Is microwaved food less nutritious?

[lordkenmore]

Yes, if we can believe this article.

I suspect this issue might be something that's debatable. But I'm now wondering if it's time to remove the Radarange from the "appliances to get" list!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/studies-show-microwaves-drastically-reduce-nutrients-in-food.html

 

[washer111]

Well, from what I've heard, Microwaving stuff actually destroys food. Thats right, it destroys anything living in there, and alters the composition of the food so there is little, if any nutritional value from eating it. Thats what the GAPS diet book said, and so did my Naturopath. 

 

Heat things NATURALLY via oven or cooktop. Whilst its slower (unless you have induction), its way better for you. Especially if the food contains large amounts of unstable oils (Vegetable Oils)

 

[fido]

This takes us back to the recent thread about frozen meals. So, do you think if you ate nothing but stuff nuked in the microwave you would die of malnutrition?

 

[hydralique]

There must be some nutrients left, or I'd have been dead years ago!

 

[maytagbear]

I am a bit

suspicious of some of the research in the original article.

Research from Cornell University says otherwise, due to the shortened heating times.

Furthermore (this is just ME,) a lot of younger people do not seem to know how to cook vegetables conventionally.

It could be possible, but I am not yet convinced.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[paulc]

We have not owned a microwave for 7 yrs, not for any other reason than we didn't really have the work (counter) space and to be honest I have not missed it at all.

Lawrence,I have to agree, there are a lot of people who just don't know how to cook veg. I worked with a 25yr old woman who's parents were leaving her on her own for the first time as they were going on holiday. We asked her what she was going to have for her dinner the first night, she said she was going to keep it simple and have salad. The next day at work we all asked her how her salad turned out, she said it was disappointing, limp and soggy and she only boiled the lettuce for 5 mins!!!

 

[arbilab]

The nutrition and "tearing food apart" claims, I'd have to see their methodology before I'd outright believe it. I CAN confirm that even something like a TV dinner--questionable flavor to start with--deteriorates in a microwave. I heat them in conventional even though takes longer and costs more. I do microwave bacon, for the ease of cleanup, but it doesn't taste or chew the same as panfry. Ever leave microwave pancakes in 10 seconds too long? They turn tough. And they are DESIGNED for microwave.

So microwaves do SOMEthing to food that just plain heat doesn't. I use it mostly to heat vegs and soup that are already cooked. Wait, there are 2 things the microwave does better. Corn on the cob. And you may not believe this one, scrambled eggs. Both require technique and attention. Definitely can't 'set the dial and walk away'.

 

[petek]

It usually boils down to finding a health food company hiding somewhere behind these articles.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I had always heard the opposite, that the quick cooking times preserved the nutrients.
Microwaves in themselves are non-ionizing, basically radio waves. Though you wouldn't want to put your Poodle or any living creature in to dry, It should not destroy any more than normal cooking.

 

[washer111]

We got rid of our microwave when it started acting up. 9 years ain't bad for a modern appliance...

 

We're far happier without it. We've reclaimed SO much bench space we never had before. We'll probably never get a microwave again. 

 

I can't stand behind the GAPS booklet, but I do believe that microwaves can be a cause for concern. After all, you see websites saying you should never stand in front of them, as you can go infertile. And yes, I found Microwaved food to taste different to cooktop food, which is the concerning point..

 

[lordkenmore]

While this article interested me enough to post it, I think that I, too, would like to see more information and more studies before coming to a conclusion.

I personally am not wild about microwaves, preferring a real stove for cooking. Microwaves are convenient for reheating, but not, for me, essential. Indeed, most of my life, I haven't had a microwave handy. I have had a microwave in service since last spring, which I got dirt cheap used, and while it's been a nice convenience at times, it hasn't once caused me to think: "How did I get along without this for the last five years?!?"

 

[cadman]

"Radar" Range

When it comes down to it, a microwave oven is nothing more than a high frequency radio transmitter broadcasting into a closed chamber (cavity). In fact, the frequency is right on par with many WiFi transmitters, it's only the power level and proximity that's different. You aren't going to get cancer, grow a third eye or go sterile because the radiated power is non-ionizing.

The idea is that by bombarding food with this high frequency energy, the water molecules within will begin to vibrate which in turn generates heat. Food with an even distribution of water content cooks evenly, those that don't end up chewy or taste bland because you've literally "cooked" the moisture out starting from the inside. This is also why plates and dishes are only as hot as the heat transferred to them from the food. There's no water content in them and thus no heating.

As for the nutritional factor, I can't see why cooking this way would be any worse than stovetop boiling, but I'm no expert. -Cory

 

[whirlcool]

A lot of microwave literature was put out when microwaves came to the homemarket touting how MW cooking keeps in vegetable (because you cook them covered) vitamins and minerals that are usually evaporated when cooked on the stove top.

And the MW cooking classes of the era also taught how to bake a chicken, bake a roast beef, etc. All in your microwave. But studies showed that most people used their microwaves for reheating coffee and making popcorn mostly. I think if you microwave some heavy meat after you MW it (med power), then brown it under the broiler.

We use our microwave for reheating hamburgers (previouly broiled), hot dogs, reheating coffee, tea, baking potatoes and TV dinners. If it is used to cooking something for more than 10 minutes at a time, that's very rare for us. We've used our MW to defrost things before conventional cooking and our MW (GE) has a sensor driven program that will defrost most things without cooking them.

