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The Best Pots and Pans to Use for Healthy Cooking

by Stephanie

The Best Pots and Pans to Use for Healthy Cooking

Do you like to cook?

I figure you at least like to cook a little bit if you’re reading my posts, but you never know!

What are your favourite pans to use when cooking? I used to love cooking with non-stick Teflon pans — I mean they’re so easy to clean.

But here’s the thing: they might not be the best option for our health.

In fact, it’s been found over the past years that cooking at temperatures higher than 300 degrees releases gases from the tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) found in Teflon. If your pan has nicks and scrapes, those flecks can end up in your food and then your body.

According to The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), TFE is classified as a probable cause of cancer, and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) classifies TFE as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”

You work so hard to eat well and be well and then you use Teflon because you think it’s ok to use (why wouldn’t it be? They sell it in the stores right?) and then you find out that it could be slowly making you sick. 

Add it to the list.

When I found out about the dark side of Teflon, I stopped using it. When in doubt, keep it out I say.

So what do I use instead? See below for my healthy cooking list!

Pans to use for Healthy Cooking.

Cast Iron.

I have two cast iron pans: A 12-inch and a 10-inch. They are the only pans I use for healthy cooking. I have stainless steel pans too, but I haven’t really figured out how to use them properly so they sit in my cupboard.

Cast iron has so many great benefits:

  • It lasts forever. Like Foreva, eva. People have been known to find cast iron in the garbage and with a bit (ok a lot) of elbow grease, you can get it working again.
  • Depending on the food being cooked (high acidic foods transfer more iron), using cast iron can add some iron to your meals.
  • It’s pretty! Well, I think it’s pretty. There are so many variations of cast iron now and if you get a pan that has an enamel base, sky is the limit for colours!
  • Cast iron is so versatile. I have cooked frittatas, eggs, chicken, flatbreads, brownies, to name a few. The best part about it is that you can start your cooking on top of the stove and finish it in the oven (just make sure you remember to use your oven mitts!).
  • You can use it over a campfire!

A couple of cons:

  • It’s freaking heavy. I need to use both hands for my 12 inch because it’s just so heavy.
  • It can scratch up your glass top, but I use it anyway.
  • It can be tough to clean, but if you use it properly it can become non-stick in a way, so depending on what heat you start at food can slip off like a non-stick.

Cast Iron Enamel.

I love my cast iron enamel pot. Again it’s a heavy mother, but it’s perfect for one dish meals, soups and casseroles. I even use it for my stir fries these days because how deep it is.

Again, there are so many pretty colours to choose from you can really dress up your kitchen. These pots can be on the pricey side, but if you shop sales you can find good deals and there is always a fun dutch oven or two at HomeSense/HomeGoods (US).

Stainless Steel.

When I need a pot, I got for stainless steel. I have five pots of varying sizes and they work well for me. 

Glass.

You likely have a glass pan or two in the house and these are great options for baking, roasting chicken or baking casseroles. The one caveat to these is that you want to keep the temperature lower than 425 so the glass doesn’t shatter (and please refrain from taking a glass pan straight from the fridge to a hot oven – it’ll shatter!).

So that’s basically what I use regularly. I also use two really big aluminum sheet pans, but please use parchment paper on those because you don’t want to be cooking right on aluminum either.

Stoneware.

I love my stoneware pans from Pampered Chef. My pan fits perfectly into my small convection oven, but it just broke! I was very sad but managed to find another one. When I use stoneware, I don’t have to use parchment and it browns food so nicely–particularly potatoes!

The last thing I want to mention is that you don’t have to make these changes all at once. Slowly change out one pan at a time and you’ll be set for the long run.

P.S: Follow me on Instagram to get weekly tips and tricks!

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Follow me on Instagram • @lealoulemonade

