alternative! A half-gallon jug that’s glass. It has the same mouth and handle that I love. It’s clear and, best of all, glass. Get one HERE.

Meat Chopper

Of course, I had to get rid of the black plastic meat choppers I loved, but guess what? They make a food chopper in silicone! It’s silicone covering metal, so it’s still sturdy enough to do a great job chopping my meat into little pieces. Get one HERE.

Turner

Another great find is a food turner made of metal covered in silicone. I already had a couple of silicone turners, but the non-silicone ones went straight into the trash. My favorite turner is from Pampered Chef, though they no longer make it. The fact that I’ve had it for over 15 years says a lot about the quality of Pampered Chef products! Here is their new version!

Microwave Cover

Years ago had a silicone microwave cover, but by chance, not by conscious choice. Now, I am committed to always choosing silicone microwave covers! The one we purchased has a lot of suction, so I removed the little tab to help with that and stuck the tab in a drawer in case we decide we need it.

Cutting Board

After hearing my son’s concerns about plastic splinters in our food, I swapped our plastic cutting board for one made of wheat grass. I personally am not a fan of wooden cutting boards for meat, fruits, and vegetables, too much cross contamination. The one I picked has wheat grass on one side and stainless steel on the other for meats.

Did anyone catch the epic mom fail on this? My daughter has Celiac disease, and I picked a WHEAT grass cutting board! The solution? She uses the stainless steel side for her needs. Luckily, she doesn’t use a cutting board often, and I don’t use one for meat frequently, so this has worked out fine.

Skillets

I’ve always known that nonstick pans aren’t great for us. While I had mostly stainless steel saucepans, I hadn’t changed my skillets. We use skillets at least three times a day! Even when they look fine, they leach chemicals into our food.

I opted for ceramic-coated pans from Carote. They are inexpensive and safe—completely free from PFOA, PFOS, lead, and cadmium. What I love most is their detachable handles, making them oven-safe AND easy to store! However, they do scratch easily, despite claims of durability. You’re supposed to use silicone utensils, but anything else will cause scratches.

Aluminum Foil

I am bad about this! I love using nonstick aluminum foil anytime I’m not using my Pampered Chef baking stones. But instead, I invested in THESE liners.

Air-Fryer Liner

Chatting with Megan Reuther during one of my Hello Iowa segments, I learned about silicone liners for air fryers! I grabbed THESE so I didn’t have to argue with the kids about cleaning out the air fryer tray after every use!

Turns out air fryers aren’t the best for you either, so if you are really cleaning up your kitchen, do some research on toasters and air fryers!

Food Storage

Not only did we start buying glass storage containers when our daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease, but we have continued to throw away plastic containers and replace them with glass. And just in case you didn’t realize it—because I didn’t—you can freeze your glass containers too!

Swaps I Had Already Made

These swaps weren’t necessarily conscious changes, but when I look around my kitchen for things I do need to change, I can see that I was already doing some things right.

When we moved, I narrowed down the number of mixing bowls I had. I got rid of my plastic bowls and kept only my glass and stainless steel ones.

I also threw out all of my plastic cups. This was an especially easy decision because, by that point, my kids were all in middle school or older.

I’ve always used silicone spatulas, wooden spoons, a metal pasta spoon, tongs, a whisk, etc. So, some of my kitchen utensils and equipment didn’t need swapping!

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Why Silicone and Not Metal?

I chose to buy my replacement pieces in silicone because metal would scratch my ceramic skillets. However, I do have metal utensils for cooking with my stainless steel saucepans or Pampered Chef baking stones. If you use stainless steel or cast iron, you might prefer metal utensils instead.

What Do I Still Need to Change?

• Water Bottles: We don’t usually buy bottled water, but during wrestling season, it’s convenient to freeze them as ice packs and use them for hydration without needing to find a water fountain.
• Plastic Bags: We pack some items for lunches in plastic bags.  We also cook a lot of chicken for weekly food prep and that goes into plastic bags. I talk about food prep in THIS post about our favorite slider recipes.
• Disinfecting Wipes: My biggest challenge! I love using them, especially in the bathroom. But I need to invest in more reusable dishcloths.

Final Thoughts

Making these kitchen swaps has been an eye-opening journey. While I’ve made significant changes, there’s always room for improvement. Small changes add up over time, and I’m excited to continue refining my kitchen choices for a healthier home. Be sure to follow me on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated on my progress!

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