 

[philr]

I'm more concerned about cooking in plastic containers, Melamine, Saran wrap, Styrofoam or with paper towels in the microwave than by the microwave cooking or reheating process by itself. I just use microwave-safe porcelain dishes, glass and Corning in the MW. Even if the microwaves probably don't affect the plastic dishes, I don't like the idea of heating food in them...

A few months ago, I ordered chicken breast strips from a local restaurant and the Styrofoam container had melted from the heat of the chicken strips (and BTW, I didn't reheat it and I don't think it has been in a MW oven either!). I didn't notice before I ate one of the strips and the taste was terrible! Then I looked at the container to see the Styrofoam had completely melted under that strip. I threw the rest of the lunch away and contacted the restaurant to tell them about it and I got a full refund but I still wasn't happy to know I ate some melted Styrofoam and I got that taste remaining for a while...

 

I'm wondering what hurts more, cooking food in a microwave oven and eating it or spending more energy by cooking/reheating with other means... I mean, if all the microwave ovens on this planet would suddenly be gone, what would be the positive/negative impacts?

If microwaves really affect what we eat, then I guess it would be better for each of us if we didn't personally use a MW oven and all others would (so less energy would be used by others!) but I don't know how better and we'd probably loose some precious time of our short lives by reheating with other ways!  And then we could be concerned about watching our computer screen, having a cellphone, an internet wireless router or even by radio-transmission, not speaking about all kinds of air and water pollution that we already have to deal with...

 

Not that I really care that much about not "wasting" some energy. My newest vehicle is 20 years old, I have a few half-empty 1960s frost-proof fridges that are all plugged and I wash my clothes in non-Energy Star top loaders... 

 

[arbilab]

I'm more concerned about cooking in plastic containers
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I NEVER do that! Even if the plastic doesn't melt which it often does with oil-dominant foods heating above 212F, it exudes bisphenol-A which isn't exactly a nutrient. FDA which goes along with almost anything manufacturers find convenient, has scheduled it to be banned from food packaging in the near future.

I only use ceramic, glass, or paper in the 'wave. Even paper is suspect, because it has remnants of processing chemicals.

 

[frigilux]

I must admit I use Zip-Loc food containers all the time, from freezer-to-microwave. I have about 60 of the little blue-lidded plastic containers, and have reused them dozens of times. If they give off toxins when used from a frozen state in the microwave, I'm screwed. I've been using them ever since they came on the market, so it's been at least 7-8 years.

 

[appnut]

I'm not sure exactly how many years it has been, but for several years, until a few years ago, I used to reheat things in old margerine containers from a frozen state.  However, I NEVER use full power, it's always 50% to 70% at most, slow gradual defrost/reheat, so food doesn't get THAT hot.  However many years ago, I ceased reheating in said containers and only use pyrex or corning.  I am like Eugene, I do use those Ziploc tyhpe containers to freeze lunch portions to take to work.  Again, reheat/tahw at 50% to 70% at most for slow reheating.  It would be impractical and dangerous for me to take glass containers to reheat said food in since I could fall and hurt myself. 

 

[washer111]

In regards to "Cooking" food in the microwave, many of the Microwaveable whole Chickens and such come in a plastic bag. They taste SALTY after cooking...

 

Rice can be good, but also crunchy. 

 

I believe the "Convection" microwave was the intended cooking function mode, but many did not use it. In fact, some relatives of ours had a very insistent wife, bought a Sharp Convection M/W (Still running, after 20 years) and never bothered using the convection. We have tried and tried, and tested it on reheating some Lasange. Boy did it make some smells then! Good food, though ;D

 

[lordkenmore]

"And then we could be concerned about watching our computer screen, having a cellphone, an internet wireless router"

These have also been health concerns at one time or another. Radiation from CRT monitors was a worry back in the 80s. Cell phone radiation is an issue that some worry about, and comes up in the news every so often. I've even heard some people wonder about about wi-fi, and I remember reading in a computer publication about one college that refused to do wi-fi out of fear of what the radiation might do long term.

It's almost at a point where the only safe thing is to live 50 miles from civilization in a little cabin with no electricity and a wood stove to cook on. But then the smoke from the wood stove probably isn't good for one either...

 

[lordkenmore]

Eugene: Zip-Loc is supposedly BPA free--at least now. BPA is, of course, the big chemical everyone is currently worrying about. Of course, there is always the possibility of some other chemical that might cause problems.,,

 

[tomturbomatic]

Melamine absorbs the radiation and actually gets hot and is therefore not MW safe as the first few pages of MW owners' manuals make clear. They have many great uses; gourmet cooking is not one but reheating leftovers makes them taste like fresh cooked. My parents noticed a difference between leftover coffee reheated on top of the range and reheated in the MW which tasted much better.

 

[hydralique]

So no microwaving a gourmet meal on the best melamine . . . damn!

 

[mark_wpduet]

When you use those zip lock containers, can't you turn them upside down from the bottom (food in them still frozen) and push it out onto a plate, then put it in the microwave? I do this with my Lean Cuisines. I've always refused to heat them in those plastic container, unless I absolutely have to. I just turn them upside down, push the bottom onto a plate/dish then cover with another plate and heat.