Toddler plates & bowls - Plastic? "Bamboo" (aka melamine)? Actual bamboo/wood? Something else? What does your family use?

[pennyr]

@tobiahjude99 Thank you for asking this, I have the same question about these exact plates. We’ve been using them for years.

 

[tobiahjude99]

@pennyr I'm kind of bummed because I really like them.

Also like, maybe in the big picture melamine is probably fine? I truly was wrestling with whether "probably fine" was enough.

I'm on the less crunchy side overall. Plastic wasn't off the table for me. I might have bought them anyway if they were clearly described & I wouldn't be feeling burned discovering the full ingredient list. But instead I feel like it was hidden - like, unusually hidden, not even in the text descriptions. I figured this out from the /box/.

So jokes on me that I thought pink plates were wholely bamboo. But like... Why would they hide it if it didn't matter? So that has me extra steamed.

 

[rascoeb]

@tobiahjude99 I also use an ahimsa plate, I just bought one and wash it for every meal. I may invest in another though!

 

[apostolic1]

@tobiahjude99 Ahimsa stainless until you can trust him with Duralex glass

 

[dp1991]

@tobiahjude99 Besides ceramic plates, we used European-grade silicone, specifically this (looks like it's out of stock on the manufacturer website here, but I googled it and it's still available on other websites)

 

[gac5070]

@tobiahjude99 Simple modern has a suction free silicone plate. We primarily use those and really like them. We use free and clear dishwasher pods and they clean up good and haven’t picked up any soapy smell or taste. My mom has Corolle plates at her house that she uses for my daughter and we like those as well.

 

[tobiahjude99]

@gac5070 Good to know!

Yeah, we learned the fragrance-free dishwasher pod lesson the hard way. RIP, cheap Cascade pods at Costco, it's Grove or 7th Gen for us now.

 

[isidore]

@tobiahjude99 We went with small stainless steel plates.

There are camping dish sets out there if you want some additional pieces too, but we already had cups & bowls.

 

[follwerofchrist86]

@tobiahjude99 We use our regular porcelain plates and we also have a few stainless steel plates, cups and bowls.

 

[amazinggrace37]

@tobiahjude99 We use bamboo plates(real wood similar to a salad mixing bowl) with silicone suction on the bottom. We hand wash and just let them air dry and don't microwave them.

 

[debro]

@amazinggrace37 What brand? Is it the kind that is glued together in layers or is it a solid chunk of wood?

 

[amazinggrace37]

@debro We have the Avanchy bowls but now I'm low key scared of them. This whole thread is terrifying, should have done a bit more research on these.

Did you find an alternative that's better?

 

[tobiahjude99]

@amazinggrace37 FWIW as the instigator of said terrifying thread, I am personally 1/100 as worried about wood glue used in minimal fashion only to fix large pieces of wood together, as I am about melamine - which forms the entire structure of said plates & migrates from resin into the food, regularly enough and under close enough to average conditions, that the FDA wrote a whole page about it.

Maybe it's because I work with wood a lot so I am just more comfortable with wood glue.

It's hard to decisively say anything in this world is wholely nontoxic, and kids shouldn't break their plates and eat chips of the glue any more than they should eat chips of the wood either. But fully cured modern wood glues are just not really on my radar the same way.

 

[amazinggrace37]

@tobiahjude99 This really helps put me at ease. Thank you! Also such a good reminder to think more critically about what we're buying beyond just reading the disclaimers

 

[joeymorgan]

@tobiahjude99 We opted for Mushie plates.

 

[tobiahjude99]

@joeymorgan They look real cute!

 

[brotherbob]

@tobiahjude99 Why do you need “toddler plates”? My 2 year old has been using our regular porcelain plates since he was about 18 months old.

 

[tobiahjude99]

@brotherbob I guess our plates are pretty heavy, or maybe my toddler is more clumsy? He unloads the dishwasher with me everyday and pulls out the plates. ~8 months of practice has not prevented him from dropping one a few inches, about 5% of the time.

Or maybe my concern isn't real? Maybe he would get better? Maybe it's easier if they are horizontal & it's more slippery when they are vertical? The thought did cross my mind that we could just... not get kids plates. It's cheering to hear that you did not feel the need ~

 

[brotherbob]

@tobiahjude99 5% of the time? I feel like I drop dishes 5% of the time. I’m not sure if perfection is a realistic expectation in this case. Anyways does your toddler have a habit of swiping his plate off the table? If not I don’t really see the concern.

 

[mbahchidinma]

@tobiahjude99 Have you considered wheat straw plates? Unlike melamine, they are dishwasher and microwave safe and they are light weight and have a lip so food won't slip of as easily and it can help the little ones with scooping up their food.

According to AI overview:

Yes, wheat straw plates can be environmentally friendly:

• Sustainable: Wheat straw is a sustainable alternative to plastics made from fossil fuels. It's made from the leftover stalks of wheat after the grains are harvested, which is an agricultural waste that would otherwise be burned or used as animal feed.
• Biodegradable: Wheat straw plates can decompose in compost in 3–6 months, or at a municipal compost facility in 1–2 months. They can also be recycled.
• Natural: Wheat straw plates are non-allergenic, gluten free, and have no odor. They're also sturdy, lightweight, and easy to clean.

These are the ones I got. I hate the sound of utensils against standard plates and these have saved my sanity.