When my little sister was in her younger years, she had a very favorite kid’s place setting. It was a Little Mermaid plate, bowl, cup and silverware set. Because she loved it so much, if was used often and soon bore the marks of frequent use. Hot food was ladeled on it, sandwiches were placed on it, and cereal and oatmeal was eaten out of the bowl. Now that we are more aware of some of the disadvantages of plastic, such as the chemical load it gives us and our children, we are looking for other choices. There are so many options today! It’s exciting. Today I wanted to share some of the items that we have personally used continuing our “plastic free” series. With Christmas just around the corner, these also make great gift ideas!
Plates and Bowls
Because heat can release more chemicals, such as BPA in plastic, it’s especially important that hot foods are dished into plastic free dishes. Life Without Plastic (a wonderful resource) sent me their children’s stainless steel set to try out (priced at $23.95). My 4 year old was extremely excited about this set (yes, even without Little Mermaid plastered on it). She (and I) loved it. Children tend to love having their own special dishes, and my daughter is no exception! It’s quite heavy duty without being heavy in weight. And stainless steel is beautiful. We use all of the dishes together and separately. It’s also nice because stainless steel does not break like some of our other favorite plastic free dishes. A definite plus.
While this set it beautiful on it’s own, I noticed that Life Without Plastic also sells some beautiful stainless steel children dishes with animals and fun colors on the outside. These would be sure to garner enthusiastic responses from my household and I bet yours too. These would be a great option for those wanting more color.
Pictured above you will notice some of the other bowls in our household that we use. In the background, the white bowl is a Corelle bowl. We have Corelle 
Cups
I have used a variety of stainless steel sippy cups, such as the Thermos Sippy Cup 
Silverware
While Elena at four can now use regular silverware, we had her use a variety of plastic free silverware the last few years. Pictured above are two options. On theleft you see the NUK Gerber BPNUK Gerber BPA free silverware set 
Those are a few of the items we have used to reduce plastic in our household children’s tableware. I would love to hear what you have used too!
Latest posts by KimiHarris (see all)
- 2 Ingredient Peppermint Bark - December 21, 2022
- Herbal Hibiscus Lemonade (Keto, THM) - March 16, 2022
- Creamy Curry Red Lentil Soup - December 8, 2021
We got those Ikea glasses when I was in high school, in both the small size and in a larger size (~12-oz.). Since I’m clumsy, I’ve dropped more than I care to admit on the tile floor at home, and I swear they BOUNCE instead of breaking. Very sturdy. Great post.
LOL! I haven’t dropped one yet, but they are very sturdy!
We recently bought each of our kids an enamel set of dishes of their own. (cup, plate, bowl) They were fairly cheap, and I love that they still look “pretty” and special; and as my husband pointed out, whenever we go camping, we’re all set with the dishes. They even had a little kettle and espresso cups that I bought for one of my daughters as a tea set for Christmas that was less than half of what a natural toy company was selling an enamel tea set for. The best part is, it’s fully functional. We found the things we’ve bought here .
That’s a great idea! I love the tea set idea too.
Great post- Love the stainless sets! We have Eco lunch boxes in stainless, along with stainless thermos
containers too. I love Corelle ware
A word of warning on the bamboo utensils. I was talking with a wood carver who cautioned us about using bamboo kitchen items. Although the bamboo is safe and sustainable, the glue used to bond it is not necessarily food grade, or safe. He said it wouldn’t surprise him if that were the next big recall.
A lot of big box stores are carrying bamboo now- and most items are made in China- a fact that always concerns me when it comes to anything that goes in or on the body.
Hi Tina,
I had no idea that bamboo products even had glue in it! I wonder where we could find out more information about it?
Thanks for the great article. I have been thinking a lot about plastic and my little ones. We currently use the plastic plates from IKEA. I have been hoping that they are BPA free but I am sure that they aren’t.
I am not a big fan of Disney Princesses but to be frank, my 5 year old is. I wish Disney would get into the stainless steel plate/cup/silverware business!
