If you use a Triac as a switching device - ie purely as an ON/OFF switch then you can happilly switch inductive loads if you follow all the design rules and read your Triacs Datasheet to ensure suitability.
There's nothing wrong with Relays either as long as you drive them correctly. In the attached picture (which is a popular industrial controller), the 18F PIC at the upper right, switches 12v Relays (black cubes) via a ULN2004, which in turn switch 240vAC contactors, which in turn switch 15kW 415vAC 3-Phase motors - all in one neat package with no noise issues concerning the PIC. That PIC is only 100mm away from noisy and spikey 415v (the Transformer in centre). The board is run from 12vAC, rectified and smoothed with two 470uF Capacitors. This raw unregulated supply drives the Relays, and THREE (yes three) 78L05 Regulators, one of which is dedicated to the PIC and it's support IC's. There's only 10uF sitting on that +5v Supply Rail, but a further 10 x 100nF's dotted around the board.
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