Nowadays it is almost impossible to think of a modern kitchen without a microwave oven.

This popular appliance is available almost everywhere together with a number of recipe books.

But, ever since the subject of preserving nutrition or nutritional change in cooked food gained importance the obvious question fell on microwaved food as well.

Let’s examine the above aspect vis-a-vis the conventional cooking method.

Microwave oven creates a magnetic field of a particular radio wave length. The cooking starts almost immediately at a high power (unless the oven has a provision for low intensity setting). Therefore the entire process is completed in a much less time thus preserving most of the nutritional value of the food.  In contrast, the conventional cooking takes much longer time. The prolonged cooking at a lower temperature destroys much of the nutritional value of the food.

While cooking on a gas stove (or other stoves), the temperature of the utensil is not evenly distributed necessitating frequent stirring of the food during the process. This very action results in the loss of food value. In a covered micro oven-proof utensil (bowl or container) the heat is uniformly distributed throughout the cooking process which maintains much of the nutritional value.

In conventional or any other method, heating starts from the outer surface of the food being cooked and then to the core due to which much of the nutritional property may be lost. Microwave heats the food in and out simultaneously (contrary to the misconception that heating starts from the core to the outer surface). This also helps retaining much of the food value.

Because cooking is done in a micro-proof covered container, the vitamins and minerals dissolved in liquid part of the food does not vapour out and escape.

Very little amount of cooking medium, oil or butter, is required as the utensil does not require to be greased while the entire cooking needs very little of it compared to the conventional method.

In conventional method if butter or any other fatty cooking medium is used, it burns quickly whereas in microwave cooking there’s no such problem.

Now we know that if cooked in microwave oven using micro-proof ovenware and following the given rules and the process, we can relish various delicious and nutritious dishes.