EAT THIS, NOT THAT – Microwave cooking is quick, it’s easy, and in many cases, it produces reliable results.
However, there are the foods experts say you should never microwave.
1. Raw Meat
Whether you’re trying to cook a chicken breast or make the perfect burger, the microwave is no place for raw meat.
“Microwaves just don’t cook evenly, so part of the meat can become extremely hot and dried out before another part is even thawed or cooked at all. It tastes awful, and isn’t safe to eat!” explains Megan Byrd, RD.
Even defrosting raw meat in the microwave can lead to serious health complications due to unsafe temperature fluctuations.
Instead, “If you need to thaw your meat out quickly, run it under cold water,” suggests Byrd.
2. Broccoli
“According to one study, microwaving broccoli leads to a 16% reduction of chlorophyll, while chlorophyll content was nearly unchanged in steamed broccoli,” says Heather Hanks, MS, a nutritionist with Instapot Life.
3. Bread
“[Bread products] don’t reheat well in the microwave, which heats food by exciting water molecules which in turn generate heat,” explains Celine Beitchman, director of nutrition at the Institute of Culinary Education.
“With breads, this process causes their starch molecules to bind to water molecules and makes items soggy.”
4. Whole Potatoes
“You might take out a very hot item, only to find that the center is tepid or still cold. That may mean that large foods reheated or cooked from raw may have pockets of cooked areas while other areas are not cooked or heated sufficiently and can harbor and grow pathogenic bacteria,” explains Beitchman.
5. Eggs
“Heating boiled eggs (shelled or not) builds pressure inside them. This causes the eggs to explode either in the microwave or on your plate,” explains nutritionist Hiba Batool, a nutrition researcher at Marham … Click source below to read more.
Why food explodes in your microwave (and how to prevent it)
By Michael Timmermann | July 11th, 2017
CLARK.COM – If you use a microwave often, you’re probably familiar with that loud pop that typically means your meal was just ruined.
It’s the sound of food exploding in the microwave, and once you open the door, the entire thing is covered in whatever you were preparing!
Microwave expert Sue Snider explains that the mess in your microwave occurs when water in the food is heated rapidly, producing steam.
When there’s no way for the steam to escape, an explosion takes place.
These foods can explode
Any food that has a skin or membrane can explode in the microwave, according to Snider, a professor at the University of Delaware.
Hot dogs, eggs and potatoes are just a few common examples.
But there’s a way to safely cook these foods using your microwave oven and prevent your food from going to waste, according to Snider.
A simple fix
In order to reduce the odds of food exploding in your microwave, you want to give the steam a place to escape.
Simply take a fork and pierce the food item several times, Snider suggests … Read more.
