Is microwave food healthy?
Almost every American home has a microwave oven. The convenience they o⸴㜳er is undeniable. But despite the widespread use of microwave
ovens and their excellent safety record, some people have lingering doubts {http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/ask-the-doctormicrowaves-impact-on-food}
that cooking food with microwaves somehow makes food less healthy by zapping away nutrients. Does cooking
with microwaves do that?
How microwaves work
Understanding how microwave ovens work can help clarify the answer to this common question.
Microwave ovens cook food using waves of energy that are similar to radio waves but shorter.
These waves are remarkably selective, primarily a⸴㜳ecting water and other molecules that are
electrically asymmetrical — one end positively charged and the other negatively charged.
Microwaves cause these molecules to vibrate and quickly build up thermal (heat) energy.
Does the microwave kill nutrients?
Some nutrients break down when they're exposed to heat, whether it is from a microwave or a regular oven. Vitamin C is perhaps the clearest
example. But because microwave cooking times are shorter, cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving vitamin C and other
nutrients that break down when heated.
As far as vegetables go, cooking them in water robs them of some of their nutritional value because the nutrients leach out into the cooking
water. For example, boiled broccoli loses glucosinolate, the sulfur-containing compound that may give the vegetable its cancer-㈳㜴ghting
properties (as well as the taste that many ㈳㜴nd distinctive and some ㈳㜴nd disgusting). Is steaming vegetables better? In some respects, yes. For
example, steamed broccoli holds on to more glucosinolate than boiled or fried broccoli.
The cooking method that best retains nutrients is one that cooks quickly, heats food for the shortest amount of time, and uses as little liquid as
possible. Microwaving meets those criteria. Using the microwave with a small amount of water essentially steams food from the inside out. That
keeps more vitamins and minerals than almost any other cooking method.
But let's not get too lost in the details. Vegetables, pretty much any way you prepare them, are good for you, and most of us don't eat enough of
them. And the microwave oven? A marvel of engineering, a miracle of convenience — and sometimes nutritionally advantageous to boot.