Easy Healthy Swaps for You and Your Family in 2026- Better for Us and the Environment- Household Products, Foods and Habits
- Brooke Amidei
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 7 hours ago
We all want to get better, do better, live a better healthier life and continue to improve on what we've learned in the past. January is often a good time to review our habits and take inventory of our households. There is something about starting a new year that makes making changes seem easier.
We've been chatting with midlife women from our Babble Panel, our online community and our friends and family to find out what simple changes they've made recently for a healthier lifestyle. Key word here: SIMPLE. We're not looking for drastic changes - if it's too overwhelming, we're not going to do it.
Check out the list of healthy swaps below. You might already be doing some of these. You might find some new ideas for the new year. You may find a few to put on your "to-do" list for a few months from now, or next year. Regardless, when we know better, we do better. Let's get after it!
Household Products
✨Swap out plastic cutting boards for wood or bamboo cutting boards
Why? Plastic boards shed microplastics every time you cut on them, which can end up in your food. Wood and bamboo are naturally antimicrobial and don’t break down into tiny particles that stick around in your body or the environment.
✨Swap out lining cooking sheets with foil or parchment with non-stick silicone baking mats
Why? Foil can leach aluminum at high heat, and parchment is single-use waste. Food-grade silicone is heat-stable, reusable for years, and cuts down on both chemical exposure and kitchen trash in one easy move.
✨Swap out paper napkins for cloth napkins
Why? Paper napkins are resource-heavy to produce and often treated with bleaching chemicals. Cloth napkins are reusable, gentler on skin, and dramatically reduce waste with basically no lifestyle upgrade required.
This doesn't mean you have to get all fancy. Our family did this during COVID when paper products were scarce. I found some on Amazon that look and feel more casual, they don't require ironing and have held up for 5+ years now. We've saved a ton of money on paper napkins, not to mention helping out the environment.
✨Reusable Water Bottles
Why? Disposable plastic bottles can leach chemicals like BPA analogs and microplastics, especially when exposed to heat or reused. A reusable stainless steel or glass bottle reduces that exposure and keeps thousands of bottles out of landfills and waterways over its lifetime.
✨Dye free laundry detergent and soaps vs. scented
Why? Fragrance and dyes are among the top causes of skin irritation and allergic reactions, even if you’ve “never had an issue.” Dye-free detergents clean just as well without leaving chemical residues on clothes — and they’re easier on waterways once that wash cycle is done.
Dye-free Laundry Detergent we love:
We like Attitude cleaning supplies, especially their laundry detergent...LOVE!
Dye-free Soaps we love:
✨Everyone Hand Soap
✨Everyone 3in1 Soap
✨Aluminum free deodorants like Lume
Why? Aluminum temporarily blocks sweat glands, which is effective but not necessary for odor control and can irritate skin for some people. Aluminum-free formulas neutralize odor-causing bacteria instead, letting your body do what it’s designed to do without the pore-plugging.
✨Shaklee Products
Why? Shaklee products are formulated to avoid many common household chemicals of concern and are backed by long-standing safety testing and environmental standards. The appeal here is fewer questionable ingredients and more transparency about what’s actually in your home.
✨Use bar shampoos, conditioners and body wash/soaps
Why? Liquid shampoos are mostly water packaged in plastic, which adds up fast. Bar formulas are concentrated, last longer, and dramatically reduce plastic waste without sacrificing performance.
Our favorite is anything by Kitsch! (Also excellent for travel!)
✨Swap out all of your plastic food storage containers for glass ones
Why? Plastic containers can leach chemicals and absorb odors, especially when heated or scratched. Glass is inert, doesn’t transfer anything into your food, and lasts basically forever.
✨Swap out non-stick pans and cookware with stainless steel
Why? Non-stick coatings can degrade over time and release chemicals when overheated or scratched. Stainless steel is stable, non-reactive, and — once you learn the heat timing — becomes a forever pan that doesn’t come with coating concerns. An investment that will last!
Habits
Whether it requires a new product or not, sometimes just a slight adjustment to your habits is all you need. And remember...to make a habit stick you need to do it (on average) for 66 days, and make it obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying (thank you, James Clear and your Atomic Habits)!
✨When heading to the grocery store, use reusable grocery and produce bags.
Why? Plastic bags break down into microplastics that end up in food systems and waterways. Reusable bags dramatically cut plastic waste and, when used consistently, have a much lower overall environmental footprint.
I keep mine in my trunk (as soon as I unload my groceries, back in the trunk they go!). There are a lot of options out there - I personally like these produce bags because they are good quality, don't weigh a lot (remember, you're often paying by the ounce for fruits and veggies) and you can just throw them in the wash.
🥬Produce bags
🥬Grocery bags
Other Great Habits to Try:
👉Shopping consignment vs. buying new
Why? The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters, and extending the life of clothing is one of the most effective ways to reduce its impact. Bonus: resale avoids the chemical treatments often used in new garments — and saves serious money.
This is a HUGE trend with younger generations and for a good reason. I've joined my teenage daughter on these shopping trips and found some great items for unbelievable prices.
