Are Microwave Meals Good for You?

Microwaves—they’re in nearly every American home, and for those looking to eat a warm meal on the go, they’re a lifesaver. But are they bad for you or even the best way to cook food?

How Microwaves Work

Without going too deep into the science, microwaves work just as the name suggests. They transmit power from the electrical outlet using magnetron channels. Once that happens, literal microwaves bounce around and cook your food via radiation. It’s safe and easy and pretty cool, huh? 

Are Microwaves Safe for Your Health?

The answer is, well, mostly yes! It’s not so much about anything being “added” to your meal—it’s more about how the process of cooking your food dilutes or takes away some of the nutrients. 

For example, according to a Harvard study, “Some nutrients break down when they’re exposed to heat, whether it is from a microwave or a regular oven. Vitamin C is perhaps the clearest example. But because microwave cooking times are shorter, cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving vitamin C and other nutrients that break down when heated.

As far as vegetables go, cooking them in water robs them of some of their nutritional value because the nutrients leach out into the cooking water. For example, boiled broccoli loses glucosinolate, the sulfur-containing compound that may give the vegetable its cancer-fighting properties (as well as the taste that many find distinctive and some find disgusting). Is steaming vegetables—even microwave steaming—better? In some respects, yes. For example, steamed broccoli holds on to more glucosinolate than boiled or fried broccoli.”

Even better, because microwaves work faster than your average stovetop or oven, your food gets exposed to the heat for a shorter time. Less heat exposure equals more nutrients that stay in your food. 

Get it? 

What about microwave meals?

Just as we suggested above, microwaveable meals are perfectly safe for you. And the right microwaveable meal can even be healthy, too! Take Snap Kitchen, for example. Our meals are pre-chopped and pre-cooked. All you need to do is pop one of our meals into the microwave, and you’ll be ready to start eating in three minutes or less! All of the nutrients and good, healthy ingredients your body craves, with all of the convenience of a microwave to boot. 

Ready to try one of our meals? Sign up for the Snap Kitchen Subscription Box today! You can get your weekly box in shipments of 6-meals or 12-meals—the choice is yours. Plus, you can select your weekly meals from our extensive, rotating menu. With Snap Kitchen, the power is in your hands.