This month we’ll be examining the many products that contain aluminum that we use in the kitchen (and a few other places) and analyzing our use of them. I’m going to share with you a few health reasons and an environmental reason why you should avoid aluminum in general, and some frugal pointers for when you do use it (and how to avoid aluminum and save some cash). All the pillars of Kitchen Stewardship are covered in this one!
Analyzing Aluminum in August posts:
- Monday Mission: Analyze Aluminum FOIL
- Analyzing Aluminum Cookware and Bakeware
- Food for Thought: Why Analyze Aluminum? (Research on Dangers)
- Analyzing Aluminum in Antiperspirants: Hazard or Hoax?
- My Deodorant Story
- Monday Mission: Switch your Baking Powder to Aluminum-Free
- Vaccine Notes
Will you join me? If you’re a blogger, you can put this button in your sidebar for the month. (It will be a smaller button in your sidebar, or copy the big photo for a post.) Leave a comment with your web address and I’ll create a hard link at this post to your site. 
My challenge for everyone as we begin Analyzing Aluminum in August:
Find all the places that aluminum is used, in your kitchens, on your skin, and elsewhere. Leave a comment at this post with your findings by Friday, August 7th at 7:00 a.m. The person with the most different items gets FIVE extra entries in both of Tuesday’s giveaways! A tie = everybody wins, of course. EMILY IS THE BIG WINNER!
I realize you can just look at the other comments, and that’s fine, we’re all learning here. Just make sure you have one more item than the person above you, and you’re the big winner. (By the way, “a can of Coke” and “a can of Pepsi” are the same thing. Don’t get all third grade on me with your entries!)
I’m looking forward to Analyzing Aluminum in August with you!
(Want more controversy and challenge? Check out the Mind the Microwave in May series.)
This post is linked in to Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.
Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
Other Real Food posts this week:
Hungry for more? Related posts:
Note: these aren’t all places where I use it, but where it is found:
– conventional antiperspirant
– aluminum foil
– some baking powders
– aluminum cans
– aluminum disposable baking pans
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Let’s see:
foil pans
aluminum foil
soda cans
foil wrappers around chocolate bars
baking powder (conventional)
storebought crackers/quick breads/cookies/brownies, etc. (b/c they use the baking powder)
all sorts of frozen/refrigerated doughs
processed cheese
pre-grated cheeses, sometimes
aluminum baking sheets/cake pans
aluminum pots/pans (both anodized and not)
aluminum water bottles
aluminum bottle tops (like twist caps)
antacids
antidiarrheal drugs
buffered aspirin
additive in vaccines
aluminum baby formula cans!
conventional salt (as an anticaking agent)
antiperspirants
douches
styptic pencils
eyeshadows/cosmetics
sunscreens
municipal water (treated with aluminum sulfate)
whitening toothpaste (aluminum oxide)
foil blister packs for medicines
foil lips on juice boxes/single serve milks
Okay, I think that’s all I can think of right now. Wow!
[Reply to this comment]
foil pans_aluminum foil_soda cans_foil wrappers around chocolate bars_baking powder (conventional)_storebought crackers/quick breads/cookies/brownies, etc. (b/c they use the baking powder)_all sorts of frozen/refrigerated doughs_processed cheese_pre-grated cheeses, sometimes_aluminum baking sheets/cake pans_aluminum pots/pans (both anodized and not)_aluminum water bottles_aluminum bottle tops (like twist caps)_antacids_antidiarrheal drugs_buffered aspirin_additive in vaccines_aluminum baby formula cans!_conventional salt (as an anticaking agent)_antiperspirants_douches_styptic pencils_eyeshadows/cosmetics_sunscreens_municipal water (treated with aluminum sulfate)_whitening toothpaste (aluminum oxide)_foil blister packs for medicines_foil lips on juice boxes/single serve milks
wow, that feels very cheater – esk
anyway, a place that I have recently been noticing more aluminum is in construction items used in and around the house (we have lots of projects going) like the gutters and flashing and eves (and I suppose the siding if you have it, we don’t) , some paints, lots of tools, umbrellas, lots of metal decorations (like metal photo frames or hanging mobiles) , and self rising flour (due to baking powder)
I also found this list (and deleted repeats – which in my defense were a lot, and I probably missed some) – who knew!?!
Aluminum silicate found in Kaopectate, Animal feed, Automotive parts, Automotive exhaust, Beer, Ceramics, Cigarette filters (somehow I think aluminum might be the least of the problems here, but moving on), Construction material, Dental amalgams, Insulated wiring, Nasal spray, Medical compounds, Pesticides, Tobacco smoke, Vanilla powder
thank you for raising my awareness! I have learned alot.
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