Core Tip: The microwave has become an indispensable helper for people when heating food, and people use it in a variety of ways. However, there are three types of food that should not be heated in a microwave oven.
Heating high-moisture, low-fat foods like soups, stews, and vegetables in a microwave is nothing to worry about. But for foods containing omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, duck, seafood, and egg yolks, it is better to choose traditional steaming and cooking methods.
Taking milk out of the fridge, pouring it into a glass, putting it in the microwave, and after a minute, drinking the warm milk with two slices of bread and a slice of ham in between. Three minutes later, breakfast is over, and you rush off to work. This is a scenario probably all too familiar to office workers.
The microwave has become an indispensable helper for people when heating food, and people use it in a variety of ways.
1. Fried Eggs
A few days ago, my girlfriend taught me how to fry an egg in the microwave: Crack an egg into a slightly oiled dish, poke a few small holes in the yolk membrane with a toothpick, cover it with a plastic lid, then put it in the microwave. After one minute, it becomes a fried egg. This method is convenient and saves oil; no need to scrub the pan or turn on the range hood.
2. Steamed Fish
Many people like to steam fish in the microwave. Prepare a fish over a pound, marinate it lightly with salt, cooking wine, and ginger juice for 15 minutes, put some chopped green onion and ginger in the belly and on the back, and place it in a microwaveable fish steamer dish. High heat for 6 minutes, then let it rest for 3 minutes. Finally, add some cilantro leaves and pour on the sauce, and it's done.
3. Stewed Chicken
However, I was surprised that a friend of mine also uses the microwave to stew chicken. She chops the chicken into pieces, adds seasonings and water to a large glass bowl, covers it with a lid that has holes, then places the bowl in the microwave. She first uses high power for 5 minutes, then switches to low power for 20 minutes. She says that using a microwave to make soup for one person is very suitable; you don't have to make a huge pot like you would in a clay pot. You don't have to watch it after setting the timer, nor do you need to stir it, so it's actually quite simple.
However, she has a concern. Compared to stewing in a clay pot, are there any nutritional differences in meat broth cooked in a microwave? Are the vitamins destroyed?
I comforted her by saying that according to current data, microwave cooking shortens the heating time, so the vitamin retention rate is higher than that of conventional cooking methods. If you stew chicken in a clay pot, it takes more than an hour, and the vitamin loss rate would be even higher. In terms of protein, whether you boil it or use microwave heating, both can be digested and absorbed normally, with no significant difference. However, every advantage has its downside. Microwave cooking might reduce the content of unsaturated fatty acids in the meat, which is a point worth noting.
In a recent research study, researchers measured the changes in fatty acids in beef after heating. Some samples were heated in a microwave, while others were heated using traditional steaming methods, until the internal temperature of the beef reached the same point. The results showed that compared to steaming, microwave heating had a more adverse effect on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, causing their proportion to decrease significantly. Low-temperature steaming not only has a smaller impact on unsaturated fatty acids but may even slightly increase the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Similar reports have also been made abroad, stating that after cooking fish in a microwave, the proportion of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids decreases, while saturated fatty acids increase.
In other words, the traditional method of slow stewing over low heat in a clay pot, although detrimental to the preservation of vitamins, has a beneficial effect on the composition of fatty acids. Previous studies have also found that slow simmering for 3-4 hours improves the fatty acid ratio. While microwave cooking is fast, convenient, and results in less vitamin loss, it does destroy the precious omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet.
Therefore, there is no need to worry about heating high-moisture, low-fat foods like soups, stews, and vegetables in a microwave. However, for foods containing omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, duck, seafood, and egg yolks, it is better to choose traditional steaming and cooking methods. Of course, it's also important to remember that high-temperature frying destroys these unsaturated fatty acids to a greater extent and also produces various toxic and carcinogenic substances! Instead of picking on microwave cooking, it's better to break the bad habit of cooking with billowing smoke and oil, and to stay away from frying, smoking, and grilling.