Keep your Kitchen "Green" over Thanksgiving

Here is an email I received from the Environmental Working Group... Instead of Summarizing the whole thing I thought I would just cut and paste the information since it is thorough and very helpful.  If you'd like to sign up for it simply go the the Environmental Working Group's website here.  They continually come out with the most up-to-date safety research, especially in regard to foods.  Have a happy thanksgiving!  - Lindsay

"Jane's Holiday Kitchen"  Article by the Environmental Working Group:

One of my favorite things about the Holidays, especially Thanksgiving, is spending time with my family -- in the kitchen or around the table. If you're looking for great new recipes to enliven your cooking, or as a gift for your friends and family, check out EWG's 2010 Holiday Gift Bag. It includes The Earthbound Cook: 250 Recipes for Delicious Food and a Healthy Planet, an insulated Klean Kanteen and other great items to green your holiday kitchen. Click here to order one today (supplies are limited).

As Senior Vice President for Research at EWG, I want to make it easy for you to prepare your holiday feasts with your family's environmental health in mind. Just follow these simple tips as you shop, cook and eat together:

• Choose food low in added chemicals and pollutants
• Use non-toxic cookware
• Store and reheat leftovers safely

1. CHOOSE FOOD LOW IN ADDED CHEMICALS AND POLLUTANTS
   Food can contain ingredients we don't want to eat -- from pesticides to hormones to artificial additives to food packaging chemicals. Some simple tips to cut the chemicals:
   • Buy organic when you can. I make sure fresh fruits and vegetables are on the menu, and I go organic when I can. Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides (I prefer my dinner without, thanks!). Organic meat and dairy products also limit your family's exposure to growth hormones and antibiotics.
   • It's OK to choose non-organic from our "Clean 15" less-contaminated conventional fruits and vegetables, too. EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides ranks popular fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticide residues found on them. Check out our Shopper's Guide to Pesticides (and get the iPhone App).
   • Cook with fresh foods, not packaged and canned, whenever you can. Food containers can leach packaging chemicals into food, including food can linings that leach the synthetic estrogen bisphenol A into food. Instead, head for fresh food or prepared foods in glass containers. Pick recipes that call for fresh, not canned, foods.
   I like to check in with our Healthy Home Tip: Go organic and eat fresh foods when planning grocery trips.
2. USE NON-TOXIC COOKWARE
   Using a great pan makes a huge difference when I cook. I skip the non-stick so that my kids (and our new puppy) don't have to breathe toxic fumes that can off-gas from non-stick pans on high heat.
   Non-stick cookware is in most American kitchens. Is it in yours?
   
   • For safer cooking, we suggest cast iron, stainless steel and oven-safe glass. Yes, there are many new products on the market, but most companies won't tell you exactly what they are. Even if they're advertised as "green" or "not non-stick," manufacturers do not have to release their safety data to the public.
     If you're in the market for a new cast iron pan, purchase it through Amazon and a portion of your purchase total will go to EWG!
   • Cook safer with non-stick if you're 'stuck' with it. You can reduce the possibility of toxic fumes by cooking smart with any non-stick cookware you happen to own: never heat an empty pan, especially at high heat, don't put it in an oven hotter than 500 degrees F, and use an exhaust fan over the stove.
   Learn more about cooking safely in our Healthy Home Tip: Skip the non-stick.
3. STORE AND REHEAT LEFTOVERS SAFELY
   Leftovers can extend the joy of a holiday -- by giving you a break from the kitchen! But be sure to avoid plastic when storing and (especially) when heating them. Here's why -- and how:
   • Skip the plastic food storage containers if you can. The chemical additives in plastic can migrate into food and liquids. Ceramic or glass food containers (like Pyrex) are safer. Click here to get a 10-piece Pyrex set on Amazon (and a portion of your purchase will go towards helping EWG!).
   • Don't microwave food or drinks in plastic containers, even if they claim to be "microwave safe." Heat can release chemicals into your food and drink. Microwaves heat unevenly, creating hot spots where the plastic is more likely to break down.
   • If you do use a plastic container you already own, handle it carefully. Use it for cool liquids only; wash plastics on the top rack of the dishwasher, farther from the heating element (or by hand!); use a paper towel instead of plastic wrap to cover food in the microwave. Also, avoid single-use plastic whenever you can -- reusing it isn't safe (it can harbor bacteria), and tossing it fills up landfills (and pollutes the environment).
   Read more about heating and storing food safely in our Healthy Home Tip: Pick plastics carefully.

I hope these tips make having a green holiday easier. Happy Holidays!