What does microwaving do to the nutritional value of vegetables?

Answer 1

Well, really it depends on your methods. There was this one experiment called the: The Broccoli Microwave Study
When deciding the validity of research, it's important to know all the details. The broccoli study showed that microwave cooking destroyed more flavonoids than other methods.

Loss of flavonoids in Broccoli Study:

• Microwaved 97%
• Boiled 66%
• Pressure Cooked 47%

But there's more to this story. While heat from any cooking reduces the levels of certain nutrients, the length of cooking time and the amount of water used are major factors too.

When vegetables are cooked in water, nutrients get leached out and thrown away with the water. The broccoli in this study was cooked in 10 tablespoons of water. That’s a lot.

Plus the fact that flavonoids are water-soluble antioxidants. And, according to Dr Cristina García-Viguera, leader of the study, "During microwave heating they leach into the cooking water, removing their nutritional benefits from the foodstuff."

The broccoli was also cooked in the microwave way longer than necessary. The longer cooking time and the excess use of water caused greater loss of nutrients.

As Dr. García-Viguera points out in her research paper, other studies don't show a high loss of nutrients with microwave cooking. In fact, the following two studies indicate that microwave cooking helps retain flavonoids better than other methods.

Loss of Flavonoids from Potatoes:

• Microwaved 45%
• Boiled 60%
• Baked 100%

Loss of Flavonoids from Tomatoes:

• Microwaved 65%
• Boiled 82%

Weighing all the research available, microwave cooking measures up equally to most other cooking methods. It also has the advantage of being fast, easy and cost effective.

The Healthiest Way to Eat Vegetables
The absolutely best way to accomplish this is to grow your own vegetables organically, pick them fresh and eat them immediately, either raw or lightly steamed.

But who are we kidding here?
Frozen vegetables, cooked lightly in the microwave in a covered glass dish, such as corning ware, require no extra cooking water. They steam in their own juices.

Steaming veggies in the microwave can best preserve their nutrients, as well as their natural flavor, color and texture. Plus, steaming requires no added fat and is easy to do - once you get the knack of it.
Don't overcook. Steamed veggies should be a little crispy, but tender enough to eat. You can usually tell they're done by poking with a fork to see if they're chewable. Vegetables cut thin will only take a few minutes. Greens cook fastest, broccoli and green beans take a little longer and roots, like carrot chunks, may need 12-20 minutes or more.

A little reduced sodium soy sauce, lemon juice, herbs or onion and garlic added to the water can provide extra flavor. To avoid overcooking, use a timer so you can see how long it takes. When done, be sure to serve them right away.

Also:
MAKE sure to not use plastic containers as I read that they cause cancer and that sort

Answer 2

I don't think that microwaving vegetables actually depletes the vitamins. Something to watch out for, though, is that when veggies are steamed or boiled (whether in the microwave or by another method) they can lose vitamins to the water they're being cooked in. Many vitamins are what is referred to as "water-soluble" meaning that they dissolve in water. If broccoli, for example, is steamed in water, the water left over could contain much of the water soluble vitamins the broccoli once contained (vitamin B, C, folate, etc.) Fortunately, some vitamins are "fat-soluble" so they won't escape in the cooking water (vitamins A, D, E, and K). In general, I think it's better to try to cook veggies for less time, and try to steam (rather than boil) veggies to reduce the amount of water vitamins can escape in. Also, soups can be a good way to retain vitamins, because you're basically consuming the cooking water. Hope that helps!

Answer 3

Nope. In fact it's the opposite. According to The New Professional Chef (Culinary Institute of America) using the microwave preserves the nutrients better than any other cooking method. Now they are talking about putting the vegetables in a microwave safe container and cooking them (or steaming with a little bit of water) until they are cooked but still somewhat firm. If you submerge them in water and microwave until they are mush... drink the water because there are more nutrients in it than are left in the vegetables. :)

Answer 4

Destroys them. They did a scientific experiment and had two different plants. One was watered with regular water. The other was watered with microwaved water. The microwaved watered plant died, within about a week.

Answer 5

Kills the nutritional value. I've thrown out my microwave because of this...and, hey, what if that radioactive junk seeps out into my home? Call me paranoid...just don't call me to pop your bag of corn!

Answer 6

Actually veggies retain more nutrients in the microwave because it requires less water to cook them. As a bonus, more color and flavor is also retained.

Answer 7

I have a microwaveable steamer that I use for my vegies sometimes. So it works like a regular steamer, only 10x faster! The vegies retain their color and don't touch the water.

Answer 8

It diminishes the nutritional value.

Answer 9

I read recently that microwaving zaps away the vitamins. Steaming is better.

Answer 10

Nukes them