Every January, parents take a collective breath and think,

“Okay… what actually matters this year?”

Not a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Not perfection.

Just fewer things that don’t really serve our families anymore.

For many parents in 2026, that answer is less plastic—especially around food.

Not because of fear.

Not because of trends.

But because parents are asking smarter questions now:

• What does my child interact with every single day?
  

• What exposures quietly add up over time?
  

• What’s one change that actually feels doable?
  

As a pediatrician, those questions make a lot of sense to me.

Want to know more? Check out our story and our products. 

I set out to be a pediatrician.

I expected to spend my career caring for kids—treating diseases, helping families through various stages of childhood, and shaping the future health of children. 

But over time, something became harder to ignore.

I was seeing more chronic conditions, more hormonal concerns, and more preventable health issues showing up earlier and earlier in childhood. Nutrition was always part of the formula but I started to think about other factors that were seemingly more silent or even invisible factors of health.

“Is what my child eats from—their plate—just as important as what they eat?”

That question came up at my own kitchen table with my own mother. 

But a turning point came when the American Academy of Pediatrics formally recommended reducing children’s exposure to plastic foodware because of growing evidence linking plastic-associated chemicals to health harms in kids.

As a pediatrician, that guidance mattered.

It meant this wasn’t just a personal concern or an environmental talking point—it was official pediatric policy, grounded in child health.

The science was clear. The recommendation was clear.

But the everyday solution wasn’t.

That gap—between pediatric guidance and what families could realistically use at home—is what ultimately led to Ahimsa.

In pediatrics, we rarely worry about one single moment. We think in patterns.

We look at:

• Dose – how much exposure
  

• Frequency – how often it happens
  

• Timing – when it happens during development

Kids aren’t just smaller adults. Their hormones, metabolism, immune systems, and brains are still developing.

That’s why low-dose, repeated exposure during childhood matters more than occasional exposure.

And one of the most repeated exposures in a child’s life is their plate.

When pediatricians talk about chemical exposure at mealtime, we’re talking about substances that can migrate from food-contact materials into food—especially when:

• Food is warm
  

• Foods contain fat or acidity
  

• Plates are washed and reused every day
  

This isn’t about one lunch or one snack.

It’s about thousands of ordinary meals, over many years.

That’s where pediatric prevention lives—not in fear, but in everyday patterns.

Plastic plates are everywhere. They’re colorful, lightweight, and marketed as kid-friendly.

But from a pediatric perspective, they’re also:

• Used daily
  

• Exposed to heat and wear
  

• Part of long-term routines
  

Kids eat more per pound of body weight than adults, and their developing systems are more sensitive to chemical signals. Even when exposure levels are considered “low,” frequency and timing during development matter.

That’s why more families are choosing a plastic-less or plastic-reduced approach in 2026—starting with the items their kids use most.

Here’s the part of the science I always find reassuring—and the part parents rarely hear.

Research shows that when people reduce their exposure to plastic food-contact materials, levels of certain plastic-associated chemicals in the body can drop quickly—sometimes in as little as five days.

That means the body isn’t helpless or stuck.

When exposure goes down, the body begins to clear what it doesn’t need.

From a pediatric perspective, this is incredibly encouraging. It means:

• Small changes matter
  

• Timing still works in your favor
  

• You don’t have to be perfect for your choices to help
  

This is why pediatricians focus on reducing baseline exposure, not eliminating every source overnight.

When families swap one daily item—like a plate—the body responds.

That’s not fear-based science. That’s hopeful, empowering biology.

Parents often ask me what materials I feel most comfortable with for daily use.

Here’s the clear, consistent pediatric answer:

For daily food contact—especially with warm food—pediatricians fully recommend only two materials:

• Glass
  

• Stainless steel

These materials are considered inert, meaning they don’t interact with food, don’t release hormone-disrupting chemicals, and stay stable through heat and repeated washing.

It’s about choosing materials we understand well.

Glass and stainless steel have been used for cooking, serving, and eating across cultures for generations—long before plastic entered the food system.

Over decades of use, they’ve proven to be:

• Stable and predictable

• Unchanged by heat or time

• Safe for human health, including during childhood

• Better for environmental health, since they don’t break down into microplastics and other byproducts that lasts for centuries within our planet 

From a pediatric standpoint, materials with long, established safety records matter.

This is something I clarify often with families.

“BPA-free” sounds reassuring—but it doesn’t tell the full story.

That’s because:

• BPA is often replaced with similar compounds like BPS, BPZ and so on
  

• Heat increases chemical migration
  

• Dishwashers speed up breakdown
  

• Scratches and cloudiness are signs of wear
  

Rather than trying to find the best plastic, pediatricians usually recommend reducing plastic food contact altogether when it’s realistic to do so.

Silicone comes up a lot too.

From a pediatric lens:

• Glass and stainless steel are fully inert
  

• Silicone is semi-inert and can absorb oils, colors, and odors over 

When parents ask what I fully recommend for daily plates, glass and stainless steel remain the gold standard because they’re predictable and well-studied. These are the only two materials recommended by The American Academy of Pediatrics as safe alternatives to plastic. 

You don’t need to change everything.

If families want to move toward a plastic-less or plastic-reduced 2026, I usually suggest starting with:

• The plate used most often
  

• Meals that include warm food
  

• Items touched every single day
  

Changing the plate alone can meaningfully lower baseline exposure over time.

Pediatric prevention happens across thousands of ordinary meals.

Children’s health isn’t shaped by one big decision.

It’s shaped by everyday environments.

Reducing plastic at the table—starting with the plate—is one of the simplest ways families can lower baseline exposure without adding stress.

This is prevention through simplification, not fear.

— Dr. Manasa Mantravadi

You don’t need to do everything.

Start with one plate.

One meal.

One plastic-less default.

Those small choices add up—quietly, over time.

You’ve got this, parents. And I’ve got you here in the Pediatrician’s Kitchen.

I’d much rather meet you in the kitchen for prevention than in the clinic for treatment. This is where small, everyday choices turn into lifelong health—because food is health, and this is just the beginning of your practical journey towards your child’s health!