[Cody Dawg]

Does anyone know (or think) if microwaved food is as good for you as regularly baked food?

Meaning something like this:

Person A bakes a sweet potato in the oven and Person B microwaves a sweet potato in the MICROWAVE.

Editing after I said

Person A bakes a sweet potato in the oven and Person B microwaves a sweet potato in the oven.

Are they equal in nutritional value and/or enzymes?

A friend and I were debating that this morning.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

If you put the same food in both devices, I cannot see how the nutritional data would be any different. That said, things usually taste loads better from the oven, so you'll probably eat MORE of it. Depending on what food you made, it could be a good or bad thing.

Edit: Link:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...2/ai_n13664949

There's some info for you. Seems that microwaving can be healthier than other forms of cooking, because it doesn't require you to submerge the food in boiling water, which can remove some of the natural vitamins found in plants.

[moonmonkey]

They taste different and thats what I care about.

Microwaves are fantastic for heating things up quickly, but cooking they do not do well.

Convection ovens win.

By the way I am a fantastic cook.

[Doofy]

Microwaves kill nutrients. Only use them when you haven't got a female handy to cook for you.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Microwaves kill nutrients. Only use them when you haven't got a female handy to cook for you.

I assume the means you are not single?

[Cody Dawg]

Okay, so I think that microwaves aren't very healthy ALSO.

Anyone else with me/us on this?

[turtle777]

My mom got an oven with a built-in microwave. I always liked that combination.
Some things work out real well if you combine the two.

-t

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Microwaves kill nutrients.

"Actually, microwaving retains more nutrients than other forms of cooking, if you don't use a lot of water and don't overcook the food," says food scientist Barry Swanson.

"For some reason, people think heat breaks down vitamins, but most vitamins are really very stable to heat. Nutrients are mostly lost into the water, and there's no reason to add water to vegetables or anything else that already contains a lot of water."

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Okay, so I think that microwaves aren't very healthy ALSO.

Anyone else with me/us on this?

No. Read the link I provided. Microwaving, a lot of the time, can be more healthy than other ways of cooking. It retains more nutrients and doesn't use extra water to cook food.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Ask a scientist: Will microwaving reduce the enzymes in my food?

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by LilWolfChokingOnCigs68

"For some reason, people think heat breaks down vitamins, but most vitamins are really very stable to heat. Nutrients are mostly lost into the water, and there's no reason to add water to vegetables or anything else that already contains a lot of water."

People should wash vegetables instead of peeling them, most of the vitamins are in the skin, or so my mum told me.

Would you rather have a baked potato or a boiled potato?
Exactly...... the skin is good.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by turtle777

My mom got an oven with a built-in microwave. I always liked that combination.
Some things work out real well if you combine the two.

-t

Except for prescription drugs.

[wdlove]

Hi Cody

My wife uses a microwave. She is a good cook, food is delicious.

I use it to heat up leftovers for lunch.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

Except for prescription drugs.

Yeah, using a toaster-oven in combination with a cheese grater works much better for that...

-t

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by wdlove

I use it to heat up leftovers for lunch.

You can do that with a microwave

-t

[Cody Dawg]

Okay, so maybe a myth is debunked here. Maybe microwaving isn't so bad for food.

But, what about the radiation?



(Keep in mind that I know NOTHING, zilch, zero, nada, about microwaves and how they work.)

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

If you read the link I provided you'd know about that too.

""A microwave oven heats food using radio waves that are almost identical to radar," says Jim Felton of the Lawrence Livermore Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California.

The frequency used in microwave ovens, about 2,500 megahertz (MHz), is more powerful than the frequency that's used to transmit radio, television, and cell phone signals. But it's thousands of times weaker than ultraviolet light, visible light, and X-rays and millions of times weaker than the gamma radiation that's used to irradiate some foods.

"While X-rays, gamma radiation [though not irradiated food], and even sunlight can cause cancer, microwave radiation cannot because it simply doesn't pack enough power to damage your DNA," says Gary Zeman of the Health Physics Society in McLean, Virginia. "

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

But, what about the radiation?
(Keep in mind that I know NOTHING, zilch, zero, nada, about microwaves and how they work.

It shows There is no radiation.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/microwave.htm

-t

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by turtle777

It shows There is no radiation.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/microwave.htm

-t

She knows that, she is a clever dawg, just laying bait for us dumb heads.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by turtle777

It shows There is no radiation.

