Category
Small changes to what’s on the shelf, from tins to rice.
Pantry
Canned albacore averages nearly 3× the mercury of canned light tuna in FDA testing, and about 27× that of sardines.
Our pick
Wild Planet Skipjack Wild Tuna in Pure Olive Oil, 6.7 oz glass jar, 6-pack
Albacore tunaswap to Light tuna or sardines in glassPantry
Most cans no longer use BPA, but they’re still lined with a plastic coating. Beans in glass skip it, and dried beans are cheapest of all.
Our pick
Jovial 100% Organic Kidney Beans, 13 oz glass jar
Canned beansswap to Beans in glass jarsPantry
In FDA testing, basmati and short- or medium-grain white rice averaged about a fifth less inorganic arsenic per serving than white long-grain rice, and a 5-minute parboil before cooking cut white rice’s levels by up to 73% in a lab study.
Our pick
Nishiki Medium Grain Rice, 5 lb (80 oz)
Regular long-grain riceswap to Basmati or sushi ricePantry
Lead and cadmium turn up in a lot of dark chocolate. This bar tested well below California’s daily limits for both.
Our pick
Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86% Cacao Bar, 3.17 oz
Dark chocolateswap to Lower-metal dark chocolatePantry
FDA says the PFAS grease-proofers once used on microwave popcorn bags were no longer sold in the US as of 2024. Plain kernels cost less, and you choose the oil and salt.
Our pick
Ecolution Micro-Pop glass microwave popcorn popper, 1.5 qt
Microwave popcorn bagsswap to Glass microwave popperPantry swaps are about what’s inside the food as well as the packaging. In FDA testing, canned albacore averages nearly three times the mercury of canned light tuna, and some rice types carry less inorganic arsenic than others. A study of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products found many above California’s daily lead limit per serving, and epoxy can linings can contain BPA. None of this means you need to stop eating these foods. The swaps here are small switches within the same aisle: light tuna or sardines, basmati or sushi rice, a lower-metal chocolate, beans in glass jars, and a glass microwave popper instead of microwave popcorn bags. Each one links to the testing behind it, and says plainly what the numbers do and don’t show.
Several pantry swaps in one Amazon cart.
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