Plastic vs Stainless Steel for Kids: A Pediatrician's Switch
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Time to Read: 7 min
Why This Pediatrician Left Plastic
Do this first:
Tonight, check the bottom of your kids' plastic dishes for recycling codes 3, 6, or 7. Those go first. Then stop microwaving and dishwashing whatever plastic remains — heat is the accelerant.
The cabinet I finally looked at
For years my kids ate off the same plastic my patients' kids ate off. Bright, unbreakable, dishwasher-safe — or so the label said. I microwaved leftovers in it. I ran it through the hot cycle nightly. I am a pediatrician, and I did what every parent I know does, because nobody had handed me a reason not to.
The reason arrived in August 2018, in my own field's journal. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a policy statement called Food Additives and Child Health, and it said something academies do not say lightly.
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What the AAP actually recommends
The statement's guidance for families, quoted directly: avoid microwaving food or beverages — including infant formula and pumped human milk — in plastic, if possible. Avoid placing plastics in the dishwasher. And: "Use alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible."
It also gets specific about which plastics go first: avoid recycling codes 3 (phthalates), 6 (styrene), and 7 (bisphenols) unless labeled biobased or greenware.
The reasoning is about heat and contact. Heat can cause plastics to release compounds like bisphenols and phthalates into food — which is why the microwave and the dishwasher, the two hottest places a dish ever goes, headline the guidance. And the statement is blunt about why children specifically: they eat more per pound of body weight than adults, and their developing organ systems are more susceptible to what comes along with the food.
Children's dishes live a harder life than any other dishes in the house. Hot food, hot wash, hundreds of cycles a year, scratches that grow with every fork. The dishes my kids used most were the ones going through that loop daily.
Why I landed on stainless steel
The AAP names two alternatives: glass and stainless steel. Glass is honest but loses arguments with tile floors and toddlers. Steel is the one that survives my actual household.
It is inert — nothing migrates into food, hot or cold, acidic or not.
It cannot shatter, chip into food, or crack into sharp edges.
It goes through the dishwasher forever. The hot cycle that degrades plastic does nothing to steel.
One set outlasts childhood. The plastic it replaces gets bought again and again.
Full disclosure, because this is the one post in this series where I will say it plainly: I founded a company, Ahimsa, that makes stainless steel dishware for kids, because after 2018 I could not find what I wanted to buy. Read the AAP statement yourself before you take my word for anything — the citation is at the bottom. But the guidance came first. The company came second.
The one-shelf-a-month method
Nobody should trash a cabinet overnight, and the AAP itself notes this guidance has to survive contact with real budgets. Here is the order of operations that worked in my house:
Month 1: Check codes. Anything marked 3, 6, or 7 goes now. This is the highest-value move and it is free.
Month 2: Change the habits, not the dishes. No plastic in the microwave, no plastic in the dishwasher. Hand-wash what stays; reheat on a plate.
Month 3: Replace the everyday four — the plate, bowl, cup, and lunch containers your child uses daily. Daily use is where the exposure lives, so this is where replacement buys the most.
Month 4 onward: One shelf a month, as things wear out or budget allows. Scratched and cloudy plastic goes first — degraded surfaces release more.
Compound small changes. Perfection is not on the menu, and it does not need to be.
Plastic-Free Mealtime Essentials
Frequently asked questions
Is BPA-free plastic safe for kids?
BPA-free means that one compound was replaced, often with related bisphenols that are less studied. The AAP's guidance is about plastic and heat generally, not BPA alone — which is why its named alternatives are glass and stainless steel.
Which plastics should I avoid first?
Recycling codes 3, 6, and 7 — phthalates, styrene, and bisphenols — per the AAP, unless labeled biobased or greenware. Check the bottom of each dish.
Can I microwave food in any plastic?
The AAP recommends avoiding microwaving food or drinks in plastic when possible, including infant formula and pumped milk. Heat increases what migrates from plastic into food. Reheat on a plate or in glass.
Is stainless steel safe for kids' food?
Yes — food-grade stainless steel is inert and is one of the two alternatives the AAP names alongside glass. It does not leach with heat, acid, or age.
Do I need to replace everything at once?
No. Codes 3, 6, 7 first, heat habits second, the everyday four third, then one shelf a month. The order matters more than the speed.
Key Takeaways
The AAP's 2018 guidance: avoid microwaving and dishwashing plastic; use glass or stainless steel when possible.
Codes 3, 6, and 7 go first. Checking is free and takes five minutes.
Heat is the accelerant — the microwave and dishwasher are where the exposure concentrates.
Replace the everyday four before anything else. Daily use is where it counts.
One shelf a month. Compound changes, not overhauls.
Source: Trasande L, Shaffer RM, Sathyanarayana S, AAP Council on Environmental Health. Food Additives and Child Health. Pediatrics. 2018;142(2):e20181408. This post is general education, not medical advice for any individual child.
About the Author
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician, culinary medicine specialist, and founder of Ahimsa, the first pediatrician-designed stainless steel children's dishware brand. Raising three kids and being a pediatrician has taught her that food is love, food is health, and food is joy.
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician whose dedication to children’s health drove her to launch Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids. She was motivated by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings on harmful chemicals in plastic affecting children's well-being. Ahimsa has gained widespread recognition and been featured in media outlets such as Parents Magazine, the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Dr. Mantravadi received the esteemed “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019. She was also named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur in 2021, with her inspiring story showcased on Good Morning America. She serves on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Council for School Health at The American Academy of Pediatrics. She represents Ahimsa as a U.S. industry stakeholder on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, led by the United Nations Environment Program. Dr. Mantravadi leads Ahimsa's social impact program, The Conscious Cafeteria Project, to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard student health as part of a national pilot of the Clinton Global Initiative.
She is dedicated to educating and empowering people to make healthier, more environmentally friendly choices at mealtime. Her mission remains to advocate for the health of all children and the one planet we will leave behind for them through real policy change within our food system.
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician whose dedication to children’s health drove her to launch Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids. She was motivated by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings on harmful chemicals in plastic affecting children's well-being. Ahimsa has gained widespread recognition and been featured in media outlets such as Parents Magazine, the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Dr. Mantravadi received the esteemed “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019. She was also named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur in 2021, with her inspiring story showcased on Good Morning America. She serves on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Council for School Health at The American Academy of Pediatrics. She represents Ahimsa as a U.S. industry stakeholder on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, led by the United Nations Environment Program. Dr. Mantravadi leads Ahimsa's social impact program, The Conscious Cafeteria Project, to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard student health as part of a national pilot of the Clinton Global Initiative.
She is dedicated to educating and empowering people to make healthier, more environmentally friendly choices at mealtime. Her mission remains to advocate for the health of all children and the one planet we will leave behind for them through real policy change within our food system.