There is. That's why it is called microwave; because it uses electromagnetic waves. It is not healthy to stay inside a microwave while it's on because it would cook you. But I have not yet heard of any dangers due to "leaks" in the microwave and exposure to the waves.

[Cody Dawg]

Yeah. How come dogs and cats die in them if there is no radiation?

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Yeah. How come dogs and cats die in them if there is no radiation?

There is no food and water built in, like in a gerbil cage or something.

They starve.


also no wheel.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by LilWolfChokingOnCigs68

"Actually, microwaving retains more nutrients than other forms of cooking, if you don't use a lot of water and don't overcook the food," says food scientist Barry Swanson.

Strange how there's plenty of folks who say the exact opposite.

http://www.newstarget.com/000262.html
http://www.chiropracticresearch.org/..._in_the_mi.htm
http://www.thehealingkitchen.ca/Microwavepower.htm

But hey, I don't care. I steam all my veggies anyways.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

There is no food and water built in, like in a gerbil cage or something.
They starve. also no wheel.

-t

[Cody Dawg]

But hey, I don't care. I steam all my veggies anyways.

You mean, when there's a woman around?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Yeah. How come dogs and cats die in them if there is no radiation?

[cody_logic]
How come people die from guns and car accidents. There is no radiation ?
[/cody_logic]

-t

[Cody Dawg]

I like that, turtle.

"Cody Logic®"

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I like that, turtle.

"Cody Logic®"

OWNED in my sig

[Eriamjh]

Wow. Lots of good information. It seems that a lot of what people "believe" is just a bunch of crap.

There is also a lot of contradicting studies. Microwaving is bad. Cooking is bad. Heat is bad. What you eat is bad. Not eating is bad. Dying is bad.

Sheese. I think it's not worth the effort even considering it since there isn't enough evidence to support that microwaving your food will kill you. It won't. You'll live, with or without the "extra" stuff that is or is not killed by the microwave. Eating vegatables without the skin won't kill you.

Just because something isn't perfect or ideal doesn't mean it is bad.

And Cody, a dog or cat will die in a regular oven, too. Especially without a wheel.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Microwaves kill nutrients. Only use them when you haven't got a female handy to cook for you.

Don't discriminate males who can cook

I use microwaves only to heat things up or for an occasional baked potato. It heats up things from the inside, so cooking just doesn't work the same way.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by TETENAL

There is. That's why it is called microwave; because it uses electromagnetic waves. It is not healthy to stay inside a microwave while it's on because it would cook you. But I have not yet heard of any dangers due to "leaks" in the microwave and exposure to the waves.

I think that's an adequate description. You also shouldn't put anything made of metal in a microwave. Unless you want to kill it. The effect is quite nice, though

[turtle777]

A CD in the microwave for 5 seconds is teh shiznit.



-t

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by turtle777

A CD in the microwave for 5 seconds is teh shiznit.



-t

My god, its full of stars.

[The Windozer]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

My god, its full of stars.

Radiation! Run!

[dreilly1]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Okay, so maybe a myth is debunked here. Maybe microwaving isn't so bad for food.

But, what about the radiation?



(Keep in mind that I know NOTHING, zilch, zero, nada, about microwaves and how they work.)

If you're worried about the "radiation" leakage from the Microwave eating your brain, then you'd better shut down your AirPort network, since they use the same frequency!

[Hugi]

Use the oven, pan and pot to cook food. Use the microwave to warm up the leftovers.

I have yet to find something that tastes well after cooking only in the microwave. Except cheese - but then, cheese always tastes good. Mmmm. Cheese. .

[nonhuman]

Radiation is not necessarily bad. Yes there is radiation produced in a microwave, radiation in the form of radio waves. There is also radiation produced in the human body, radiation in the form of infrared waves. The television, radio, cell phone, and WiFi signals that pass through your body constantly are also forms of radiation as is the light from a light-bulb and the head from your stove. In fact, a conventional oven or stove probably emits more radiation than a microwave because it emits it in the infrared instead of radio which means it takes more of it longer to head the food all the way through (also stoves will have a lot more waste radiation as much of it will work to heat your kitchen rather than just the pot).

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by Doofy

Strange how there's plenty of folks who say the exact opposite.

http://www.newstarget.com/000262.html
http://www.chiropracticresearch.org/..._in_the_mi.htm
http://www.thehealingkitchen.ca/Microwavepower.htm

But hey, I don't care. I steam all my veggies anyways.

Any form of heating destroys nutrients. Read the link I posted. Eating them raw is hte only way to get 100% of the good stuff in them. But they don't taste good.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by OreoCookie

You also shouldn't put anything made of metal in a microwave.