My kids have good ol’ blue graniteware dishes from the camping section of my very favorite home center (Fleet Farm, in WI where my Dad lives, but alas, not in CA where I live!) No Disney Princesses….but we don’t have TV, and our computer only “gets in” what Mommy and Daddy choose to “broadcast”, so my kids miss out on all the commercialized crud. Poor them! 😀 For water cups that they lug around the house, I have Contigo’s BPA-free kid cups because they DO NOT leak. At all. Ever. And they do not have any silicone valves to last only a few weeks. I had a few pieces of kid silverware from my own childhood, and I bought several more on ebay. I also have one of those newer sets you have pictured. The spoon is okay, but the fork just drives the kids nuts, as it’s too blunt to do its job properly.
we love the IKEA kids’ utensils – I think they’re stainless steel. They’re sold in the kids’ play area – a set of forks, spoons (2 sizes), and dinner knives for four. Comes in a silverware tray to store – ours fits right on top of our regular size silverware tray. Maybe around $5-10? Can’t recall exactly. We have two sets, so 8 of each. Love them so much better than any other kids’ utensils we’ve used.
I will have to look for those next time I am there! Thanks for the tip. 🙂
Military surplus carries a lot of SS items ~ including mess trays! Though not as cute and pretty, they’d get the job done. 🙂 I’ve thought about getting some because they work much better for non-table eating (for a while, my son was eating his breakfast in the car, but that didn’t stop me from making a full breakfast, so he often balanced a plate, fork, spoon, and sometimes a bowl!)
What are people using for packing lunch to go?
For crockery we have mostly just used our regular stuff but we did buy some dipping bowls which being smaller than a regular bowl are very useful. We did use plastic spoon initially but then moved on to metal with plastic handles and then entirely metal ones which we bought in what is probably our equivalent of the dollar store. But because we did baby led weaning (baby led solids in American) cutlery wasn’t really used that much initially anyway. We moved our daughter onto regular glasses fairly early on but given that she and my husband seem to be competing over who can break the most, it’s good to know you can get them fairly cheaply in Ikea.
I forgot to add that we also have a few pieces of special childs crockery with either Bunnikins or Beatrix Potter Wedgewood designs. I would imagine there must be similar things in the US. They are expensive new but because they have been around such a long time and are the sort of thing that people buy as new baby gifts it is fairly easy to pick them up at a good price on eBay.
i know i should be commenting on the plastic-free issue, but elena always has the cutest, sweetest, most explosive smile on her face. i just love it!
I think so too! And I love how she has lots of space between her teeth for her permanent teeth!! Dr. Price would be pleased.
this set is great too from Ginko baby. http://www.amazon.com/Ginkgo-Panda-Babies-6-Piece-Progress-Flatware/dp/B0038OW9B8/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1292475491&sr=8-8
I know Melamine is plastic and the whole purpose of this post is to “take the plastic out” but do you have any thoughts on that material? That is what I have been using with my son for the most part and even though it is not supposed to leach anything out we never put anything hot on it (he is used to eating his food room temperature or warm). I got them in a cute robot design!
I just did some more research on Melamine (I did reseearch it before I bought them this past year) and think we will be changing to stainless steel ASAP. It is good that I have not ever put hot foods/liquids in the melamine plates!
Oh my–I remember the plates and cups that my mom used for us kids all had “Genuine Melamine” stamped on the back! And in past year or so I’ve reado pigs being fed ground up Melamine…and people eat pigs. (I, personally, am a vegetarian).
I splurged a while back and bought four place settings of SS flatware for my kids (18mo and 4yo), mainly to encourage my four year old son to use a fork. I wanted something that seemed more grown up. These fit the bill and the kids love them. They are less expensive than some and feel great in your hand. (The spoon is a little wide for a baby)
http://www.amazon.com/Danesco-3-Piece-Stainless-Childrens-Flatware/dp/B002UHJZ02/ref=sr_1_cc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1292593427&sr=1-2-catcorr
Great post, Kimi! When my boys were younger, I got Corell dishes that we used for every-day dishes so that they could learn to unload the dishwasher early. 🙂 Now those have become our camping dishes in our trailer. 🙂 We use Fiestaware for our everyday dishes now, and they’re pretty hardy dishes and last through 4 kids (9, 8, 7 & even the 3 year old!) unloading the dishwasher and haven’t chipped yet (I’ve had them a year now). For glasses, we have been using small jelly jars for years now, and the kids love them! They’re cheap, easy to replace, they’re not tippy, and they’re made of sturdy, thick glass, so they don’t break after being dropped. This is my favorite solution! I want to look into the ss dishes you mentioned though, I like having an option when we have friends over who aren’t used to giving their kids a plate that’s breakable! 🙂
I was all ready to mention Corelle until I came to the part where you already use it. 🙂 I have a ceramic tile floor and watching those plates bounce around without so much as a chip never gets old. I’m half temptedt o run some sort of experiment someday. Half. For now I need my dishware too much.
