I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of friends, family and random strangers speaking of how microwave cooking can be unhealthy, how it reduces nutrition in our food and so on. I have too, and thought a little research may help all of us make more informed decisions.
Does cooking food in microwaves reduce it’s nutritional value or content? Apparently not.
I looked up multiple papers and the conclusion was hard to miss. Here’s a tabulated summary. The papers I referenced conducted research in the context of different foods, as illustrated below.
| CONTEXT | OUTCOME |
| Legumes | No nutritional changes based on cooking method. [1] |
| Water soluble vitamins | Microwave heating caused less nutrient loss than other methods. [2] |
| Rice | Not much difference, though pressure cooking is slightly better. [3] |
| Vegetables | Nutrition loss happens across cooking methods, varying according to the cooking method, nutrient and vegetable. On the whole, microwave cooking didn’t significantly degrade nutritional value. [4] |
| Peas | No significant changes to fat, protein, beta-carotene or ascorbic acid. Greater retention of Thiamin and Riboflavin. [5] |
| Green Leafy Vegetables | No significant difference in nutrient content based on cooking method. [6] |
| Courgettes / Zucchini | Better preservation of nutrients using microwave cooking, lower energy expenditure and lesser time taken. [7] |
| Vegetables | Highest nutrient retention in vegetables cooked by microwave steaming. [8] |
| Liquid Foods | No major differences found. [9] |
| Oats | “… properly applied microwave heating can provide substantial support for nutritionally valuable meal preparation.” [10] |
Conclusion: The use of microwave ovens for cooking food appears to be beneficial for the retention of nutritional content, as compared to conventional methods of cooking.
References:
- Nutritional quality of microwave-cooked and pressure-cooked legumes
- Effect of microwave processing on water soluble vitamins: Kinetic parameters
- Nutritional Quality of Microwave and Pressure Cooked Rice (Oryza sativa) Varieties
- Nutritional composition and sensory profile of microwave and conventionally cooked vegetables
- Effect of Microwave and Conventional Cooking on the Nutritive Value of Colossus Peas
- Nutrient Composition and Sensory Profile of Differently Cooked Green Leafy Vegetables
- Optimization of microwave cooking of courgette in terms of nutrient preservation and energy consumption
- Sensory attributes and nutrient retention in selected vegetables prepared by conventional and microwave methods
- No Major Differences Found between the Effects of Microwave-Based and Conventional Heat Treatment Methods on Two Different Liquid Foods
- Comparison of Conventional and Microwave Assisted Heating on Carbohydrate Content, Antioxidant Capacity and Postprandial Glycemic Response in Oat Meals
What did you think of this post?
But what about the waves being harmful to us
The topic of this article is about microwave cooking and food. I understand your concern and will address it in another article.
This is good info. That’s true I did hear a lot of people saying that it reduces the nutritional value but I think every process of cooking does it in some form or the other
Thanks a lot sir but I want to know about egg also if u can tell me thanks
What about egg, Sonu?