Please stop microwaving your food

ScatteredThoughts

I'm on your side OP! I haven't used a microwave in years, and don't miss it at all. But I've learned that people don't like being told what to do....especially when they are cranky from not meeting their nutritional needs.

Many of us just don't like unsubstantiated "facts". Go figure.

funkyspunky872

Oh shut up. I'll use the microwave for every single meal and be just fine.

paperandink

I sometimes microwave vegetables (potatoes, for example) because when they are boiled, the water-soluble nutrients get leached out into the cooking water.

One source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Microwave-cooking-and-nutrition.shtml

magj0y

I'm on your side OP! I haven't used a microwave in years, and don't miss it at all. But I've learned that people don't like being told what to do....especially when they are cranky from not meeting their nutritional needs.

Not cranky. Just speaking from (years) of experience. boiling water in a microwave won't explode unless you're an idiot and leave it in for over 5 mins and take it out immediatly, but only then will the container be really freaken hot. but no explosion.

Crochetluvr

They used to say, back in the 70's, that microwaves will cause cancer. Well, I am still here....nutrientless food and all. ;D

MrGonzo05

But how will I acquire radioactive super powers?

turner1003

I don't really agree with this.

MorbidNTT

I wonder if Defrosting has any effect, sometimes... Then I grill it and eat it, and forget about it.

ModoVincere

The microwaved water and plants thing is a total urban legend.

Also, please don't microwave straight water. Unless you like boiling water to explode in your face.


ANY type of heating destroys nutrients. Freezing destroys nutrients.

I've been microwaving water for.... years. never an issue. maybe your microwave is on crack? Maybe you misread the directions? Nuked it too long? Never had anything blow up in my face.... weird.

If you microwave pure water, it can get to a state called superheated....it's well beyond the boiling point...but it has to be pure water....not tap water. This is not something you are normally going to have sitting around your house.
Then, if you add something to that superheated water it will instantly boil over....almost to the point of "exploding in your face".

gramacanada

The OP states food is no better than the plastic container you nuked it in. May have some relevance, however if you Do Need to nuke. NEVER us any type of plastic container. No matter how Good the manufacturer says it is. Always use glass. If you microwave a cup of water you have to stir it before you add anything to it. That stops any boiling over. Which is what I guess people construe a 'blowing up in your face'. There are as many opinions out there, from scientists, as there are people in the world.

dyskras

"In studies at Cornell University , scientists looked at the effects of cooking on water-soluble vitamins in vegetables and found that spinach retained nearly all its folate when cooked in a microwave, but lost about 77 percent when cooked on a stove. They also found that bacon cooked by microwave has significantly lower levels of cancer -causing nitrosamines than conventionally cooked bacon.

When it comes to vegetables, adding water can greatly accelerate the loss of nutrients. One study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2003 found that broccoli cooked by microwave — and immersed in water — loses about 74 percent to 97 percent of its antioxidants. When steamed or cooked without water, the broccoli retained most of its nutrients."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/health/17real.html

Interesting about the cancer causing nitrosamines......But I'm having trouble finding the full study online even after Googling. Can anyone give me some help there?

And sorry - no. My nutritional needs are met..The microwave is not the devil, it is a cooking tool like the oven, toaster oven, etc. Eat Raw if you are so concerned - but it is not your job to spend falsities and scare monger on forums.

CoderGal

I'm on your side OP! I haven't used a microwave in years, and don't miss it at all. But I've learned that people don't like being told what to do....especially when they are cranky from not meeting their nutritional needs.

Many of us just don't like unsubstantiated "facts". Go figure.

This, I was actually hoping for a sensible thread when I came in here...and who knows...it could have been....but "plants dont like boiled water therefore microwaves are bad" is pretty flawed logic.

timbeck1986

i once knew someone that cooked a cat in a microwave.

ZugTheMegasaurus

The microwaved water and plants thing is a total urban legend.

Also, please don't microwave straight water. Unless you like boiling water to explode in your face.


ANY type of heating destroys nutrients. Freezing destroys nutrients.

I've been microwaving water for.... years. never an issue. maybe your microwave is on crack? Maybe you misread the directions? Nuked it too long? Never had anything blow up in my face.... weird.

I saw it years ago on the news. It's called superheating water and apparently it does happen, but only under certain conditions. If I recall correctly, it was occurring when people were trying to boil water in the microwave. They would put clean water with nothing in it in a clean container, then didn't think the water was boiling because they didn't see it bubbling, despite the fact that it was more than hot enough, so they just kept microwaving it and it got hotter and hotter. At that point, the introduction of a metal utensil would cause an "explosion" of sorts.

I'll try to see if I can find a source, but that's what I remember.

neverstray

You can pick up any science textbook and look up the effects of temperature on protein structures. Even if it has nothing to do with food. Your body temperature has an effect of the protein structures of cells if you have a really high temperature.
Obviously.. my post is not for everyone. People will have dissenting viewpoints on everything. Again to each their own.

How old are you? Pick up a science text book. Why in hell would anyone do that? just Google it.

Now, you're changing your story. I was with you until now. Now you are just talking about heat, not specifically about microwave heat vs traditional radient heat from an over or stove.

Is it true that boiling water in a stove will also kill a plant?

Here's one person's blog that did their own experiment. Compared Kettle boiled, microwave boiled, and tap. No ill effects. http://microwavetest.blogspot.com/

And, another: http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/2884

Another one that totally debuncts the myth: http://www.ehow.com/about_6557600_effects-microwaved-water-plants.html

To be fair, here's one that supports the myth: http://guide-to-malaysia.blogspot.com/2012/02/experiment-microwaved-water-versus.html

And, finally, Snopes identifies this as BS: http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave/plants.asp

The lesson here is that it is not true. Microwave does nothing.

