I’ve been reviewing some free samples of Glad Simply Cooking bags. I must admit I was leery of these from the start. Microwaving and plastic just don’t mix, and these are essentially plastic bags designed for microwave steaming vegetables.

The press materials accompanying these bags claim that because no PVC is used in the bags and they comply with FDA regulations that they are safe. I still wonder why they don’t mention Bisphenol A (BPA) and the other chemicals of concern. Is it because they don’t want us to know? Also, doesn’t everyone know that the FDA pretty much sucks? They approve drugs that kill people alll the time and they may very well be one of the reasons we don’t have a cure for cancer yet. (Them and the drug companies that would lose millions, of course.)

That said, I agreed to test the product and I did. And it works. But I didn’t give Ry any of the veggies from it because I don’t think kids need food cooked in plastic. Period. They stand up easily on their flat bottom making them easy to fill, which was nice. I can see these being useful when you’re camping (in your trailer with a microwave, of course) or in a hotel and you want fresh or frozen steamed veggies but the assumption that I’m too lazy to boil water and wash the pot after (which had…water in it) is a bit much for me and certainly not worth the risk of cooking in any kind of plastic, PVC or not. If you want to try them yourself, they’ll be coming to a grocery store near you in the next few weeks. Or you could (a) boil some water and put a steamer on top or (b) put your veggies in a glass, pottery or porcelain dish with 1 T of water, cover loosely with parchment paper and nuke them the same as you would in these bags. Neither of those options is difficult or extraordinarily time consuming, but people are definitely getting busier and if you try these & like them, feel free to tell me I’m wrong!

MMTaM Review Policy Reminder: When I do product reviews at this site, I generally save them for weekends when there aren’t as many regular readers so that those of you who hate them don’t feel obligated to read them. The exception to this is my Mother-Talk book reviews which are always pre-scheduled for weekdays and I don’t have a say in that. I do not accept payment for reviews, but I do accept sample products from companies who contact me. (Again, the exception is Mother-Talk reviews for which I receive a $20 Amazon.ca gift certificate to buy more books.) These reviews are 100% my (& my family members’) opinions and you’re going to get it all, good and bad. If you want to send me a sample of something to review, email me at muchmorethanamom@gmail.com with this policy in mind.