Is Microwaving Bad For Foods? How To Cook To Save Nutrients!

 Microwaves are one type of electromagnetic radiation. Radio waves, visible light, X-rays, and visible light are all common forms of electromagnetic radiation.

These waves are found in a spectrum simply called the electromagnetic spectrum.

Although microwaves are often thought of as the appliance that heats food in your kitchen, microwaves can also be used to develop radar systems, wireless communications, and even cancer treatment.

How Do Microwaves Work?

Microwave ovens can cook food quickly and efficiently. The microwave ovens work by vibrating the water molecules in your food. This vibration heats and warms your food.

Microwaves can pass through paper, glass, and plastics. This method heats food directly, while traditional ovens heat the entire area.

Is Microwaving Foods Harmful To Nutrients

Microwaving food doesn’t kill nutrients, so the short answer is “no.” Microwaves are not unique in that they can contaminate your food or dramatically reduce its nutritional value.

The longer answer is more complicated. The better question might be, “which cooking method works best?”

Five researchers published a study that sought to answer this question in 2009 in the Journal of Food Science.

The experiment tested six home cooking methods, including pressure, griddling, and baking. It also measured the antioxidant content in twenty vegetables.

What Is The Worst Way To Cook Vegetables?

Boiling vegetables was the worst method of cooking, followed closely by pressure cooking. It turns out that boiling vegetables in water causes the greatest antioxidant loss as some nutrients seep into the water.

It should be noted that boiling vegetables reduces the antioxidant content by about 14%.

To compensate for the loss in antioxidants, you can boil or pressure cook a couple more cauliflower florets or Brussel sprouts.

This study also focused only on the antioxidant content. While frying and griddling retain more nutrients than other methods, the researchers didn’t consider the negative effects of eating empty calories like oil.

What Is The Best Way To Cook Vegetables?

Microwaving food does not destroy nutrients. It is the best method to preserve nutritional content. Microwaving preserves 97.3% of antioxidants.

You can cook your vegetables as gently as possible by simply placing them in the microwave.

Safety Hazards For The Microwave

Burns and vision impairment are the two greatest dangers when cooking in a microwave. Use oven mitts as with all cooking methods. Glass trays can be heated in microwaves, but they can still cause burns due to the heat from the food.

It is well-documented that prolonged microwave exposure can cause cataracts. This can often lead to blurred or cloudy vision.

It might be bad to put your face up to the microwave.

Last Words

Microwaving is the best way to cook your food.

Although it was limited to the effects of microwaving vegetables, no studies have shown that microwaving food causes food to lose nutrients.