I’d like to third the graniteware recommendation. I did research into cookware/dishware a while back and found that for U.S. made steel enamel current FDA regulations do not allow any lead whatsoevere, whereas with ceramics it’s a different story. I have in my notes, “The most rounded option out of all I’ve researched, graniteware is safe, functional, and cheap. Once enamel chips or wears off rust spots appear and the item should no longer be used, so note that high quality directly influences the lifespan of graniteware with the difference between a thin or thick coating.”
I’m not a big fan of stainless steel because according to our own governmentmetallic nickel has been “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen” [i]for the past 30 years[/i] and quite probably longer. This based on sufficient studies in animals, but insufficient data in humans. Not too many years ago they decided nickel compounds as a class were “known human carcinogens”. I also note that nickel allergy is on the rise, and once sensitized to it it can only get worse. A study has proven that nickel does indeed leach into foods that come in contact with the container. (I can link these things if anyone likes, let me know.)
I still choose stainless steel over plastic, but I’d choose other options over stainless steel when they’re available.
I also found a documentary that you might be interested in watching. It’s called “the disappearing male” and it’s about how chemical endocrine disrupters are permanently affecting the reproductive development of boys and are actually resulting in less boys being born. They’re seeing this in both humans and animals, and in multiple countries. It’s truly heartbreaking and shocking. You can watch for free here: I was all ready to mention Corelle until I came to the part where you already use it. 🙂 I have a ceramic tile floor and watching those plates bounce around without so much as a chip never gets old. I’m half temptedt o run some sort of experiment someday. Half. For now I need my dishware too much.
I’d like to third the graniteware recommendation. I did research into cookware/dishware a while back and found that for U.S. made steel enamel current FDA regulations do not allow any lead whatsoevere, whereas with ceramics it’s a different story. I have in my notes, “The most rounded option out of all I’ve researched, graniteware is safe, functional, and cheap. Once enamel chips or wears off rust spots appear and the item should no longer be used, so note that high quality directly influences the lifespan of graniteware with the difference between a thin or thick coating.”
I’m not a big fan of stainless steel because according to our own governmentmetallic nickel has been “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen” [i]for the past 30 years[/i] and quite probably longer. This based on sufficient studies in animals, but insufficient data in humans. Not too many years ago they decided nickel compounds as a class were “known human carcinogens”. I also note that nickel allergy is on the rise, and once sensitized to it it can only get worse. A study has proven that nickel does indeed leach into foods that come in contact with the container. (I can link these things if anyone likes, let me know.)
I still choose stainless steel over plastic, but I’d choose other options over stainless steel when they’re available.
I also found a documentary that you might be interested in watching. It’s called “the disappearing male” and it’s about how chemical endocrine disrupters are permanently affecting the reproductive development of boys and are actually resulting in less boys being born. They’re seeing this in both humans and animals, and in multiple countries. It’s truly heartbreaking and shocking. You can watch it for free here: I was all ready to mention Corelle until I came to the part where you already use it. 🙂 I have a ceramic tile floor and watching those plates bounce around without so much as a chip never gets old. I’m half temptedt o run some sort of experiment someday. Half. For now I need my dishware too much.
I’d like to third the graniteware recommendation. I did research into cookware/dishware a while back and found that for U.S. made steel enamel current FDA regulations do not allow any lead whatsoevere, whereas with ceramics it’s a different story. I have in my notes, “The most rounded option out of all I’ve researched, graniteware is safe, functional, and cheap. Once enamel chips or wears off rust spots appear and the item should no longer be used, so note that high quality directly influences the lifespan of graniteware with the difference between a thin or thick coating.”
I’m not a big fan of stainless steel because according to our own governmentmetallic nickel has been “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen” [i]for the past 30 years[/i] and quite probably longer. This based on sufficient studies in animals, but insufficient data in humans. Not too many years ago they decided nickel compounds as a class were “known human carcinogens”. I also note that nickel allergy is on the rise, and once sensitized to it it can only get worse. A study has proven that nickel does indeed leach into foods that come in contact with the container. (I can link these things if anyone likes, let me know.)
