MightyNest.com

Jun

19

Lunchbots New Stainless Dishware

Filed Under product finds | 2 Comments

I’m always looking for dishware and kitchen items that are not made of plastic. True there are lots of BPA and PVC free options available but I think alternatives like stainless steel and glass or wood tend to have a longer life and less risks of plastic leeching issues.

I discovered LunchBots last year when I was looking for safer lunch box options (new cheat sheet for that coming soon).. what I loved is that they were stainless steel and they fit an average sized sandwich. There were plenty of bento box style stainless options but none that fit an actual sandwich.

Now they have this great stainless kids dish set that includes an 8″ plate, a 5″ kid-sized bowl which looks perfect for cereal and oatmeal, and an 8 oz. mug. I think these are really sharp looking and practical (no breaking!) for kids. What an adorable set!

Get It: You can order online from their website LunchBots.com – set retails for $25

Mar

30

Innobaby Din Din Smart Stainless Steel Bus Platter

Filed Under Food Safety, product finds | Comments Off

I stumbled on this today and wanted to share because I think it’s cute and functional and a nice alternative to hunks of plastic.  Innobaby is a company founded by two mothers that have developed some cool gear for babies and toddlers including silicone baby bottles, BPA/PVC Free food storage, organic crib sheet toppers, stroller seat toppers and food storage.  Browsing their site I found their adorable food tray called Din Din Smart Bus Platter.

It’s divided into sections like a cafeteria food tray but its shaped like a cute little bus.  It’s made entirely out of food grade stainless steel so serving hot foods on it will not result in leaching worries.   The little compartments make learning to self feed a little easier so that food isn’t sliding around or off the plate.  It’s also dishwasher safe and probably pretty darn durable.  I thought this was a great meal time solution for both the non-toxic worry and the “make mealtime more fun” tactic.  What kid wouldn’t like sampling veggies from the little compartments? (Probably my kid, but I’ll try anything)

Get It: You can pick up this cute food tray on their website Innobaby.com!

Jan

20

Review: ThinkBaby Feeding Set

Filed Under Food Safety, Green Mama, Product Reviews | Comments Off

thinkbabyAs a mom to a 3 year old attending preschool, food storage came to the forefront of my focus lately.  He’s already outfitted with a safe lunchbox, but I wanted to make sure the food inside was wrapped safely, while being reusable to reduce waste.   I got the chance to try out the new ThinkBaby Feeding Set and they have developed a great set that has a permanent home in our container repertoire.

The Thinkbaby Set is all lined with food grade stainless steel while the outer durable orange covering and lids are made with polypropylene.  ThinkBaby prides themselves with the level of safety all parents hope for.  All ThinkBaby items are free of BPA, Phthalates, PVC, lead, nitrosamines and melamine.  And I can definitely appreciate that.

The ThinkBaby feeding set includes several items, packed into a cute gift box.  It includes a rectangle Bento Box with snap on lid,  soup bowl and baby bowl with lids – which have come in most handy for many scenarios.  I pack fruit or snacks in the bowls, or store cold pasta salads and mini sandwiches in the Bento Box for the lunchbox.  I also use them to bring fruit and  snacks in my diaperbag to the playground or to grandma’s house.  They even include a fork and spoon, perfectly sized for little hands and mouths… and they fit right in the Bento when  you’re done.  My only gripe was that a standard sandwich doesn’t fit in the Bento Box but if cut up smaller it works just fine.

My favorite, and mostly due to the stage my son is at, is the cup.  I was just thinking about looking for a kid sized mug for him and ThinkBaby has that covered too.  The cup is a great size, and has a generous handle making it really easy for him to pick up and use without spilling.

I’ve always loved all the ThinkBaby and ThinkSport products and this set is no exception to that love. I’ll be using this for my 3 year old son andfor my new baby when he or she starts baby food – this would make a perfect baby food storage set for on-the-go.  Thumbs up from SafeMama!

Get it:  You can pick up a set right on ThinkBaby’s website or at The Soft Landing,

Oct

7

What is Melamine? A Crash Course

Filed Under Product Safety, melamine | Comments Off

Lead is so 2007.  This year it’s all about Melamine.  All the cool kids are worrying about it. First it was found in dog food, then baby formula, then Mr. Brown coffee and now, the FDA is recalling Blue Cat Flavor Drinks.  We’ve gotten a lot of questions about melamine dishware in the past weeks and we’ve been trying to find as much useful information as possible. Here’s what we know.

Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant. Melamine resin is a very versatile material with a highly stable structure. Uses for melamine include whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics, and commercial filters.

Melamine resin is manufactured by mixing urea with formaldehyde under heat and pressure. The substances begin to polymerize and are forced into a mold which will create the desired shape.  The materials finish polymerizing and create a finished product, melamine resin.  This resin is what is used in many kitchen items.

