Microwaving food nukes nutrients
09/28/2015 / By Vicki Batts
Microwaves are the pride and joy of generations past; you could reheat food without burning it. Today though, we know that microwaving actually destroys all the good things in your food, especially vitamins and antioxidants – which are very delicate.
When you put something in the microwave, you are literally nuking it from the inside out on a cellular level. That’s what makes the food hot. It is within this process that these valuable nutrients are lost. Most of them will be broken down during the heating process as the cells are disrupted. Food is downright deconstructed when placed in the microwave, and all that will be left is calories, fiber and minerals.
While steaming vegetables is a great way to cook them, don’t let those steam-in-bag microwave veggies fool you. It’s not the same thing. One of the most deceptive things about microwaves is the fact that the food does look the same as food that’s been cooked conventionally, or even when it’s in its raw, natural state.
The best way to preserve all of the nutrients in your fruits and vegetables is to eat them raw. Its okay to cook them, say on the grill, in a traditional oven or steam them. Boiling for long periods is can be just as bad as microwaving – the water will absorb all the nutrients as the food cooks. It might take a little longer to cook your broccoli in a pan rather than “nuking” it in the microwave, but the nutritional benefits you’ll receive are more than worth the extra effort.
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