First of all, we need to understand the working principle of microwaves. Microwave is actually just a mechanism to convert electric energy into short-wave energy. It selectively targets water molecules in food, making them vibrate and quickly release heat. In other words, they just heat food.
It is important to remember that almost all methods of heating food (that is, cooking) will destroy nutrition, and each method will change the taste and nutritional composition of food in its own way. The three basic factors of cooking are time, temperature and water content. Generally speaking, the nutrients in food can remain stable when heated, unless it is soaked in water. Most vegetables have high natural water content, so it is usually unnecessary to add water when heating vegetables in the microwave oven.
So, where does the idea that microwave ovens will kill the nutrients in food come from? One of the highly cited studies came from Spain. Local researchers have proved that most nutrients in broccoli will be lost by microwave heating. However, the researchers did not simply heat broccoli in the microwave oven. They added water to the microwave oven, which exhausted the nutrients of vegetables. The researchers also condemned these vegetables as damp and tasteless.
A recent study provides further evidence for the hypothesis that water causes nutrient death. This study investigated the effects of different cooking methods on the antioxidant capacity of 20 different vegetables. The researchers found that boiling and pressure cooking (pressure cooker) were the main culprits leading to the greatest loss of nutrients. However, microwave, baking and other drying cooking methods retain more nutrients. ?
A review of 20 13 studied more than 100 research data on the influence of cooking on the nutritional integrity of vegetables, and found that steaming may be the best strategy for heating vegetables. Of course, the premise of this is that the ingredients will not come into contact with cooking materials such as water or oil when steam is heated. In this way, it is water, not microwave, that causes the low nutritional level of microwave food. ?
Although there is little data to support the view that microwave will kill nutrients in food, there is evidence that microwave will have a negative impact on the taste of food. This is mainly because the food heated by microwave oven is difficult to become brittle.
In addition, microwave ovens do not always heat food evenly. The depth of microwave penetrating food is 1 to 1.5 inches (2.54 to 3.8 1 cm), and the rest needs to be heated by heat conduction. You can stir the food or turn it regularly, so that the microwave oven can heat the food more evenly. Remember, microwave heating requires less water because less water evaporates during heating.
Although the microwave oven has been severely vilified, it is also widely used, and 96% American families report that they have microwave ovens. The convenience of microwave oven has a great impact on society, but it is also the reason why many meals get wet. We'll let others choose. But one thing is clear: microwave ovens are more difficult to kill nutrients than traditional ovens.
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Author: Flying Swallow in the Clear Sky/Compiled