Just One Thing: Green Cookware That's Good for You and the Environment

May 6, 2010— -- If you're planning to replace your cookware, think carefully about it. Before you rush off to buy the next hot item, consider alternatives that are healthy not just for you but for the environment.

Jennifer Schwab, director of sustainability for the Sierra Club Green Home, appeared on "Good Morning America" and discussed some of the healthy alternatives with Sam Champion during the "Just One Thing" segment.

Here's what she recommended:

Stainless steel pans are a great option, she said. Not only are they stylish, but they don't contain the potentially harmful chemicals that are found in Teflon-coated or other nonstick pans, she said.

Stainless steel cookware, which is preferred by many top chefs, is also more durable than other pans, and are wholly recyclable once their usefulness is over, she noted.

Click HERE to visit Sierra Club Green Home

She advised that cooks season their cast iron skillets so the pans develop nonstick properties. Seasoning the pan involves a repeated process of applying butter or other animal fat to the pan, then heating the cookware. The fat will eventually bond to the pan, forming a protective coating.

Cooking in a cast iron pan also adds a little iron to the food prepared in it, which means added iron to diners' diets.