👉Try using diffused essential oils vs. candles or “plug in” scent makers.
Why? Many candles and plug-ins rely on synthetic fragrances and chemicals that can pollute indoor air. A diffuser uses heat-free or low-heat dispersion, reducing indoor air irritants while still making your home smell good.
👉First thing in the morning, practice a quick meditation instead of picking up your phone.
Why? Checking your phone first thing spikes stress hormones and immediately puts your brain in reactive mode. Even a short meditation helps regulate cortisol and sets a calmer baseline for the day.
👉Anytime you catch yourself scrolling, grab a book or magazine and read instead.
Why? Endless scrolling overstimulates the brain and is linked to increased anxiety and mental fatigue. Reading engages focus and comprehension, giving your nervous system a break while still feeling productive.
Food
Let's be honest...there are a MILLION things we could do with food and diets and meal planning to create a healthier new year. We're not going to list the ones you'll find on all the other websites. Here's a few from our Babble community that caught our attention:
🩵Buy in bulk at Costco/Sam's Club/Aldi and store in reusable containers, freezer, etc.
Why? Buying in bulk reduces packaging waste and cuts down on repeated trips and impulse buys. Proper storage keeps food fresher longer, which means less spoilage and less money literally thrown away.
🩵Swap out your artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose) for natural sweeteners (honey, stevia, agave, etc)
Why? Artificial sweeteners can disrupt gut bacteria and may increase cravings for sweet foods in some people. Natural sweeteners still need moderation, but they’re less likely to confuse your body’s normal appetite signals.
🩵If you're a latte person, try Cafe Au Lait or Misto - reduce your calorie intake but not quality or taste.
Why? These drinks use more coffee and less milk, which cuts calories while keeping the flavor and texture you love. You still get the indulgent feel without turning your morning coffee into a meal.
🩵Swap regular sodas for Zevia sodas - zero sugars
Why? Traditional sodas deliver a rapid sugar spike with zero nutritional upside. Zevia uses stevia instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners, avoiding blood sugar swings while still feeling like a treat.
🩵Eliminating snacks made with seed oils and swap for snacks made with avocado oil or coconut oil.
Why? Many seed oils are highly processed and can oxidize when heated, which isn’t ideal for the body. Oils like avocado and coconut are more stable at higher temperatures and tend to be easier on inflammation.
Some of our favs:
Jackson's Sweet Potato Chips
Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil Kettle Style Potato Chips
Lesser Evil Popcorn
🩵Adding creatine to your diet - especially for you midlife women out there! Don't believe us? Check out the science: The Benefits of Creatine for Women: What You Need to Know
Other Healthy Swaps
Here's some other healthy swaps you can make in your life for a healthier lifestyle this next year:
🪴Landscape with drought tolerant and/or climate specific trees, shrubs and flowers
Why? Native and climate-appropriate plants require far less water, fertilizer, and maintenance to survive. That means lower water bills, healthier soil, and fewer chemical inputs running into local waterways.
🚗 Purchase hybrid or electric vehicles vs gas; utilize public transit; walk and bike more.
Why? Transportation is a major source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing gas use — even part-time — lowers emissions, improves local air quality, and often saves money on fuel and maintenance.
💦Check out how safe your local tap water is by visiting this FREE website by EWG Living. Just plug in your zip code and get real, local information: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/
Why? Tap water quality varies widely by location, depending on infrastructure and contaminants present. Knowing what’s in your water helps you decide whether a simple filter is enough — or if changes are worth making at all.
📲Apps:
✨ EWG (Environmental Working Group)
Think of it as your “ingredient decoder” for food, beauty, and household products. EWG lets you see what’s actually in what you’re buying — from potential toxins to environmental impact — so you can make smarter, safer choices without the guesswork.
"The EWG app is the free EWG's Healthy Living app, available for iOS and Android, that helps consumers make safer product choices by providing health and safety ratings for over 250,000 food, personal care, and cleaning products by scanning barcodes or searching.
It combines data from EWG's Skin Deep®, Food Scores, and Guide to Healthy Cleaning databases, giving products an easy-to-understand 1-10 score (1 being best) based on nutrition, ingredient concerns, and processing, helping users find healthier alternatives."
✨ Yuka
Snap a barcode and Yuka gives you an instant health score for food and personal care items. It flags additives, sugars, and controversial chemicals, then suggests cleaner alternatives — basically a pocket-sized personal shopper for healthier living.
"The Yuka app is a popular mobile tool that scans product barcodes (food & cosmetics) to provide instant health ratings (0-100, color-coded) based on nutritional quality, additives, and organic content, offering healthier alternatives and promoting independent, ad-free analysis to help consumers make informed choices about product ingredients and potential health impacts."
Want More Info?
🎙️This is an excellent podcast with a lot of information, research, ideas, and suggestions to create a healthier lifestyle with simple and more complex changes in your daily life.
➡️What changes have you made in your everyday life that make life healthier for you and your family?
Share with us by email us at brooke@babblewithbrooke.com or on our Instagram page.
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