With every great meal comes the preparation to create it. First you wash everything: hands, produce, and various ingredients as necessary. Then you slice, chop, dice, mince, all the ingredients to not only help release the flavors and their powerful nutrients, but to make the foods cook well and eat efficiently. Lasty, you enjoy all the delicious flavors combining to make the meal. As any good cook and chef knows, the “secret” to success in meal prep are good and reliable tools such as knives, cutting boards, sauce pans, stock pots, etc. There are many versions of everything in peoples’ budgets, and they are not all equal. Just like you have various options of ingredients, such as organic vs conventionally grown, local vs exotic, and so forth, some are good for you, while others have hidden dangers.
Our world is flooded with fast fashion, once used decor, and throw away goods that not only fill our landfills and infest our oceans, rivers, and third world countries, but our bodies! At the cost of all of this quick and short term use of goods and products, our bodies are also fighting the toxins, chemicals, and microplastics that are everywhere. There is SO much research showing the breakdown of the amount of plastic in our environment from the animals we eat to the air we breath, from the produce and water we consume to growing fetuses and newborn babies…I’m not going to get into these alarming details, but check out some of these articles if you are interested in learning more.
How do you prepare your meals? How is Plastic entering your Life?
One of the areas of these hidden dangers are the cutting boards used to prepare your meals, plastic cutting boards. With every slice, dice, and hit from your knife, a small amount of plastic is also entering your food and thus your body. Check out the scrapes and grooves you make into your cutting board every time you use it, the plastic is damaged and tiny slivers are entering your food as well as going airborne and then you eat, breathe, and store microplastics. Your body does NOT know how to process plastic and oftentimes, this will be stored inside you causing turmoil and suffering in your systems…think hormone imbalance (endocrine system), gut sensitivities and digestive issues (gastrointestinal system), skin changes, etc. These plastics enter your body just by living, they are found in the air we breathe so the lung cells can store the microplastics and then enter your bloodstream going throughout your entire body and entering cells, from fat cells to liver cells, plastics provide nothing but chaos. Any product you use that is either stored in plastic (soaps, lotions, detergents, milks, etc.) or contains plastics (cosmetics or any of the 2,400 chemicals and growing list). There are countless images (caution these images are disturbing and not for the faint of heart) of animals who also suffer at the cost of ingesting plastic thinking it is food and suffering malnutrition, being strangled with plastic unable to survive, and many having their homes overrun with this long-lasting product that is completely foreign to all living organisms.
For Food…Natural and Sustainable Options vs Some Plastic Options
Plastic is toxic, yes, but it’s nearly impossible to avoid. Some plastic is actually lifesaving, think protective helmets, pieces of equipment, tubing, etc. It is not meant to break down, which is good for long term uses such as tools and cameras. But when it does break down it can leach into our world and potentially cause a lot of damage, that’s why I advocate to keep plastics away from food as much as possible. There are many things you can focus on instead of plastic for food purposes:
Glass: ideally using temper strength (handle heat) bowls, plates, cups, jars for storing leftovers, travel snacks & meals, storing dressings, marinades, everyday use.
Coated Ceramic: Decor, cooking & ready made meals, plateware and cupware
Compostable single use plates, utensils, & bags
Natural Fiber Fabrics (clothing, bedding, towels, furniture): Cotton, linen, wool, silk
Stainless Steel: cookware, kitchen utensils, cupware
Wooden: bowls, plates, cups, boards, kitchen utensils
Copper, Brass, Sterling Silver: decor, platers, dinnerware, silverware
Safe, Sustainable Wood Cutting Boards vs Plastic Cutting Boards
For cutting boards, using a wood cutting board is ideal. You’ll want to make sure the boards are food safe and not treated with chemicals. Wood is porous so it will absorb and potentially harbor bacteria, so you’ll want to hand wash it with soap and water, and allow it to air dry especially when you use it for meats, poultry, pork, fish, eggs, etc. Try not to soak the board in water as it can decrease how long it can be used by causing it to warp. But if you have some wood particles from cutting ingredients that sneak into your meal, it acts like insoluble fiber and your body pushes it out through your digestive tract with little to no damage.
Cleaning your Wood Cutting Board
Caring for your Wooden Kitchen Cutting Boards, Utensils, & Tools
There are also some great food safe and easy to make cleaning and sealing products to ensure your wood cutting boards last years. I’ve looked into a few options, such as using food safe mineral oil (some controversy on this one) to coconut oils, but the one I use, make, and gift to my friends and family is Board Balm, which my recipe is available for you to try on my website. I love that it is just two natural ingredients (coconut oil and beeswax) and if you can connect with a local bee farmer, you can even use some local beeswax, making it super special. The great thing about this balm, you can use it on all wood kitchen supplies like wooden spoons, bowls, ladles, etc. and even wood furniture. Just know that if you are using it on wood furniture, use it occasionally when the wood may be on drier side.
Rethink your home…ask yourself how can I make my home environment more sustainable, safe and filled with natural items?
As far as trying to keep a more sustainable and natural home environment, look at all the plastic, products, and toys that you already have. Can they be replaced? When you purchase items, ask these questions.
Do I already have it? Can I borrow this?
Can I purchase it used or preloved? (Yard sales, estate sales, second hand stores)
How is it packaged? (Using plastic bags, food in plastic containers and then wrapped)
Can I purchase it in bulk, wholesale or fill using my own container? (co-ops allow bringing in your own container, some butchers allow you to bring plates or containers, Starbucks now offer 10 cents back to you when using your clean personal container)
Can I share it? Split the amount with a friend/family member/neighbor?
Can I recycle or compost it when I’m done?
Can I find it local?
Cutting boards aside, plastic has its use and like anything, it has consequences, both positive and negative.. Try to limit your exposure to plastics when dealing with your beverages and meals by shifting your choices to be more sustainable, while supporting your health goals for living a healthier and happier life. If you need help analyzing your ingredients, products, cookware, etc., please reach out, I’d love to help and support you in reaching your goals. In the meantime, enjoy using a beautiful wooden cutting board and see what your favorite meal is.
REFERENCES
Human Consumption of Microplastics. Kieran D. Cox, Garth A. Covernton, Hailey L. Davies, John F. Dower, Francis Juanes, and Sarah E. Dudas Environmental Science & Technology 2019 53 (12), 7068-7074DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01517
G. O. Conti et al. Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population. Environmental Research. Vol. 187, August 2022. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109677.
I. van der Veen et al. Plastic Particles in Livestock Feed, Milk, Meat and Blood.
A. Ragusa et al. Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta. Environment International. Vol. 146, January 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106274.
J. Gasperi et al. First overview of microplastics in indoor and outdoor air. 15th EuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment, Leipzig (Germany), September 2015.
Pinto-Rodrigues, Anne. Microplastics are in our bodies. Here’s why we don’t know the health risks. Science News. March 24, 2024.
USDA
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