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Durable and Functional Stainless Steel Containers

 

Plastic tupperware has been the staple food container in most people's homes for decades. Slowly but surely, this is changing as folks begin hearing the downside of storing food in plastic. Ok, so if your thinking, "What? What's wrong with packing food in plastic?" 

Here's what's wrong: most plastics contain additives to make the material either softer or harder or resistant to UV light. The additives we already know about are BPA and phthalates. Plastic chemicals can migrate or leach into the food and water that are housed in plastic containers. This can be harmful to our health, even in low doses. So, to play it safe, we suggest packing food in either stainless steel or glass. And most importantly, if you do store food in plastic, NEVER microwave the food while it's in the plastic.  "Microwave-safe" only means that the container won't be destroyed, there's no protection for the food inside.

Why Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is an ideal material to store food because it's easy to clean and it's durable, inert and sanitary. Stainless steel is also made from basic elements found on earth and NOT with chemicals created in a lab. This also means that it's recyclable. All of the containers we select at MightyNest are made of high quality 18/8 grade stainless steel which means they will not corrode or rust. Another perk: stainless steel doesn't retain odor and cannot stain (unlike plastic). The "grade" of stainless steel refers to its quality, durability and temperature resistance. The numbers represent the ratio of chromium and nickel (respectively).

Types of stainless steel containers

Sectioned: the Japanese bento lunch form has inspired plenty of parents while packing school lunches for their kids. The different configurations make for some creative pairing of food and an all-in-one container to pack fruits, veggies and maybe a salty snack or sweet? For sectioned containers, we stock non-sectioned (uno), 2-sectioned (duo), 3-sectioned (trio) and 4-sectioned (quad) stainless steel containers. For younger kids, we recommend the pico, a smaller version of the duo.


Insulated: Double-wall construction keeps foods insulated safely for hours at a time. With varying shapes and sizes based on individual preferences, foods can be packed to stay both hot (up to 6 hours) and cool (up to 4 hours). Having the right insulated food jar allows for the warmth of home brought to school with soups and pasta while fruits and yogurt can stay fresh and cool for lunch. Click here to see all of our insulated food containers. By the way, most of the insulated food jars are also conveniently leakproof.

Leakproof: For many, having a leakproof food container is key to packing a successful lunch. No child wants to open his lunchbox only to find a big sloppy mess of leaked liquid. To avoid this, you'll want to be sure that your container is well-equipped with a leakproof lid. Although many of the insulated jars are also leakproof, the following are single-wall stainless steel and bonified leakproof containers. These are great to use when packing fruits that are juicy, applesauce, hummus, vegetable dips or any kind of dressing. Click here to see our selection of leakproof containers.

 

 

Which stainless steel containers would be helpful in your lunch packing routine?