I was a pediatrician and a mom of three, just going about life — grocery runs, daycare pickup, reheating leftovers. I bought the plates with the cartoon characters, the little suction cup bowls with trucks, the ones every parent has in their cabinet. One day I was feeding my kids lunch when my mom walked in, took one look at the table, and stopped cold. At 4’11, she’s a powerful force. She said, “What are you doing to my grandchildren? You cannot feed them using plastic. Those chemicals are leaching into the food.” Then she left me to go see patients while she stayed behind with the kids.

I came home a few hours later and every plastic dish had disappeared. Gone. Nothing to serve dinner on. I asked her what she expected me to do and she said, without skipping a beat, “I’ll get you steel.”

The next day she showed up with a full set — the exact same stainless steel dishes we ate from as kids in India. Not fancy. Not curated. The same ones we stacked and washed and used over and over again. I started feeding my own kids with them. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about a business. I was just doing what my mom said.

Then in 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy warning parents about harmful chemicals in plastic and melamine. It was written by a group of pediatricians. In my group chat with other fellow pediatricians who are moms I texted, “Hey smart ladies, what are you going to do with all your plastic? Did you see the AAP?”

That was the moment. My mom was right. The science was clear. I already had the solution sitting in my cabinets.

And when I looked at what was on my own table? It was plastic. Bright, lightweight, and easy to toss in the dishwasher. It was colorful, cute, easy. But the science said otherwise. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a public warning about endocrine-disrupting chemicals in children’s dishware, pointing directly to materials like plastic and melamine as potential sources of toxins in food. That was the moment I knew I needed to make a change.

If we want our kids to grow up healthy, we have to start where health begins: at the table. The way we serve meals influences what our kids eat, how they feel about food, and how their bodies develop over time. That’s why I left a clinical treatment based medical practice to create Ahimsa — a company built to make it easier, safer, and more joyful for parents to raise healthy eaters through preventative medicine. Our goal was simple: give families dishware that supports health in every way, from the materials we use to the way each plate encourages balanced eating.

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

There are thousands of stainless steel products on the market. But most aren’t made with kids or child development in mind. That fact alone shaped every choice we made when creating Ahimsa dishware. I wanted every plate, bowl, and cup to support the way children learn about food while giving parents the safest materials available.

Children learn by doing and seeing. Our Balanced Bite Plate™ uses proportional sectioning for fruits, veggies, protein, and grains based on science-informed national dietary guidance to help kids naturally form healthy habits without pressure. The sections give a subtle guide without turning mealtime into a lecture. Kids start to recognize the balance on their plate, and over time, they carry that awareness into snacks, school lunches & beyond.

Our bold, engaging colors are intentionally chosen to make mealtime something kids want to participate in. I’ve seen firsthand how a splash of color can make a hesitant eater curious enough to try something new. Studies show that color can affect how children interact with their environment — including how excited they are to try new foods. Ahimsa’s vibrant hues are designed to ignite joy, reduce food-related anxiety, and create positive associations with balanced meals.

The polished surface reflects food beautifully — even greens and grains look fresh and enticing. Kids are more likely to taste something when it looks appealing, and the reflection makes their plate feel more dynamic. It also helps children visually distinguish between food textures and colors, which supports learning and sensory confidence.

Each piece is designed for small hands. They’re stackable, grippable, and built to encourage independence, motor skills, and confidence at every developmental stage. From toddlers lifting a cup for the first time to older kids serving themselves family-style, the shape and weight of our pieces make them feel capable.

Unlike the many generic steel products flooding the market (especially from unverified sources) Ahimsa is engineered to meet the highest medical and ethical standards: Our process starts with sourcing and continues through every stage of manufacturing, testing, and handling. Every decision is rooted in safety, traceability, and durability that parents can trust for daily use.

osion-resistant, and stable across heat, acid, and repeated use. This is the quality used in surgical instruments, which means it holds up under far tougher conditions than the average home kitchen.

We use certified materials from vetted suppliers and maintain full traceability on every batch. We know exactly what goes into our steel, and where it came from. No shortcuts, no guessing, no mystery metals.

Each production run is independently tested in accredited labs to ensure compliance with:

• CPSIA standards for children’s products
• FDA food-contact safety
• Zero detectable lead, cadmium, or nickel migration

Those results are non-negotiable. Every batch meets the same standards before it leaves the factory floor.

We avoid all soldered joints or vacuum seals — common sources of contamination in cheaper products — and use PVD color application, a metal vapor-bonding method also used in surgical instruments. No paint, no chips, no risk. This means the finish you see is part of the steel itself, not a coating that can wear away.

Our facilities are socially compliant with:

• No child labor
• Fair wages
• Safe working conditions

We hold every partner to these standards because the health of families starts with the health of the people making the products.

In today’s world, families are more conscious than ever about what we put in our bodies, what we spend money on, and how our habits shape our health. Every decision at the table, right down to the stainless steel plate itself, can support or undermine that effort. And when it comes to what we eat off of, plastic is no longer acceptable. The science is too strong to ignore, and the safer alternative is within reach.

Ahimsa steel is:

• Safer than plastic, melamine, or bamboo
• More durable than glass or ceramic
• Free from coatings, toxins, and unknown fillers
• Designed to last from toddlerhood to college and beyond

Choosing materials that protect health also means choosing something that works for years, not months. 

I left clinical medicine because I realized I could prevent more disease by changing the dinner table than I ever could in an exam room. Years of caring for children taught me that what happens at home, day after day, often shapes health far more than a single appointment. And I created Ahimsa so you wouldn’t have to choose between safety, function, and beauty ever again. Every piece we make is designed to check all three boxes—without compromise.

This is more than a company. It’s a movement — one where families, doctors, and scientists come together to make health easier, mealtime more joyful, and kids’ futures brighter. We share the same goal: giving children the best start possible through simple, daily choices. Because food isn’t just fuel. It’s medicine. And the plate is the first prescription.

• Shop Stainless Steel Sets That Last a Lifetime
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