I don't like to use paper plates. I would rather reuse real plates instead. My daughter always gets her breakfast and lunch on plastic, and we use it quite a bit in the summer for the whole family. I recently realized that some of our older plastics didn't have the NO BPA marked on the bottoms, so they went in the trash. From what I understand, anything sold as food safe in the US has to be BPA free now, which is good. I did notice something at the store this morning though. When I was looking at the clearanced summer plastics at Walmart (yes, clearanced summer stuff in June!), I noticed most of the plates said "dishwasher safe, not microwave safe". So here is my question. If a plate is not microwave safe, does that mean that it will just get too hot to handle in the microwave, or that it will let off bad nasties that will not be good for the kiddos? Hot plates I can handle, but I want my kids safe. (Way to go, me, on waiting HOW long to check the plates I already had! Genius!)
Thanks guys!
I hadn't thought about Corelle, but I will definitely check into that now! Sounds like a great idea! I think the reason I had always used plastic as my "go to" plates for outside and for lunch is because our regular dinner plates are really bulky and heavy (fiesta wear type dishes). Corelle sounds like a great SAFE alternative!
I hate plastic dishes.
I just use real dishes.
I don't see any difference between washing a "real" plate and washing a plastic plate do you?
Don't sweat the BPA stuff.
I know lots of people that used and reused plastic plates and utensils for decades and lived to a ripe old age. My aunt lived to be 101 and never worried about whether she was eating off BPA safe plastic or not and she used plastic over and over and over, etc., again.
You can help yourself to a longer life by not eating too much and getting exercise, not smoking or doing drugs of any kind and not getting too much sun than by using or not using BPA plastics.
Good luck to you and yours.
We use Corelle for everyday and it is lightweight as well.
As for the plastic and BPA, this is a huge media hype to instill fear among those who live in fear.
It is a beautiful marketing gimmick for manufacturers to change a formulation and basically sell you the same thing for more $$.
To get danerous BPA levels in your body, you would need to inject yourself with it daily. You'll hear about all the so called "bad" things out there such as xrays (you get more from your daily sun than you do at the dentist), aresnic )if you test your hands now you would probably find traces of it), etc.. It is all about balance and moderation.
We are in the plastics (raw materials) industry, we deal with the FDA, manufacturers and companies who make/sell all types of plastic. It is media hype... and bottom line, due to the "changes" that must take effect with formulations from this media hype.......... our profits go up.
I am another one who has ditched the plastics. I was not one to worry about BPA, I just didn't like how scratched and yucky the plates looked after a while. My SIL is COMPLETELY grossed out by the idea that plastic can leach things into your foods and refuses to heat any plastics. So I can understand that it may be bothersome to you.
Once my daughter was past the throwing her plate phase we went to Corelle as well. It's never been an issue. My daughter is 3.5 and we have been using the Corelle stuff for over a year. If the issues with plastic dishes are a concern for you, I suggest simply getting rid of the plastics in your kitchen.
Actually, the recommendation from groups like ewg.org is to never microwave anything on plastic, even if it says "microwave safe." All plastics leach a very small amount of chemicals when put under radiation like in the microwave, but some plastics actually change their chemical properties in this case, which is why they are not considered microwave safe. I don't even bother buying plastic tupperware anymore, since I microwave all my foods in glass or stoneware to be safe.
BPA is still legal in the U.S. for food plastics. Many makers of baby-care items have VOLUNTARILY removed BPA from their products, and stores like BRU have vowed not to sell baby-food items with BPA in them, but it is still legal. BPA IS illegal in most of Europe, including the U.K., though, so often if you buy U.K. products, they don't boast about being BPA-free because it is presumed you know that. From the U.S. or China, though, unless the plastic item you buy specifically says "BPA Free," most likely, it contains BPA (like those summer plates and such you can buy for cheap from the supermarket). It is up to you how comfortable you feel with this.
Good luck.
P.S. BPA is also found in the lining of food cans, such as canned corn or tomatoes. You can visit this page for more info: http://www.ewg.org/bisphenol-a-info
Actually, BPA can be sold for food items in the US. From what I've read (and I might be remembering wrong) it's only baby bottles and items that can't have BPA. If it's a very hard plastic and does not say BPA free, it's likely not. Also, all plastics should not go in the microwave. There are still chemicals in plastic, that leech when heated. BPA, is just one of them.
I' m not sure why a plat would be microwave safe. I have nothing for that, sorry. You SHOULD sweat the BPA stuff. Every study that comes out says the same things.
"Not microwave safe" to me means they could have unhealthy consequences if placed in the microwave.
We have a lot of plastic plates as well, and I noticed when someone put one of these not microwave safe plates in the microwave it gave off a plastic burning smell as well as got hot. So, definitely unsafe.
I like Corelle. Their very light and shatter resistant as well as dish washer and microwave safe.
I know that most of the products sold in the baby/toddler aisle will say "BPA Free" but I don't think products in other sections will. I could be wrong, but I think it's something that mom's and dad's think about in regards to little ones. I'm just not sure I've seen it in the regular dishes section of the store.
My point being that just because your plates didn't say "BPA Free" does not necessarily mean they contain BPA.
Personally, we use the microwave quite a bit, as we tend to heat up a lot of leftovers. Having dishes that are microwave safe is a must for me.
I pitched anything not marked as BPA safe and do not microwave on plastic ever, even if it means making more dishes. We have some bpa-free outdoor plates we use, they are washable, not throwaway.
I have Tupperware plates for the kids (ages: 6,4, and 1).
