When you are losing a race against deadlines every day and spending less and less time in the kitchen, a microwave can seem the best solution. But is food cooked and heated in the by-now ubiquitous gadget safe? Despite various studies, there is little conclusive evidence to swing the judgment either way. We spoke to a few doctors to come up with a few dos and don’ts of two-minute cooking.

Play safe: just heat
It’s best to use microwaves to heat food. Cooking vegetables the Indian way leads to “excessive nutrient loss” says nutritionist Dr Shikha Sharma. A microwave consists of a magnetron tube, which converts electricity into high frequency microwaves, which cause food molecules to vibrate rapidly. The resulting friction produces heat, which cooks the food. “There is still doubt about what does this friction actually does to the nutrition levels of the food,” says Dr Sharma. “So it’s best to stick to heating food. There is a lesser risk of nutrition loss.”

But it’s important to ensure that meat and seafood are heated uniformly. “Cold spots aid bacteria multiplication and cause food poisoning. To promote even heating, cut the food into small pieces and arrange items in a uniform manner. Add a liquid to solid foods and stop midway to stir foods or rotate trays or containers,” says Dr Sharma. You also need to be extra careful while heating liquids in the microwave. Most fluids are heated to boiling point or above though their appearance is deceptive (there are no visible signs, that the liquid has boiled). “Superheated liquids can erupt suddenly when removed from microwaves and lead to serious skin burns ,” she adds.

... contd.