Favorite Swaps From a Kinda Crunchy Mom

Crunchy is a spectrum, and I consider myself kinda crunchy, maybe more crunchy adjacent.

For me, this means my kids are vaccinated (boo polio), the earth is round, and Louis Pasteur still means something to me. It also means I bake my own sandwich bread every week, am trying to limit the plastic I use, and have started making crunchy swaps around my home. Chemical exposure can have risks—some poorly defined, some underestimated, some definitely overestimated. Simply put, there’s a lot we don’t know.

With that in mind, I wanted to share my favorite semi-crunchy swaps with my kids and myself. These are things that not only make me feel better but actually work!

Laundry Detergent & Dishwasher Pods: Mollys Suds

For detergent, I like the ocean scent and the lavender scent. This actually works, and your clothes smell clean. However, it’s not awesome with stains, so make sure to pre-treat. The dishwasher pods passed every expectation I had. It cleans the same as traditional pods without all the extra junk. 100/10 recommend the citrus.

Dish Soap and All-Purpose Spray: Better Life

We started using Better Life after I saw their Shark Tank episode, and the creators sprayed their cleaner into their mouths to show how safe it was. I kept using Better Life because their products absolutely work well. The dish soap cuts grease, and the cleaning spray smells great and cleans well.

Lunchbox Essentials

I decided to ditch the plastic baggies for a plant-based biodegradable alternative. These baggies work well and don’t leak. Previously, I put their “mains” in plastic containers. I did not want to go the bento-box route, so I found Everusely stainless steel containers. Again, these don’t leak and wash well in the dishwasher.

Face Cream & Body Wash: Regina’s Skincare

Beef tallow is so hot right now. I have combination skin and was interested in a tallow based cream, this moisturizes and doesn’t make me break out. I came across this company after a social media post promoting Catholic companies. My family is also loving their castile soap, we use the Bergamot scent and it’s light and clean.

Groceries: Stone Garden’s Farm Market in Shelton

There’s a lot of belt-tightening with grocery shopping, but it’s still budget-friendly to support locals and get a better product. We buy almost all our meat now from Stone Garden’s. They also have local eggs and a great deli selection, even fresh bone broth in the freezer—lots of options for the crunchy-adjacent crowd.

Cookware: Le Creuset 

It’s time to ditch the previous non-stick pans and switch to one that doesn’t give off toxic fumes if you over-heat it. We were worried that ceramic cookware wouldn’t work as well for non-stick, but I have zero complaints. They clean easily and are worth the investment.

These swaps help me feel better about what my family puts on and in our bodies. While I will likely never go full crunchy (my microwave and I are in a committed relationship, and seed oils are not the devil), these are some easy things that work and hopefully will help us lead healthier lives.

What are some of your crunchy swaps? Let us know in the comments.