The 5 foods you should never microwave again.
Almost all of us have a microwave in our kitchen - and sometimes even in the office.
Unlike a traditional oven, microwaves instantly heat molecules up to 2 to 3 cm below the surface of the food.
It must be recognized that this is very practical for reheating meals or defrosting a meal.
It's this ease and speed that made the microwave so successful: it saves us time.
But beware: here are the 5 foods you should never put in the microwave.
1. Breast milk
One of the main reasons to feed a newborn baby with breast milk is that it has a high content of powerful anti-bacterial agents.
However, a study conducted on human milk heated in the microwave shows that the intensity of heat can have harmful effects on anti-bacterial agents.
This is because breast milk microwaved at high temperature increases the growth of E. coli bacteria.
At high temperature, this development is 18 times higher than warmed breast milk without microwaves.
In low-heat microwave samples of breast milk, researchers found a dramatic drop in isoenzyme activity.
In addition, warmed breast milk at low temperature promotes the development of bacteria harmful to newborns.
2. Broccoli
Broccoli is a food that is often reheated in the microwave. This is because it is easily found and heats up quickly.
Did you know that foods lose nutrients depending on the method you use to cook them? For example, the gentle preparation of food is steaming. Well, even when steamed, broccoli loses 11% of its antioxidants.
In comparison, if you microwave it with a little water, broccoli loses 97% of its beneficial antioxidants!
3. Frozen fruits
Okay, buying frozen fruit saves time and money.
You could even say that frozen fruit is a healthy alternative to fresh fruit because the freezing process retains its nutrients.
This is because fruits start to lose their nutrients as soon as they are picked.
As a result, frozen fruit that comes from another region may have a higher nutrient content than fresh fruit picked close to home.
This is because fresh fruit spends time in warehouses, then in transport, and finally in stalls. And with each step, their nutrient content decreases.
Russian scientists studied the thawing of frozen fruit in the 1970s. They discovered that thawing fruit with a microwave oven transforms certain components (glucoside and galactoside).
Indeed, these components, beneficial to the body, become carcinogenic when they are thawed in the microwave.
The Russians did more research on microwave ovens until the early 1990s. Their research concluded that microwaves have a significant impact on the immune system.
Bottom line, the best way to thaw fruit is by defrosting it in the open air or in the refrigerator.
4. Thawed meat
Microwaves that do not have a turntable can cause uneven heat distribution during cooking and defrosting.
Meat is a difficult food to thaw in a microwave oven. Why ? This is because the process takes so long that the meat can start to cook.
The outer part of the meat cooks a brownish brown with little flavor - while the inner part has not thawed.
When the temperature of the meat is between 5 ° C and 60 ° C, it promotes the development of bacteria and microorganisms. If you don't cook meat quickly after thawing it, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.
In addition, Japanese scientists have discovered that meat that cooks for more than 6 minutes loses half of its vitamin B12 content.
The best way to thaw your meat is to put it in the fridge before bed. You can also thaw it with cold water, but it's not very environmentally friendly.
Discover another tip for defrosting your meat.
5. Foods wrapped in plastic film
If you buy take-out meals, watch out for those that are in plastic containers or wrapped in plastic film.
The general rule of thumb is to never microwave food that comes in contact with plastic. Why ? This is because heating food in plastic is carcinogenic.
Heating these plastic wrappers and containers can release harmful chemicals directly into your meals and foods.
Here are some examples of chemicals that can be derived from plastics: bisphenol A (BPA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), benzene, toluene, and xylene.
We can also make a connection with the problems related to breast milk, mentioned above.
You quickly realize that microwaving baby milk in a plastic container is a bad idea.
To conclude
Despite manufacturers' innovations and improvements, reheating food with a microwave is a last resort.
Ideally, you prepare your meals the "traditional" way and eliminate (or at least reduce) our use of the microwave.
Your turn...
And you ? What do you think ? What foods do you never microwave? Your opinion matters to us, so share it in the comments :-)
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Also to discover:
The Perfect Tip to Clean Your Microwave Easily.
The trick to heating your pizza in the microwave without it being rubbery.
