We are lucky to be living in a society where we have different types of restaurants and café’s around every corner and if you are a gourmet enthusiast like myself, you would try a different one every weekend! However, when it comes to our health, this may not be the best thing to do. Going to restaurants once in a while is a good thing, we all need a break from the kitchen, though if you weigh the pros and cons of eating-out over cooking fresh home-made food. I’m sure we can all agree that the later is the better option of the two.
Home Cooked Versus Eating-Out
There are a variety of benefits to cooking food at home, rather than getting take out or going to the fast-food restaurant so frequently, and with a little bit of practice, anyone can make a 5-star Gourmet meal in no time! Having said that, once we’re in the kitchen we all become our very own chefs! Trying out new ingredients or recipes and varying measurements with baking flour. In recent times, with the need to stay indoors for most of the day or work from home, a lot of us have become professional chefs and enjoying every minute of it! Find out all about the benefits on this website.
If you forget anything else, the one major benefit (besides being healthier) is that it is lighter on your wallet. One meal for a person when eating out, on average, can cost you anywhere from $5-15. But for just $10 a day you could cook a simple and healthy meal for yourself, and know exactly what is in your food.
A Hidden Problem
Now that we have agreed to cook from home. The decision remains – do we have the right cookware for it?
Not to make things too complicated, but on the topic of eating healthy, did you know that it is just as important to cook healthy as it to cook ‘in’ healthy? No, were not talking about the oils or kinds of butter you use; we are referring to the pots and pans in your pantry. Alongside cleaning your wear properly so it does not leave any food on it and start to build bacteria, the material that the cookware is made from is just as important to your and your family’s.
Several materials can be very toxic to your health in the long run. Below are three (of many) that we think we should mention:
- Copper: It looks beautiful and it cooks lovely because it is like iron and spread heat evenly across the pan. But it has been known to leak its material into food whilst cooking and ingesting a large amount of copper may not be the best thing for you. Having said that, other similar products made of Nickle or tin aren’t as good either. Copper is an essential component for good health, however as we always say ‘everything in limit’, if we take too much of it, it can have adverse effects and cause things such as diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps. You can read more about a study done on this topic here https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp132-c1-b.pdf.
- Aluminum: Has been known to get into food while cooking, and some research has been done to see if it can cause such things as Alzheimer’s disease. Although the jury is out on this one, it is safe to say that if you do go with a light-weight option, your best bet would be to use anodized aluminum.
- Non-Stick Options: As much as we love our non-stick trays and pots or pans, it is also something that has been known to cause some health risks because of the material that this range is made from i.e. ‘Teflon’. This is a material that was realized later in the 20th century due to issues with previous brands products that were causing things such as the ‘Teflon Flu’ which is a condition caused by ingesting chemicals from Teflon made products which lead to thyroid and lung issues in some people. The material has been updated to a safer option, but there are still some doubts.
There are a lot of brands that keep the customer in mind when making their products safe to use and a lot of them can be found on online sources such as this list of cookware brands that has a few different ones to choose from. Including the new brand GreenPan, that is made from Ceramic and is also non-stick, plus it doesn’t hurt that they look fabulous!
Cookware is a popular thing in every country and as such the competition for it is too. You get some exquisite ones made from safe materials and then you also get some wholesale cheaply made ones. The next time you get cooking in your kitchen, consider what you are using and if it is safe for you and your family.
