Aluminum foil has been present in almost every kitchen for many decades. Its use became popular to wrap food, transport it, to keep things in the fridge and for cooking, as well as many other things. However, aluminum foil is highly polluting and a great deal is wasted in households.
Exposure to aluminum has been shown to be very harmful to health. That is why in the following EcologiaVerde article we explain how to eliminate the use of aluminum foil in your kitchen.
The health dangers of aluminum foil
Aluminum, when produced, pollutes enormously. It produces water pollution, tree felling, energy consumption and emits a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2), although also, when melted, very toxic gases are produced and present in acid rain, such as sulfur oxide or oxide of nitrogen. In addition, it is made from bauxite, caustic soda and lime. Also in its recycling process, CO2 emissions and particles with a high FFC content are produced, which contribute to the greenhouse effect.
This aluminum product has been shown to be very harmful to health. In fact, a 2012 study shows that by eating food that has been wrapped in aluminum foil, this toxic material could end up inside it and we could, therefore, ingest it. “The use of aluminum foil for cooking contributes significantly to the daily aluminum intake through cooked food, ”the study said.
In addition, its multiple uses have made it a waste that we usually abuse. We do not realize it, but we are accumulating huge amounts of this paper if we use it daily in our kitchen. Single-use silver foil is also an expense for our pockets. In Spain, more than 650 million euros are spent annually on aluminum as packaging for sandwiches and take away meals.
Next, we show you various alternatives to eliminate the use of aluminum foil in your kitchen and your day to day.
To cover food and leave it in the fridge or outside
Sometimes it is necessary to cover the food so that it does not spoil, fill us with dust or insects if we are going to leave it out of the fridge for a few hours. To carry out this action, we normally use aluminum foil. If we put them in the refrigerator, we also cover them to prevent them from drying out and ceasing to be appetizing. All this will be solved with a pack of tuppers or lunch boxes of different size. It costs nothing to pour food into them and we can keep it much more protected both in the refrigerator and out of it for days. If we have cooked a stew or a soup and we are going to eat it in a few hours, we can even leave it in the pot with the lid on. As you can see, aluminum foil is not only more polluting, but also less effective and uncomfortable to place. With this simple step, we will be avoiding wasting large amounts of aluminum.
To roast vegetables or meats in the oven
Some chicken skewers, roasted vegetables or even roasted apples are delicious in the oven and until now the most common thing was to place a piece of aluminum foil on the tray, because obviously these foods cannot be placed directly on it. The baking paper is specialized for this task and it is much less polluting; However, it is also a waste that we are wasting, so the best option we can give you is to always use a baking dish, preferably a glass one. For copious roasts, we will use a large one, while we can have a smaller one for roasting garnishes, such as vegetables or potatoes. Its price is not very high and it will serve us for multiple occasions, without storing waste. The most expensive part of this method is that later we will have to clean the baking dish, but if, freshly taken out, you place it with warm water, a splash of soap and a tablespoon of baking soda, half an hour later it will be very easy to leave it as new. in a few seconds.
Wrap the potatoes or corn for roasting
The number of recipes that recommend us to wrap foods such as potatoes to bake or grill is incredible. However, this is not healthy at all and there are dozens of studies that show that in this way aluminum can pass into our bones, even our brain, due to the high temperatures that help melt aluminum. In addition, we will be risking our health in exchange for nothing, since food they end up cooking the same without having to wrap them thus. We suggest you stop doing it right now, your potatoes will be just as tasty, although do not forget to prick them several times with a knife to prevent them from exploding.
Grilling food on the barbecue or grill
Many people also use aluminum to prevent vegetables or small pieces of meat from creeping through the grates and ending up charred. Today, there are containers adapted to be able to pour your vegetables or food on them and then place them on the grill. It will be a great investment. If you don't want to use these special pots, you can always buy several reusable stainless steel skewers. In them you can comfortably insert your small pieces of meat, onion, vegetables, cherry tomatoes … a much more orderly and clean way of eating them. In addition, they are sure to grill better since you can turn the rod until they are done on all sides.
Wrapping vegetables so they don't dry out
Another of the most common uses is to wrap vegetables with aluminum foil so that they do not lose their juice in the refrigerator. For example, onions, celery, half a tomato … However, we can fix this anyway with the tuppers mentioned before, that's what the mini-size ones are for. In this way we will preserve our fridge from strong odors, such as that caused by onion, and we will keep food moist. Another trick is to cut the vegetables into sticks and store them in a glass of water in the fridge, although it will be necessary to change the water every three days.
Wrapping snacks for a picnic or to take to work
This solution is sometimes not highly recommended, since after hours of sun the sandwich bread often remains rubbery, so with this alternative we will guarantee a better protection of your food, and with zero aluminum and waste!
To replace the silver foil in this case, we will use specific alternatives that were created to preserve sandwiches or other foods. These are eco-friendly packaging that has been devised by people who had already realized how harmful aluminum foil is for this purpose. One of them is the "Boc'n Roll" wrapper, that washable, so it will last us forever.
In addition, his invention has a curious story behind it: it was created by an 85-year-old Catalan grandmother together with her grandson in 2008. The product has a face with polyester and cotton (to protect food) and another with ecological plastic, which preserves them of blows and prevents it from deforming. The food can be wrapped adapting to its shape (so it will be the same for a mixed sandwich as for a baguette) and it is closed with velcro. A year, a person can save between 60 and 100 euros once the invention is purchased. Its price is 9 euros.
But it is not the only product of this type that we can buy, fortunately there is more and more demand. We have formulas like the Eco-sandwich from Lekué, a silicone cover for sandwiches that protects and leaves them appetizing, even if they are filled with moist food, such as tuna or lettuce. It also has the advantage that it allows us to see its contents before opening it and that it does not tear easily, like aluminum.
There are also others made of fabric and reusable plastic. You will find your option at a very low price and you will always have your fruit or snacks protected for all the picnics you want to do.
With these simple tips, you will not only be living a greener and healthier life, but you will end up saving a lot of money and you will forget forever to write this item on your shopping list.
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