I still choose stainless steel over plastic, but I’d choose other options over stainless steel when they’re available.
I also found a documentary that you might be interested in watching. It’s called “the disappearing male” and it’s about how chemical endocrine disrupters are permanently affecting the reproductive development of boys and are actually resulting in less boys being born. They’re seeing this in both humans and animals, and in multiple countries. It’s truly heartbreaking and shocking. You can watch it for free here: I was all ready to mention Corelle until I came to the part where you already use it. 🙂 I have a ceramic tile floor and watching those plates bounce around without so much as a chip never gets old. I’m half temptedt o run some sort of experiment someday. Half. For now I need my dishware too much.
I’d like to third the graniteware recommendation. I did research into cookware/dishware a while back and found that for U.S. made steel enamel current FDA regulations do not allow any lead whatsoevere, whereas with ceramics it’s a different story. I have in my notes, “The most rounded option out of all I’ve researched, graniteware is safe, functional, and cheap. Once enamel chips or wears off rust spots appear and the item should no longer be used, so note that high quality directly influences the lifespan of graniteware with the difference between a thin or thick coating.”
I’m not a big fan of stainless steel because according to our own governmentmetallic nickel has been “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen” [i]for the past 30 years[/i] and quite probably longer. This based on sufficient studies in animals, but insufficient data in humans. Not too many years ago they decided nickel compounds as a class were “known human carcinogens”. I also note that nickel allergy is on the rise, and once sensitized to it it can only get worse. A study has proven that nickel does indeed leach into foods that come in contact with the container. (I can link these things if anyone likes, let me know.)
I still choose stainless steel over plastic, but I’d choose other options over stainless steel when they’re available.
I also found a documentary that you might be interested in watching. It’s called “the disappearing male” and it’s about how chemical endocrine disrupters are permanently affecting the reproductive development of boys and are actually resulting in less boys being born. They’re seeing this in both humans and animals, and in multiple countries. It’s truly heartbreaking and shocking.You can watch it for free here: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-disappearing-male/
Yikes, so sorry about the repeating comment. I don’t know what happened.
I haven’t read all of the comments but another thing that I like about the stainless steel dishes is thta they are future heirlooms, unlike plastcs! The stainless steel could potentially be around for genrations, being used and loved.
Just make sure your graniteware is American-made and not made in China. My understanding is that the lead restrictions do not apply to China-made graniteware 🙁
We were given a toddler set of silver utensils, which at the time I thought was really silly. I’m now thrilled that I’ve had small utensils that are safe (and possibly even have health benefits). Unfortunately the spoon has gone missing. We also liked the rubber or silicone handled utensils you have pictured above. For drinking cups we mostly use stainless steel water bottles, or some of the larger baby food jars for non-water drinks, like kefir juice. We do have the colored plastic kiddie cups from Ikea that I haven’t been able to give up yet. I just make sure all plastic gets handwashed and recycled when it looks worn.
We have always let our children use glass cups and dishes. We use fiestaware for our dishes and small 1/2 pint canning jars for our kids cups. I have three kids ages 1, 2, and 3 and they have yet to break one. Once a child is eating food on his or her own(9 months of so) we give them a bowl or small plate to eat out of. They learn early on to not throw them. As of yet one dish has not been broken by my children….the husband is another story though.
Thanks for this post. I have a 9 mo. old who I’d like to start on a cup soon, but I’m discouraged about the sippy cups available–even the stainless steel ones all have plastic components (except the klean kanteen, but she’s a bit little for that one yet). I have been considering just getting her a good old-fashioned stainless cup w/out a lid for use at the table. After all, a little liquid spilled on the kitchen floor is hardly a disaster 🙂 I am so excited about your link to Life without Plastic–it is so hard to find sites like that!
I have shopped at Asian grocery stores (specifically Korean, like H Mart) that have a selection of porcelain bowls and even glass storage containers, all very reasonably priced. (I need to get some!) The lids, however were plastic, and did not hold up as well as the Rubbermaid versions, nor did it seem to create as nice a seal, for packing for lunch, but were functional enough for leftovers. I want to go now and TOSS our plastic Ikea plates/bowls and cups – I handwash them every day (what a time drain)! Thanks for reminding us to be aware and to make little changes!