MorbidNTT

But how will I acquire radioactive super powers?

Tuna!
Mercury Man!

eireannyoung

I haven't read real scientific literature on the chemical effects that microwaving has on food, so I'm not going to take a position based on that. However, my gut instinct says just "dont' trust it". I want to make sure I'm getting the maximum amount of nutrients from what I eat, so I usually eat fresh food, lightly steamed etc. I took our microwave out of the kitchen several months ago, and now it's on the floor somewhere, occasionally used by my fiance and friends who can't wait the extra fifteen minutes to heat food up in the oven.

I also never microwave because microwaved food tastes so incredibly bad, "flat", like cardboard. The only meals that taste good microwaved are the really processed stuff that's high in sodium, sugar, and other stuff that disguises the cardboard taste that occurs after microwaving.

randomtai

OK. So, now I'm confused. Which is it. Posts like these are Bullsh*t because no one just comes out with actual evidence as to the real truth and it's all just opinion.

I haven't died yet, so I guess it's OK to reheat my food.

ya, I love the anti plastic movement too. I think the plastic leaked outta the shampoo bottle and got into their brain in the shower.

Seriously people, you're here to be healthy, not make excuses why you can't do it. The microwave ruined my food! Plastic made me fat. Get off the soapbox and do some work.

HAHAHAHA AMEN!!!! :laugh:

Newf77

cooked meat was tastier than uncooked.

Speak for your self, I like a good steak that kicks me when I bite into it.

GCAsMom

If I didn't have a microwave, I'd probably starve. :laugh:

lusciousladie07

Wow.. truly.. I didn't mean for this to start a big argument or for people to be rude to others or myself. I completely fine if you disagree with me but there is no need to be disrespectful to me or anyone else.

If you don't agree and love using the microwave.. then by all means...

But why enter a thread to bash someone else? Why not just ignore and move on to something else that interests you?

(I believe bashing and to disagree are two different things)

magj0y

The microwaved water and plants thing is a total urban legend.

Also, please don't microwave straight water. Unless you like boiling water to explode in your face.


ANY type of heating destroys nutrients. Freezing destroys nutrients.

I've been microwaving water for.... years. never an issue. maybe your microwave is on crack? Maybe you misread the directions? Nuked it too long? Never had anything blow up in my face.... weird.

If you microwave pure water, it can get to a state called superheated....it's well beyond the boiling point...but it has to be pure water....not tap water. This is not something you are normally going to have sitting around your house.
Then, if you add something to that superheated water it will instantly boil over....almost to the point of "exploding in your face".

yes. you are absolutely correct. but you'd have to be really stupid to microwave water for that long. which was my original point. Not sure if you read that part, the part of "misread the directions" and "nuked it too long"
The longest i've ever nuke water is 5 mins. let it sit in there for 5 mins. best way to clean the microwave! :I use a pyrex measuring cup)

but really, are people that stupid to cause an explosion?

PsycotikChicken

This is utter nonsense.

Trojanlc75

Can I microwave my food if I am wearing my tinfoil hat?

dyskras

The reason there are people unhappy with you is because of the way you started this thread.

Mistake 1: Telling people what to do.
Mistake 2: Telling people what to do based on something that isn't true
Mistake 3: Changing your story.


You can eat raw. But telling someone else what to do based on inaccuracies is asking for trouble.

magj0y

Wow.. truly.. I didn't mean for this to start a big argument or for people to be rude to others or myself. I completely fine if you disagree with me but there is no need to be disrespectful to me or anyone else.

If you don't agree and love using the microwave.. then by all means...

But why enter a thread to bash someone else? Why not just ignore and move on to something else that interests you?

(I believe bashing and to disagree are two different things)

well, you're "on your soap box" as you said, and stating wrong information.

jenilla1

Also, please don't microwave straight water. Unless you like boiling water to explode in your face.

WTH? I heat up plain water all the time and I've never had an explosion. :laugh:

tigersword

Thank you for the reminder... I have gotten lazy and depend on my microwave too much... Creepy, little, unnatural machines...

Microwaves, in the electromagnetic sense, are quite natural. However, I think all machines are unnatural by definition of having to be built.

That... is just plain weird... Saying microwaves are quite natural, lol. It inspires visions of cave men sitting around a fire and one of them having a lightbulb go off and rigging himself up a microwave, as if he feels stupid for not having thought of it before, naturally... :P

In the 'natural' world, microwaves aren't even a cognizant thought, whereas fire and radiant heat are.

Microwaves a creepy, I stand by my decision, lol.

"Microwaves" and "microwave ovens" are two completely different things. Microwaves are naturally occurring (and artificially created) forms of radio waves. The sun emits plenty of microwaves, as do all stars.

As for the original comment, absolutely untrue. Microwaves are non ionizing, they do not contain sufficient energy to chemically change a substance.

As to why you don't boil water in a microwave, it's because water needs an agitation point for bubbles to form, microwaving does not allow that to happen, so water can superheat above the boiling point with no bubbling effect. As soon as you agitate the container (pick it up to remove it) it essentially explodes and boils over. That's why you should add a wooden skewer or chopstick while heating water in a microwave, as it gives the bubbles something to form against.

neverstray

Can I microwave my food if I am wearing my tinfoil hat?

Yes, but you can't talk on your cell phone at the same time or you will develop a tumor in your brain.

roguestates

but really, are people that stupid to cause an explosion?

I really, really would not underestimate some people's stupidity.