That's also a myth. Mythbusters and Bill Nye the science guy debunked that one pretty well. Using metal in the microwave is fine as long as there's something like food in the container that can actually cook. If you put in JUST metal, it still won't hurt the microwave, but it will cause sparks.

[LilWolfChokingOnCigs68]

Originally Posted by Hugi

I have yet to find something that tastes well after cooking only in the microwave. Except cheese - but then, cheese always tastes good. Mmmm. Cheese. .

Scambled eggs. Take 1-3 eggs. Beat in bowl. Add milk. Beat a little more. Nuke for a minute until it starts to 'rise up', then pull it out and hack everything up til it's more consistent, then nuke again til it's fluffy.

Faster and fluffier than making them on the stove.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by LilWolfChokingOnCigs68

Any form of heating destroys nutrients. Read the link I posted. Eating them raw is hte only way to get 100% of the good stuff in them. But they don't taste good.

Unless they're meat.

[Cody Dawg]

My god, its full of stars.

Actually, I think I remember that line from the original Star Trek series. I'm trying to remember which episode...someone here will remember the episode. If I remember correctly it was that huge cornucopia thing that was swallowing everything, remember? It was like a giant worm and it was pulling the Enterprise into it.

Hmmm...

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Actually, I think I remember that line from the original Star Trek series. I'm trying to remember which episode...someone here will remember the episode. If I remember correctly it was that huge cornucopia thing that was swallowing everything, remember? It was like a giant worm and it was pulling the Enterprise into it.

Hmmm...

follow linky and you will see its from 2001

http://www.tk421.net/gallery/sounds/

Me be from Star Trek too! but 2001 first.

[besson3c]

Cody Dawg's dog in her signature freaks me out, like it is just getting ready to pounce on me and gnaw away at my face.


Do you guys remember when some people thought that microwaves were carcinogenic?

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

People should wash vegetables instead of peeling them, most of the vitamins are in the skin, or so my mum told me.

Would you rather have a baked potato or a boiled potato?
Exactly...... the skin is good.

In the case of the potato, it's essentially worthless without the skin.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by smacintush

In the case of the potato, it's essentially worthless without the skin.

Blasphemy!

Vodka!

[ShotgunEd]

I saw a thing on a sky one show. Its called Brainiac: Science Abuse.

They put a split grape in a microwave.

Microwaves cause water to turn to steam and cause steam to turn to plasma.

Do not try this at home!

Really, don't.

http://c3po.barnesos.net/homepage/lpl/grapeplasma/

http://home.earthlink.net/~marutgers...microwave.html

http://www.pmichaud.com/grape/

[ghporter]

Cody, first that quote is from "2001" or "2010" or both...

Anyway, here's the deal with "radiation" and microwave ovens. Basically there are two different forms of radiation-ionizing radiation, which is what most people call "nuclear" radiation, and non-ionizing radiation, which includes radio waves. Microwave ovens heat food by using radio waves. Those waves are of a particular wavelength that happens to resonate in water. By pumping radio waves at the resonant wavelength of water into food, you increase the energy level in the water-that makes it hot.

Critters killed in microwaves are not killed by ionizing radiation, but by the water in their bodies getting hot and destroying tissue through excess heat or even steam expansion.

As for breaking down nutrients, it takes much shorter wavelengths of electromagnetic energy than a microwave produces to break down molecules. High intensity light can do it, as can gamma rays, but NOT radio waves. All the microwave does is add energy to the water in the food you put in it.

The CD thing is caused by the metalic layer in the disc concentrating the radio waves and arcing. A few seconds of this won't hurt the microwave oven, but a lot of it can.

[porieux]

...

[Lord Kronos]

Originally Posted by LilWolfChokingOnCigs68

That's also a myth. Mythbusters and Bill Nye the science guy debunked that one pretty well. Using metal in the microwave is fine as long as there's something like food in the container that can actually cook. If you put in JUST metal, it still won't hurt the microwave, but it will cause sparks.

You're fine as long as there's something to absorb the energy, that's true, but you also must avoid corners to prevent a buildup.

Radiation isn't an issue either because radio waves emit a hellavulot less energy than UVs, X-rays or Gamma rays (or even visible light for that matter).

The basic principle behind microwaves is rather simple, it makes water molecules "vibrate" faster, and that's where the heat comes from.

It's safe and is probably less destructive than other cooking methods, but it's not a great way to cook something, doesn't taste so good.