When most people think about advice from a registered dietitian, they think about meal plans, nutrients, and food labels. What tends to get overlooked is that dietitians also spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen both their own and their patients which means they have strong, experience-backed opinions about the tools and materials people cook and store food with every day.

Here are the seven kitchen items they recommend replacing, along with what they suggest using instead.

The 7 swaps dietitians recommend making

 Plastic food storage containers → glass containers

Two of the five dietitians consulted pointed to plastic containers as one of the first things worth replacing. The concern centers on microplastics and potentially harmful chemicals such as BPA, which can migrate into food particularly when containers are used to store hot food or when food sits in them for extended periods. Glass containers eliminate that risk entirely and are just as practical for everyday use. Wide-mouth glass jars are another well regarded option, especially for pantry staples like nuts, seeds, sauces, and dressings, since they are easy to label and seal tightly.

Single-use plastic bags → reusable silicone bags.

Beyond containers, single use plastic bags are another source of unnecessary plastic exposure in the kitchen and, according to one dietitian, they also do not store food particularly well. Reusable silicone bags offer a seamless swap, they come in similar sizes to plastic versions, seal just as securely, and hold up through repeated use and washing without degrading.

 Traditional nonstick pans → stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic.

This was the most widely agreed-upon swap among the dietitians consulted. Traditional nonstick pans particularly older ones or those with visible scratches can release PFAS, commonly known as forever chemicals, when overheated or worn down. Stainless steel, cast iron, and ceramic coated pans are the recommended alternatives. Cast iron, when properly seasoned, develops a naturally stick-resistant surface over time. Stainless steel delivers reliable, high performance results across most cooking tasks. For anyone who still wants a nonstick surface for eggs or other delicate ingredients, ceramic coated pans from established brands are considered a significantly safer option than traditional Teflon-coated versions.

Divided meal prep containers → flexible, multi size glass sets.

While meal prep containers are widely marketed as a healthy habit tool, one dietitian flagged a less obvious concern with the rigid, divided variety specifically. Containers designed to hold exact, pre-portioned volumes can subtly work against the kind of flexibility that healthy eating actually requires — making it harder to respond to changing hunger levels, energy needs, and appetite from day to day. A set of glass containers in varied sizes offers the same organizational benefit without that built-in rigidity.

 Plastic utensils → silicone, wood, or stainless steel

Plastic cooking utensils can soften and begin to break down when exposed to high heat over time, which raises concerns about what may be transferring into food during cooking. Silicone, wood, and stainless steel utensils are all significantly more heat resistant, more durable, and more commonly used by professional cooks for exactly those reasons. A basic wooden set handles soups, sauces, and stir fry well, while a stainless steel set with a whisk, tongs, spatula, and ladle covers a broader range of cooking tasks.

 Spiralizers → quality pasta

One dietitian made the case against spiralizers not as a practical complaint but as a philosophical one. The spiralizer trend was built on the premise that grain based pasta is inherently unhealthy a claim that does not hold up nutritionally. Carbohydrates from grains are the body’s primary fuel source, and pasta is both nutritious and genuinely satisfying when built into balanced meals. Investing in a high quality pasta made using traditional bronze-mold methods and slow drying is a far more practical and enjoyable approach than replacing it with vegetable noodles altogether.

Single use plastic water bottles → insulated stainless steel bottles

Eliminating single-use plastic water bottles from the kitchen is one of the more straightforward swaps on this list, and several of the dietitians consulted have already done it in their own homes. Insulated stainless steel bottles maintain temperature for both hot and cold beverages, hold up through years of daily use, and remove the recurring cost and waste that come with disposable plastic. Tumbler style options with handles and straws offer the same benefits for people who prefer a larger format for smoothies, water, or iced drinks throughout the day.

Starting small still makes a difference

None of these swaps need to happen at once. Replacing items as they wear out or starting with the one or two that feel most relevant to the way a kitchen is actually used is a reasonable and sustainable approach. The broader point the dietitians make is that the health of a kitchen goes beyond the ingredients inside it, and the materials used to cook, store, and serve food are worth paying the same kind of attention.