The claims that “microwave heating of food loses nutrients” and “produces carcinogens” are unscientific. Although microwave heating is not as good as traditional heating methods such as grilling, at present, the nutritional value and food safety of food heated in a microwave are no different from those of traditional methods.
Now, many people still have questions: You can’t use a microwave to heat water; you can’t use microwave to heat eggs. Can microwaves be used? Is it harmful to heat food in a microwave?
How Do Microwave Ovens Heat Food
There is no fire when a microwave oven heats food, so how does it heat food?
The principle of microwave oven heating is that the alternating electromagnetic field generated in the oven will excite, rotate and collide the polar molecules and ions in the food. The friction of these molecules will generate heat and increase the temperature.
Because many natural foods are high-water foods, such as fish, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables, and porridge and soup, they are more suitable for heating in a microwave oven. Therefore, the ingredients of the food will directly affect the heating effect of the microwave oven.
Generally speaking, the higher the water content of the food, the faster it heats.
Is It Safe to Heat Food In Microwave
There is no evidence that microwave heating can directly produce carcinogens. In fact, if the microwave oven is used correctly, it can also help to avoid the production of carcinogens.
Microwaves refer to electromagnetic waves with a frequency between 300 and 300,000 MHz (1 MHz is 1 million cycles per second). The frequency of microwaves is higher than radio waves, but lower than infrared and visible light. Microwaves are not carcinogenic to humans. Although microwaves are also a type of electromagnetic wave and radiation, they are very different from X-rays.
Traditional cooking methods, such as frying fish, frying meat, and grilling meat (especially when charring), can easily cause excessive temperatures (over 200°C), thus producing carcinogens. When leftovers and high-moisture foods are heated in a microwave oven on a daily basis, the temperature of the food generally does not exceed 100°C as long as the moisture is not evaporated.
Therefore, heating food with microwaves may produce fewer carcinogens than some of our traditional heating methods.
Some people are worried that heating food in a microwave oven will reduce nutrients. In fact, this is completely unnecessary.
The Hong Kong Food Safety Center has also conducted a risk assessment study on microwave cooking and food safety. The conclusion is that, based on current research, food cooked in microwaves is no different from food cooked in traditional ways in terms of nutritional value and food safety.
In general, using a microwave oven to heat food is safe for humans and will not lose nutrients. As long as you use it safely, you don’t have to worry.
Which Foods Are More Suitable for Microwave Ovens
In How to Heat in a Microwave Oven, we know that microwave ovens like foods with high moisture content, such as porridge, rice, noodles, milk, vegetables, etc. However, microwave oven heating can easily cause uneven heating of food, so we recommend that you take the food out and stir or turn it over several times during the heating process.
In addition, you can also try:
- Cooking soup
Some foods that do not overflow, have a lot of water, and are not easy to steam dry can be cooked in the microwave, such as apple soup, vegetable soup, ginger soup, etc. - Steaming food
As long as the food placing in a microwave-safe container with lid, or wrapped in heat-resistant plastic wrap, it is best to add a little water, it can be steamed in the microwave. It can be used to steam not only sweet potatoes, potatoes, and pumpkins, but also egg custard and fish.
Food Not Suitable For Microwave Use
Foods with membranes (such as egg yolks) or shells are not suitable for microwave heating and are prone to bursting. Many people have put eggs in the microwave and the eggs exploded. Even if the eggshell is removed, the yolk is absolutely not allowed in the microwave. Because the yolk has a low moisture content, the temperature rises rapidly after microwave heating, generating a large amount of steam. However, this steam is wrapped in the yolk membrane and cannot disperse. In the end, it can only break the yolk membrane and the yolk splashes everywhere.
Tips for frying eggs in the microwave safely: Crack the eggs on a flat pan, poke a few holes in the egg yolk with a toothpick, and microwave for about 40 seconds.
Foods with low water content: such as cheese, nuts, and pork belly. Because of their low water content, the temperature rises very quickly after microwave heating, and they are easy to burn or explode. In addition, dried fish and dried meat have too low water content and are very easy to burn when heated in the microwave. Therefore, you must be very careful when heating these foods in the microwave, strictly control the time, and it is best to use other heating methods.
Water: When a microwave oven heats water, the water does not flow, but only rises in temperature. It may exceed the boiling point but not boil. If you open the microwave door to take out the water at this time, it will boil violently and you may get burned easily.
What Containers Are Suitable For Microwave Heating
- Porcelain bowls and plates
- Ceramic pots for soup
- Glass lunch boxes
- Plastic lunch boxes marked “microwave safe”
- Microwave-safe aluminum foil containers
Do not put to-go or takeout containers in microwave-safe containers if they are not labeled as microwave-safe.
NEVER put these containers in the microwave!
- Any material containing metal.
This also includes porcelain cups or plates with gold patterns. Otherwise you will see flames flashing in the microwave, and then all these beautiful patterns will be ruined. - Paper boxes.
It may overheat and even catch fire. - Ordinary food plastic bags bought outside.
You have no idea how high these materials can withstand.
Conclusion
Microwave ovens are safe to use.