Most people think of microwaved food as one of the things that should be avoided at all costs when you want to take care of your body. Microwaves have gained the reputation of being the epitome of unhealthy lifestyles. They are the equipment of people too lazy to take care of their health, right?
In actuality, people give microwaves a pretty hard time considering that they exist to make your life easier.My Fit Foods addresses ways to use your microwaving powers for good to support your nutritious diet and stay healthy.
What Do Microwave Meals Mean to You?
As we noted above, microwaves are surrounded by myths about how they negatively affect your health and should be avoided at all costs. Microwaves have become a cheap, time-saving alternative for people who don’t have time to prepare full meals. Because of the association with working-class people, the microwave has gained an unreasonably negative reputation.
But that’s not necessarily true (or fair)! So, let’s explore the benefits of microwaves and how to utilize yours to prepare healthy meals that help you reach your nutritional goals.
Myth 1: Microwaves Irradiate You
Microwaves are very safe instruments. They work by converting electricity into waves, called microwaves.Microwaves warm up the water, fats, and sugars that make up your food. The word radiation is a scary term for people who immediately think about atomic and nuclear bombs, but in reality, many everyday devices emit small amounts of radiation with no effects. The microwave is one of those devices.
Another example of something that produces radiation is sunlight. Obviously, too much sunlight causes burns and can be an issue, but sunlight is much stronger than your microwave’s levels of radiation. If you’re still concerned, ensure that you always stand a foot away from the microwave while it’s on since there isn’t enough radiation to traverse the distance.
Myth 2: Microwaves Make Your Food Less Healthy
This myth isn’t entirely inaccurate, but it lacks context. Microwaves do make your food less healthy, but so does any form of cooking. Barbecuing? Grilling? Sautéing? Baking? Any time you heat up your food in any way, youdecrease its nutritional content. The cooking method that decreases nutrition the most is boiling.
This makes sense when you think about it: scientists boil their instruments to sterilize them. Boiling is strong enough to get rid of bacteria from surfaces which means it’s also strong enough to deplete nutrients from your food.
Since microwaves don’t boil your food and you often only cook things for a few minutes or less, that’s less time for the nutrients to be cooked out of your food. Compared to other cooking methods, microwaves actually leave more of the nutrients inside your food.
So, why is this myth so pervasive? It’s probably because a lot of unhealthy food is primarily cooked in the microwave. But the good news is that just because those options exist doesn’t mean that the microwave makes food unhealthy.
Myth 3: Microwaves Mean You’re Lazy
The truth of the matter is most people work hard every day and simply don’t have the time and energy to spend hours preparing lavish meals for dinner. This goes double for large families where multiple meals need to be prepared. Relying on a microwave to cook doesn’t make you lazy or any less committed to your health goals. Great news, right?
Things You Shouldn’t Microwave
Despite their convenience, ease of use, and quick cooking powers, there are a few items of food that you shouldn’t microwave or should be careful about microwaving.
- Liquids- Liquids can explode when they heat up too much, which isn’t dangerous so much as annoying when you have to clean up a huge mess inside.
- Breastmilk/Baby Formula- Microwaving can reduce the antibacterial agents in breastmilk that infants rely on to grow.
Using the Microwave Properly
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re using your microwave. The first is that microwaves tend to heat food a little unevenly. Many modern microwaves come with rotating turntables inside to help your food move around and spread the heat evenly throughout the plate. Microwaves warm food from the outside in, meaning that edges will heat before the center.
Many microwave meals advise pausing halfway through the microwaving to stir the food or mix things around, so your food heats evenly.
Healthy Microwave Meal Ideas
WithMy Fit Foods, you never have to worry about finding the time to prepare time-consuming meals again. No special prep is required for your meals, and they can go directly into the freezer as is. Also, you do not need to worry about thawing meals as they go straight from the freezer to the microwave and can be enjoyed in less than a few minutes.
Our goal is to take the hassle out of healthy eating, so all you have to do is heat and eat. Each meal is designed to take less than 90 seconds from fridge to plate. Simply toss it in the microwave to heat up and enjoy!
Check out the following sections for more ideas about making your own convenient meals or snacks to keep you satisfied and on track for your nutritional goals.
Scrambled Eggs
When you need breakfast to be ready fast so that you’re on time getting the family out the door in the morning, there are few easier things to eat than scrambled eggs. Making them on a stove is already a cinch, but with the microwave, speeding up the process is great. Start like normal by whisking your eggs together in a microwave-safe plastic bowl.
Then, stick your whisked and seasoned eggs into the micro for 30 seconds. Take them out and stir them up, and put them in for another 30. Keep a close watch on your eggs, and don’t feel like they need to look done before finishing the cooking time. Bursts of 30 seconds with frequent stirring will keep them from becoming lumpy, but they’ll continue to cook even after you take the bowl out.
Rice
Rice is a filling part of meals that can help you feel full for longer. It’s also a fast-cooking food that is perfect for the microwave. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a time-consuming rice cooker, just pop your rice into the microwave for a quick dinner fix.
A good tip is to wash your rice beforehand. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear out from beneath to remove some of the excess starch. Then, put the rice in a microwave-safe container and add about an inch of cold water to stand over it. Put in for around six or seven minutes, and then check the water level to see if you need to add more. You’ll want to put it back in for another five or six minutes total.
Fish
Frying and baking fish can take a long time, but the microwave can speed that up with just a few minutes of cooking. Generally, white fish cooks best wrapped in parchment paper, while fattier fishes like salmon should be soaked in a sauce of your choice before microwaving. If your fish has gone straight from freezer to microwave, it may take longer to cook.
A good tip for cooking fish is to take it out of the microwave and wait a few minutes before cutting in to check if it has been cooked all the way through. Otherwise, fatty fishes can spurt a little bit and make a mess or burn you if you’re not careful. If your fish isn’t cooked through, put it back in for 30 seconds to one minute until it’s done to ensure you don’t burn it.
Chicken
Unlike fish, the chicken should be covered when it goes into the microwave. Make sure you leave a small gap for steam to escape during the cooking process, though. One way to do this is to put your chicken in a bowl covered in cling wrap that has been pierced a few times with a sharp knife.
Beginchecking your chicken two or three minutes before it’s supposed to be done. It’s always easier to pop it in for another minute, but overcooked chicken from the microwave will usually taste unpleasant. If your chicken is still pink, put it back in for another few minutes before checking it again.
Wrapping Things Up
Now that you see how quick and easy it is to make healthy meals in your microwave, take the next step and sign up for ourFit Club. You’ll get great deals on convenient meals to pop in your microwave, the accountability of knowing you’re in a program with other like-minded individuals and watch your savings skyrocket. Get started today with us. In Fit Club, we love making healthy eating convenient and enjoyable!
Sources:
Microwave Ovens and Health: To Nuke, or Not to Nuke? | Healthline