I pack up food for my son's lunch for day-care which he attends three days a week. They heat up the food, and serve it in the same Tupperware. I've heard that it's not so safe to heat up food in plastic, and it's better to stay with the real glassware. If that's true, then I really don't want his food to be heated in plastic dishes. So, I am looking for non-breakable type of dish which can be used to store food (so I can put it in his lunch bag), be microwave safe, and easy for my son to eat out of. Any suggestions???
Thanks for all who responded.As you can see from the range of answers to this posting, plastic may or may not be safe in microwave. So why chance it, with all the unknown it would kill me to know I may be harming my child with something that could have been prevented. So I sent the food in a glass contained this morning, and they told my husband that we need to send it in a plastic contained. I called the school and they said I can leave a glass contained with them, and send the food in plastic. They would transfer the food to the glass to heat, and put back in plastic to serve. They just don't want the babies to be around glass (understandable). They didn't act like I was crazy, and she offered up the solution before I could even finish my concern, which makes me feel I'm not the only one out there with this concern. Thank you all again, your comments were really helpful in forming a decision.
My son is 7 yrs old and brings lunch to school almost everyday, when he wants something hot like macaroni I will make it in the morning and put it in a kid size thermos (he has a lunch box) My son told me it stayed hot until lunch time, this way it doenst have to be reheated. Hope i helped
Microwave safe dishes like Tupperware, Rubbermaid, Ziploc, etc are PERFECTLY SAFE. Like one other person said, just don't use "leftover" plastic bins from other products like Poland Spring reusing water bottles, margarine tubs, etc.
Okay, here's the opposite opinion of everyone else. (no disrespect intended).
In my medical anthropology class, we had a 3 week lesson in plastics. Microwave safe plastic is "safe" because only a small amount of chemical will leach out into your food. But it will leach into your food! Small doses may not have been proven harmful (yet) but from what I've learned through the research,(when looking at the research look at who funds the project- plastic companies have a big interest in keeping their products on the market) I stay away from it.
I brought my son's food in pyrex dishes with the nifty blue lids to be microwaved in and then had his teacher put the food on a plate. When I worked in daycare, we would microwave on paper plates and never in the plastic containers. You can ask your child's daycare if this is possible. If not, you might consider cold lunches.
I know others may think I'm going overboard but why take chances when they are so young?
Plastic is OK to microwave in, just use containers that say microwave safe on them. Just don't use containers that you save from other things you have bought like margarine, sour cream, anything you safe to put leftovers in, those are not microwave safe.
Unfortunatly, microwaving in plastic containers is unsafe. But also microwaving anything at all is unsafe, microwaving food breaks down alot of the foods essential nutrients. I know its hard to send kids with the same thing all the time, but your best bet is to stick with sandwiches and cold foods. OR try looking for one of those food thermos's that keep food warm untill lunch.
Alot of the kids at the daycare i work at bring mac and cheese and soups in them and by lunch time ( 12:30) they are still warm.
hope this helps!
Jenna
The other ladies beat me to the punch...also use www.snopes.com to verify the rumors that circulate online.
It's a very cool site that dispells the myths people spread on the web.
Hi, I used to sell Tupperware. If the containers you are using are microwave safe, which should be imprinted on the bottom, and if they are not overheating the food, your child should be okay. One of Tupperware's trademark is that their microwave product do not release any harmful chemicals as plastic products that are not made specifically for the microwave. If you still feel it us unsafe, than the safest thing is to discontinue the use of a microwave at all times. I understand it is unsafe for all of us. (Kevin Trudeau's website www.naturalcures.com.
There is a lot of information out there. I don't know whether BPA, benzene, dioxin and other really nasty chemical leach into food from plastic containers in the microwave, but why take the risk. I use pyrex and I take the plastic lids off before we heat things. Besides, I've always found that pyrex heats things more evenly than plastic containers.
Hi P.-
When my daughter goes to grandma's house while I work I send her there with the meals from Gerber. She really likes them and it is easy for my mom and MIL. My mom is good about cooking her a meal but my MIL is a little older and doesn't even cook for herself so it works out well. I asked the pediatrican about these meals and she said that they are fine as long as she is eating her veggies and meats. They have a few different meals and they all have veggies. They come in a box and all you do is pull back the foil cover and put in microwave. Don't know if this will help you but it is an idea. The meals are about $1.49-$1.99. They also have soups and macroni and cheese, chicken and stars that are not in boxes but in microwavable cans. S.
my grandmother started using a new container from Rubbermaid. they are harder, almost like glass, but supposed to be safer to microwave then the others. they do cost a bit more, but the good thing is that they not only last a long time, but they don't stain like the other kinds. here is a link to it (they're the clear glass look, w/ the black lids that interlock...premier) i hope this helps.
http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/premier/index.jhtml?...