We uncovered (Thanks for finding this Jaime!) a report from the National Toxicology Program that states,

Melamine resin, a hard thermosetting polymer made from melamine and formaldehyde, is widely used in the US in the form of kitchenware, including plates, bowls, mugs and utensils. Reports in the literature indicate that some kitchenware based on melamine resin leach considerable amounts of melamine monomer. A migration of up to 2.5 mg melamine/ 100 cm2 was observed under conditions that simulate an exposure to hot acidic foods…

I’m sure with enough digging we’ll find that any migration that occurs is low and “suitable for public safety”, especially if you ask the FDA.  But I am just not comfortable with melamine resin or formaldehyde leaching into my kids food when I take such care to give him something healthy.  The NTP confirms that more research is needed.

Healthy Child Healthy Word’s Janelle Sorensen found some interesting and disturbing information regarding melamine as well and has changed her position on using it for kids.  Please check out her latest article on Melamine here.  The Soft Landing posted some great info on Melamine yesterday too, read that here.  She brings up another good point: Melamine isn’t recyclable. Boo!

At SafeMama, we like to sway on the side of safety (even though some of you think we’re just trying to make your life difficult) but we don’t take chances when it comes to kids.  So for now, we don’t feel comfortable recommending Melamine dishware.  If you have some, there are a couple things you can do to limit exposure to chemical leaching:

  • Don’t microwave, boil or otherwise heat melamine dishware or utensils, ever.
  • Hand wash all melamine in warm water with mild soap.
  • Ditch ‘em (or use them for something other than food) and opt for a safer material like bamboo, stainless steel, or BPA-free plastic (same heat rules apply here though, no microwave, hand wash)

I can hear you screaming at me already… “Are you kidding me?  If its not one thing its another.  Just when I thought I was doing the right thing its the wrong thing.  Maybe I should just move into a CAVE and eat off the ground!“  That wasn’t you?  Oh that’s right, it was me saying it to myself.

Before you freak out on me: We’ve compiled a new SafeMama Cheat Sheet of Safer Dishware to aide you in choosing dishes for your wee ones!  It’s a new list and it will grow so check back for new additons.

Oct

6

Safer Dishware Cheat Sheet: BPA, PVC & Phthalate Free Dishes

Filed Under ** Cheat Sheets!, Bisphenol-A, Food Safety, PVC Free, Product Safety | Comments Off

We’ve gotten the request for a cheat sheet for dishware so here is our list of favorites. We made sure all the items listed are free of Bisphenol-A (BPA), PVC and Phthalates and we listed as much of a diverse selection as possible for those who are looking for alternatives to plastic we made sure to include options for you too. Note: There is no melamine dishware on this list. You can read why here. (Last Updated: September 1, 2010)

Plates, Dishes, Bowls, Cups

Utensils

Snack Containers

Placemats, Eating Surfaces

Lunchboxes, Food Containers (full cheat sheet)

WAIT! You can also find a more comprehensive list of our 2010 Safer Lunchbox Picks located here.

Have a product you think belongs on this list? Let us know! Please link back to SafeMama.com if you share this so we can keep this site going! Thanks!

Take the headache out of no-toxic shopping by visiting our friends at The Soft Landing. They have a safer Dish and Cup Guide as well. Have a look.

Oct

6

Skip*Hop Mate: Stay-put Mat + Plate!

Filed Under product finds | Comments Off

SkipHop MateWe get a lot of email about dishware here at SafeMama.  What’s safe, what do you recommend, is this brand safe, etc.  So when I stumbled on the new Skip*Hop Mate (Mat plus plate… how cute) I new I had to share.  This adorable kids dish has a 3 compartment plate that pops into the no-skid mat, as well as comes with utensils that pop on and off the mat as well.  The best part, all the pieces are BPA, Phthalate and PVC free.  The company says all parts are dishwasher safe (top rack) but a decent hand wash seems sufficient in most cases. This stylish meal set runs about $20 and comes in orange, hot pink and blue.

Get One: Available on Skip*Hops website

Jan

19

IKEA Kids rainbow cups & utensils BPA Free

Filed Under Bisphenol-A, Product Reviews | 14 Comments

I have no idea where I heard this originally but a friend of mine (Hi, Mariana!) picked up a set of cups and plates for me at her local IKEA. The product line is an IKEA exclusive designed by Monika Mulder and they carry rainbow sets of kids cups, plates, bowls and eating utensils. The dishware is made of polypropylene (a #5 on the recycling scale) and are dishwasher and microwave safe. Polypropylene is a Bisphenol-A free plastic and has no known leeching chemical components. They are light weight and the perfect size for little hands. My 2 year old loves the little cups and since I’m trying my hardest to teach him to use a regular non-sippy cup without turning it into a launching device for milk and water… it makes using it easy for his tiny grip.

They come in packs of 6 and cost a measly $1.99 per pack. I don’t have access to an IKEA nearby but I might have to make a pilgrimage to one to get the bowls too. They are not, unfortunately available online so you have to hike out to the store to find them.

Get Them: Pick them up at your local IKEA Store!

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Win a 2 Pack of Tilty Sippy Cups from The Glass Baby Bottle! Ends Sept 13th!

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