Q & A - Are There BPA Free Meal Prep Containers?
BPA free meal prep containers are available. BUT- avoiding BPA is not as simple as buying plastic labeled BPA Free.
BPA free means the plastic containers were made without the chemical BPA. And there are lots of companies now making BPA Free plastic bottles and food containers.
But when BPA is removed from the manufacture of plastics it's easiest and cheapest for companies to replace it with something chemically similar. In BPA free products, BPA was substituted with chemicals like BPF, BPS, BPAP, BPB, BPE, BPP and PVC.
Because these BPA substitutes are so similar to BPA, multiple studies have found they are as bad or worse for you than BPA.
For example, a study published in 2017 tested 6 BPA alternatives and found that all six of the substitutes mimicked estrogen and promoted breast cancer cell growth more than BPA. And three of the substitutes—bisphenol AF (BPAF), bisphenol B (BPB), and bisphenol Z (BPZ)—were more potent than BPA at mimicking estrogen.
In other words, BPA Free meal prep containers made of plastic are just as toxic as plastic containers with BPA. A less toxic option would be glass meal prep containers. But finding ones that don't come with plastic lids is nearly impossible.
The least toxic BPA free meal prep containers are made with stainless steel. And there are some cool new glass and stainless meal prep containers with bamboo lids.
Less Toxic BPA Free Meal Prep Containers
If you choose to go with glass containers with plastic lids don't use the lid in the microwave. And reduce food contact with the lids, especially when the food is hot. (Heat increases the amount of toxic chemicals that leach from plastic).
Best Options
The best BPA free meal prep containers are also plastic free. Stainless steel containers with stainless steel or bamboo lids and glass containers with bamboo lids are the best options available.
Glass options are the most versatile because they are freezer and oven safe. But if you choose metal my trick is to pair stainless steel food prep containers with the HotLogic Warming Tote for hot meals. You can also use glass containers in this tote.
