Bottled and Jarred Packaged Goods: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
A quick tour of the good, the bad, and the ugly of bottled and jarred packaged goods will help you to make an informed decision the next time you’re shopping in the refrigerated or pantry section of your local grocery store. From condiments to pasta sauce, which options are high quality and worth purchasing? Which ones should you avoid? What should you know about how to store these items properly? Find out in this article on bottled and jarred packaged goods.
What are the Benefits of Plastic?
With major retailers and brands all switching to plastic packaging, are you getting sick of drinking out of jars? You’re not alone. To kick off our three-part series on bottled and jarred packaged goods we’ll explore just why these containers became so popular to begin with. (Did we mention they help eliminate food waste?) With an examination of their pros as well as a look at some common cons, read on for our ultimate rundown on how these solutions can either make or break your health goals.
BPA (And what you can do about it)
If you’re concerned about chemicals in your bottled and jarred packaged goods, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to all that convenience – more plastic waste, more packaging we don’t necessarily need (we can actually drink straight from a water bottle), and potential health issues like BPA (bisphenol A). BPA is used in some types of plastic to make it harder – think of food containers or water bottles. For example, pregnant women are advised against drinking from plastic bottles because of BPA concerns; some studies have found that high levels can mimic estrogen in our bodies, which could potentially lead to hormone-related problems like breast cancer.
Water bottles-Pros and Cons
Plastic water bottles have become quite popular, partly because of concerns about unsafe drinking water. But is bottled water always a good choice? It may be convenient, but you’re paying for convenience; bottled water is much more expensive than tap or well water. Also, keep in mind that many of those reusable bottles are made from plastic that can leach chemicals into your drinking water when it’s exposed to sunlight. Bottled and jarred packaged goods come with their own dangers as well.
Food containers- Pros and Cons
Many people assume that these types of packaged goods are healthy alternatives to regular food because they’re often made with natural ingredients. While this may be true for some of them, most bottled and jarred packaged goods tend to contain a lot of sodium (salt) or sugar and very little actual nutritional value. If you really need convenience, grab a fresh piece of fruit instead. It’ll provide fiber to fill you up, taste better than any processed snack, and give your body more nutrients than products whose primary ingredient is something like corn syrup solids!
