When eating away from home is not at odds with a healthy diet

Is it bad to eat in plastic tupperware every day? Can it affect health? Is a glass container better? Experts deny hoaxes and believe that there is no risk if approved containers are used.

Part-time jobs, multiple commitments or activities that flood the agendas of most citizens on a daily basis have completely changed the routines that were common until just a few years ago. This new way of life has meant that, especially in large cities, where commuting involves a greater loss of time, more and more people are eating outside their homes and resorting to the popular lunch box.

So much so that, according to a study by the Federation of Independent Users-Consumers (FUCI), six out of ten Spaniards eat away from home, of which around 40% do so in 'tupperware'. An increase in consumption that affects nutrition. The lack of time has meant that the sale of already prepared dishes has grown, both in large stores and in establishments specializing in these proposals. Some options that, in some cases, can be poor nutritionally, having an excess of fats, sugars or preservatives, and that can make it more difficult to follow a balanced diet.

On the other hand, one of the most common problems of those who decide to prepare their own food is the lack of variety. The need to have to think about the daily menu to have it ready in advance can lead to monotony and the same dishes are always prepared. However, the real possibilities are very wide, since the rise of takeaway food has increased creativity and interest in the search for recipes that are attractive and tasty, making these the main theme of hundreds of books around the world. .

Although the consumption of food in 'tupperware' has increased greatly, it has not done so without controversy. The questions about whether these containers contain toxic substances that can contaminate food and be harmful to health are some of the most repeated in search engines and are the subject of hundreds of 'fake news'. Some controversies that have increased due to the rise of ecological awareness, which sees the components of plastic containers as a source of pollution. This growing concern and greater rejection of this material due to its indiscriminate use and poor waste management, which has direct consequences on the environment, has led various experts to look for alternatives, such as the development of more sustainable and biodegradable options or the Return to classic glass containers.