Recently in Microwaving Category

Oftentimes, the biggest barrier to healthy eating is time and lack of planning ahead. Microwaves are great cooking tools that make dinner QUICK! However, many of the traditional "microwave meals" aren't so healthy.

Most commercially sold microwave meals are loaded with sodium, chemicals as preservatives and fat. And rarely do they include fresh and colorful vegetables!

As an alternative, there are many things that you might not realize can function as healthy and convenient microwave meals. Here is one that I used the other day:

• one can of low-sodium vegetable soup
• one can of Eden brand rice and beans (Eden is a low sodium brand)
  
• one sweet potato.
  

I actually microwaved the soup, and ate it while microwaving the rice and beans. Then I added roasted peanuts and a little cheese to the rice and beans and ate that while microwaving a fresh sweet potato.

If it's a good, fresh sweet potato then you don't need to top it with anything. To give a bland one a little flavor, sprinkle it with olive oil and brown sugar. That's it!!

Ideas for healthy microwave meals include:

• minestrone soup, a 100 calorie bag of popcorn and an apple
• a steamfresh bag of veggies (get ones with no added flavorings!) with a can of Eden rice and beans
• Vegetarian chili over a potato

I would be interested to hear what other readers eat for quick and healthy meals cooked in the microwave!

I'll put a plug in here for one of my very favorite cookbooks: Zonya's "Lickety Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go!". She has an entire section for "5 Minute Meals" that will give you even more healthy and fresh quick meal ideas!

Stay tuned for the next post: Exercise in 3 Minutes! I can't wait to hear about your microwave ideas!
- Julie

This is your Cancer Cop and Microwave Safety is the topic of today!

Last time we talked about the many myths and mysteries surrounding the microwave. The bottom line is that microwaving can be a safe, quick and convenient way to prepare healthy foods. However, the health and safety of the microwave depends on you only cooking food in safe containers, as well as making healthy food choices.

Microwaving for Health and Safety

Of course, EVERYONE knows to avoid aluminum foil in the microwave. But what many don't know is that the containers they cook in might be leaching chemicals into their foods.

To avoid harmful chemicals, follow this rule: only use cookware that is specially manufactured for use in the microwave oven. Glass, ceramic containers, and all plastics that are safe to use will be labeled for microwave oven use.

Below is some examples of containers that are safe to use and not safe to use.

SAFE TO USE:

• Any utensil labeled for microwave use.
• Heatproof glass (such as Pyrex, Anchor Hocking, etc.)
• Glass-ceramic (such as Corningware).
• Oven cooking bags.
• Baskets (straw and wood) for quick warm-ups of rolls or bread. Line the basket with napkins to absorb moisture from food.
• Most paper plates, paper towels, paper napkins. For optimal safety use white, unprinted materials.
• Wax paper, parchment paper, heavy plastic wrap. Do not allow plastic wrap to touch food; vent it to allow a steam escape.
• Heat-susceptor packaging.

NOT SAFE TO USE:

• Cold storage containers: margarine tubs, cottage cheese, cool-whip and yogurt cartons, etc. (These materials are not approved for cooking and chemicals can migrate into food)
• Brown paper bags and newspapers
• Metal pans (Duh!)
• Foam-insulated cups, bowls, plates or trays (like the kind the restaurant gives you to take your food home)
• China with metallic paint or trim
• Chinese "take-out" containers with metal handles (another Duh!)
• Metal "twist ties" on package wrapping
• Food completely wrapped in aluminum foil (we're not kidding!)
• Food cooked in any container or packaging that has warped or melted during heating (This would include single use water bottles!)

What To Do!

At my house, we are phasing out the plastic Tupperware containers in favor of glass. We never microwave plastic wrap or other foam containers or any plastic not labeled microwave safe.

On another note, if the plastic is not labeled freezer safe, we don't put it in the freezer. An even more important point is to look and see if the plastic you use is labeled dishwasher safe. Many reusable water bottles are NOT labeled dishwasher safe. We hand wash those. Apparently there ARE reasons for the instructions on the bottom!

So be microwave smart!
- Julie

[Reference: For more great information on microwave safety, check out this article.]

I recently did a presentation for a community education series titled called "Fighting Cancer With Your Fork". I have done this presentation several times and get many great questions from the audience. One question from the most recent presentation involved the safety of microwaving food.

I do have a disclaimer when it comes to this topic. I think the disclaimer also adds a bit of credibility to my words, so here it is!

My dad is a nuclear engineer.

My brother is a nuclear engineer.

My husband went to nuclear engineering camp in high school and started in nuclear in college.

These guys know about radiation safety!  However, I still believe that I have an objective and unbiased opinion when it comes to microwaving.

Mystery Microwave

People love that microwaving food is easy. But there is a bit of mystery about the microwave. Mainly... How the heck does it cook the food in there??

You don't see the source of heat, but the food comes out HOT! I believe this is where people start to worry. They don't understand how it works and therefore feel that it must not be safe.

At this point I'm going to have to give you a life tip. You will not understand everything in life. At some point you will have to trust that some things just work out! 

Anyway... back to microwaving!

How a Microwave Works

The microwave converts ordinary electric power from a wall socket into waves. The radio waves in the microwave are thousands of times weaker than those in UV rays or x-rays. They are almost the same frequency as used in many cordless phones, wireless LAN, Bluetooth(R), and the new wireless broadband internet. 

These rays result in energy that is readily absorbed by water, fats and sugars, resulting in very fast wave vibration and high temperatures that cook the food. The power cooks the food just like any other heat source. 

Contrary to myth, a microwave does NOT cook the food from the inside out. The reason that microwaved food does not crisp like oven food is that the air in the microwave is room temperature, since the energy rays do not heat air. In an oven the air is heated along with the food, and therefore cooks the outside of the meal.

It's also important to know that the rays in a microwave do not have enough power to damage DNA and therefore cannot cause cancer. Additionally, there have been absolutely no valid studies that suggest microwaving food causes cancer.

Microwave Safety

There are some things to know about containers you use to microwave food. In the next post, I will give you the information you need to have the benefits of quick, convenient meals without the risk of harming your health.

In the grand scheme of things, compared to grilling, microwaving is much safer! (See my post on grilling for more information).

Should you need to understand the microwaving process further, you will have to consult a different source!

- Julie

[Reference:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Microwave_Ovens_and_Food_Safety/index.asp]