On Mother’s Day weekend, we hosted my family for On Mother’s Day weekend, we hosted my family for brunch. I bought a few quiches to eat for brunch mixed with bacon, croissants, and fruit.⁠
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No need to make everything from scratch friends!⁠
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According to the quiche reheat instructions, the internal temperature was to be 165° so after I baked it for about 18 minutes I checked the temp with my digital meat thermometre.⁠
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My mom’s husband looked over at me and said to her: “Look honey, she uses a thermometre too!” My mom laughed and said that her husband uses one for everything and uses a timer for all of his cooking.⁠
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When we were growing up my mom simply smelled and looked at the food to tell if it was done. ⁠
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“Mom, how do you know the turkey’s done?"⁠
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“Oh, I just know.”⁠
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My mom would smell it first in the kitchen and then she would peek at the food in the oven and decide it was done by how it looked.⁠
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It’s interesting how those experiences help us to establish what we do in our own kitchens when we start to cook for ourselves.⁠
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I use a thermometre and timer for many things, but I still use the smell and look method to help me decide if it’s done.⁠
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A balance of both of these approaches while cooking is important.⁠
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If you’re new to cooking, you might simply use a timer for a recipe, but once the timer is done, it might not be cooked all the way through. ⁠
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A more experienced cook would observe that the dish is not quite browned enough and that it needs more time in the oven.⁠
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Every oven has a different temperature, so it’s important to balance that with the time. This is why I find using a thermometre really helpful. It can also prevent overcooking and drying out the food.⁠
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Chicken is notoriously overcooked because people are afraid to undercook it. ⁠
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A thermometre will tell you exactly when the chicken is finished at 165°. It stays somewhat moist and juicy at that temperature.⁠
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If you wait until it’s browned on the outside, it might be too dry to eat. Alternatively, just using a timer could result in either a dry or under-cooked chicken breast.⁠
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I made this nifty graphic you can keep handy the next time you’re cooking. Use it to cook moist meat, not dry!⁠
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xo
Happy Friday 13th!⁠ ⁠ Do you find eating salad Happy Friday 13th!⁠
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Do you find eating salads scary??? 😱⁠
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According to my highly unscientific research, there are two types of people who don’t like to eat salad:⁠
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1️⃣Those who think eating salad is boring.⁠
2️⃣Those who think that salad isn’t filling enough to be a full meal.⁠
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Ok, one more… those who don’t like eating vegetables!⁠
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If you fall into one of the first two categories, I’m here to tell you that maybe… just maybe… you’ve been making salads wrong.⁠
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I know... People don’t like to be told that what they’ve been doing is wrong (I don’t like to be told that either) but I can guarantee you that salads can be fun and filling and it’s all in how we put them together.⁠
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On the blog, I have all the tips on how to make the perfect salad just for you: ⁠
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>>https://lealoucooks.com/howtobuildasalad/⁠
>>or get the link in my profile here: @lealoucooks
I love the idea of looking into the cupboard and c I love the idea of looking into the cupboard and creating something from what seems like nothing.⁠
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I do this to use up the food I have before bringing more food into the house.⁠
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I'm not sure about you, but when I don't use up the food I have, it gets pushed to the back of the fridge and then lands right into the compost bin. ⁠
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This is one of the ways groceries can get expensive.⁠
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So before you make your next grocery list, look in the cupboards and fridge first. What do you have in there that can be used up?⁠
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Then search for a recipe that uses those ingredients.⁠
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Shop your kitchen first, then make a list.⁠
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If you have food in your house you're not sure what to do with, comment below and I'll think of what to make with it!⁠
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#mealplanning #mealplanningtips #mealhelp #dinnertime #supper #eatleftovers #fridgefood #recipes #savemoney #foodwaste⁠
This weekend is a bit of a doozy - a fun doozy!!⁠
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💛My street is hosting a giant street sale (if you're in Etobicoke you can DM me for the address).⁠
💛It's my anniversary (14 years!)⁠
💛AND it's Mother's Day (on the same day as my anniversary! Sorry hunny).⁠
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I'm hosting my sisters and mom for a brunch and I asked them what their most favourite brunch meal is to eat... I'll make the menu a combination of everything for them!⁠
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My sister asked me the question back and I, of course, thought of eggs.🥚⁠
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(Why are all of my posts about eggs??)⁠
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This photo is of a breakfast I had last week and it was so good!⁠
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💛Sourdough GF bread from @thebreadessentials⁠
💛Topped with hummus⁠
💛Topped with a yellow heirloom tomato (fun!)⁠
💛Topped with eggs (duh)⁠
💛Topped with jalapeno sheep cheese from @blythfarmcheese⁠
💛Topped with Broccoli sprouts from @livingearthtoronto⁠
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That brekky was a favourite hands-down.⁠
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Eat what you love friends! 🌱⁠

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About Stephanie

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Hey! I'm Stephanie. I'm a Writer, Culinary Nutrition Expert and Cooking Instructor helping families cook nourishing meals. Read more about me {here}.

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