Convenience plays a big role in food choices in today’s modern world, and one of the methods used to instantly make food is through microwaving. But does microwave cooking retain the nutritional value of food as compared to conventionally cooked food? This article will help you understand all about the traditional and microwave cooking methods that can help you decide on which one to choose in your everyday life.
Understanding cooking and its benefits
Cooking is a general term representing various techniques of boiling, steaming, roasting, frying, baking, and grilling.Cooking involves a process of exposing food to heat, which results in the decomposition of certain complex structures within it and makes the food easier to digest and consume. Besides, cooking makes food more palatable by improving flavour, texture, and colour. Cooking can indeed help kill a great deal of harmful pathogens in raw foods, especially meats and vegetables; it can also enhance the digestibility of various nutrients such as proteins and carbohydrates. On the downside, one of the major drawbacks to cooking is the loss, sometimes, of heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamins C and B.
Nutrient retention in cooking
As with nutrient retention, the extent of nutrient loss also depends on the mode of cooking. Cooking reduces the nutrient content, especially water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C and the B vitamin group that are leached in water. Most of the nutrients are reported to be discarded in the water and this is especially so in cases where the water is duly discarded after cooking is complete. Using water-soluble vitamin retention rates obtained from the USDA, boiled vegetables are said to lose about 50% of their vitamins. These techniques, such as steaming, roasting and grilling preserve most of the nutrients in the food since there is little interaction with water and cooking time is usually shorter.
Microwaving: Convenience vs health factors
Microwaving foods involves the use of electromagnetic waves, which cause the water molecules in the foods to shake. That is what creates the kind of heat necessary in the preparation of the foods. A very effective way of cooking foods, it does not take time or a lot of energy as compared to other cooking procedures. It also enables an individual to cook food products without necessarily having to use much oil and fat, and therefore, it is much healthier than for instance frying or even sauteing. Many of the arguments regarding microwave health concern emissions which are held to be damaging. However, as far as it goes, it has been proven that microwave ovens make use of non-ionizing radiation – types of energy that lack the requisite ability to disrupt the chemical bond in the DNA of our cell as ion energy through X-rays or nuclear radiation does.
Nutrient retention in microwaving
One of the major advantages of microwaving is that it preserves nutrients much better than some other conventional cooking methods. Because of shorter cooking times and less time under high temperatures, microwaving retains more water-soluble vitamins and antioxidants. According to a study published in the Journal of Food Science, microwaving vegetables like spinach and broccoli retained much higher amounts of vitamin C when compared to those that were boiled. This is also attributed to the small amount of water used in microwaving. Most vitamins are soluble in water, so using less water during cooking minimises their loss. Microwaving potatoes or vegetables in their skin or with little water retains more fibre and vitamins than boiling.
Cooking evenness and food safety
What this means is that microwaves, on occasion, can cook food so particularly the larger portions-that cold spots may allow bacteria to survive. In such a case, food should be stirred or rotated during microwaving. Conventional cooking, such as baking or grilling, generally produces more uniform heating, so that food is thoroughly cooked and safe. Some studies carried out by the Food Standards Agency have revealed undercooking in microwaves may result in foodborne illness when foods are not heated up to a proper temperature. Therefore, the use of a food thermometer is recommended during microwaving; this is particularly important for meat dishes.
Health risks associated with cooking oils
Another major difference between microwaving and traditional cooking involves the amount of oils or fats used with food. Traditional methods of frying and sauteing involve using an enormous amount of oil in order to cook the food, greatly adding to the fat content and calories of a meal. Certainly, over time, this can lead to weight gain and higher levels of cholesterol. And as per a research published by the British Medical Journal, excessive fried foods consumption is also linked to a heightened risk of heart diseases. In addition, microwaving requires no oil, thus generally being a healthier option for those individuals who wish to cut down on fat intake. The American Heart Association also recommends limiting the consumption of fried foods to promote heart health; hence, microwaving has become an attractive option because it offers low-fat food.
Acrylamide formation
Cooking at high temperatures, especially frying, grilling, or roasting, can form the unwanted chemical acrylamide compound linked to the causation of cancer. Acrylamide forms when starchy foods, such as potatoes, are cooked above 120 degrees C. Since microwaving involves lower temperatures and much shorter cooking times than other methods, much less acrylamide is produced, making microwaving the safer option regarding this factor. One study, published in 2015 in the European Journal of Cancer, indicated that high acrylamide intake increases the risk of cancers, including breast cancer. Although more research is needed, microwaving could reduce acrylamide exposure and decrease health risks.
When cooking is better than microwaving
While microwaving can be more efficient and may preserve nutrients more effectively, there are occasions when conventional methods prove better. For example, grilling or roasting meats develops a crispy texture and flavour enhancement not replicated by microwaving. Furthermore, in certain recipes, it is necessary to have long and slow cooking times for the intended flavour in some dishes, like in braising or slow-cooking stews. In cases like this, it is quite impossible to replace traditional cooking methods. Moreover, cooking, using the traditional method, would more or less involve the use of fresh ingredients, whereas microwaving has been associated with ready-to-eat prepackaged meals that are usually high in sodium and preservatives.
Which is healthier?
Generally speaking, microwaving has the upper hand regarding the preservation of nutrients. Since microwaving involves shorter times in cooking with minimum contact with water, there is better retention of water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and folate. As per a study conducted by Cornell University, microwaving of sweet corn retains more antioxidants compared to boiling and steaming, thus making the latter healthier in terms of nutrient preservation. However, when it comes to nutrient retention, it depends on what is being cooked. Steaming or lightly sauteing vegetables can be a very nutritious choice as it can help increase the bioavailability of nutrients like beta-carotene in carrots and lycopene in tomatoes.