For an extended period, the microwave has been a contentious item in kitchens, despite its long history. Hailed as a lifesaver for individuals who cannot or will not cook, it is also perceived by some chefs as the one person responsible for throwing cooking as an art form into disarray.
Beyond the arguments over recipes, there is another controversy: when is microwave cooking unhealthy?
The World Health Organization states that when your microwave is used correctly, there’s nothing to be concerned about in terms of radiation. However, some issues remain unclear, such as whether heating food in a microwave results in nutrient loss or not.
For instance, it has been discovered that 97% of the flavonoids—plant chemicals that have anti-inflammatory properties—in broccoli are destroyed by microwave cooking. That is a third more harm than boiling would cause.
However, the microwave might have more competition from the conventional oven. A 2020 study examined the nutritional content of a frozen-ready meal that was microwave-cooked with an identical dish that was baked in a traditional oven. The researchers discovered that the microwaved dinner had “slightly” more vitamin C retained than the other prepared meal. However, the researchers did not offer a possible explanation for this.
