We spend so much time and effort into eating healthy, it is equally important to educate our selves in healthy cookware and bakeware.
The main issues with traditional cookware like non-stick and aluminum is that they can leach hormone disrupting chemicals and toxins into food…and choosing a non toxic cookware can be confusing. After much reading and trial and error, here is what I recommend.
Nonstick/ Teflon cookware: Get rid of it, non-stick cookware is made using a carcinogenic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which starts emitting toxic fumes that you inhale every time you cook with a non-stick pot or pan!
Cast Iron: I love the old fashioned cast iron pots and pans. It is durable, versatile and pretty easy to use, once you get a hang of seasoning it. Here is a website with great instructions: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-season-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107614. If you are low in iron, cast iron is an excellent choice. If you don't want additional iron, enameled cast iron is another choice. My favorite brand for cast iron pans are Good Old Lodge and for enameled cast iron I like Le Crueset.
Stainless Steel: This is a good choice. My favorite stainless steel cookware is a rice cooker. It is pretty easy to use and cooks brown rice perfectly well. Stainless steel pots and pans can be used in so many different ways.
Bakeware: Finding the right bakeware is tricky. Cast iron, stainless steel and glassware require a lot more oil, and still stick. Aluminum bakeware gets chipped off pretty easy and then leaches into the food. By far the best bakeware is Demarle at Home. They make the commonly known Silpat and other Flexipans of silicone and woven glass. The silicone contributes the nonstick properties and the conductivity of the woven glass, an even cooking process. No additional spraying of oil or flouring of pans is necessary. The Flexipan conforms to European, French and US silicone regulations. It has been awarded the NSF certification for safety and quality design, Kosher and it is US FDA approved. The Flexipans and trays also carry a lifetime manufacturing defect warranty. You can get more information and purchase these pans at www.mydemarleathome.com/mara