FitSugar

What About Microwaving Plastic Containers?

FitSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:00:00 -0700

The recent news about the possible health risks of using polycarbonate bottles (like ones made by Nalgene) has made me a little uneasy. Now I'm wondering about about the relationship between microwaves and plastic, like the reusable food containers I heat up almost daily.

Are the high temperatures leaching chemicals into my food? Should I use ceramic or glass containers instead? To find out read more.

According to the FDA, microwaving plastic food containers is safe, and although small amounts of chemicals from these containers may leach into your food, the amounts are small enough that they can't harm you. This statement is not exactly the reassurance I was looking for.

Fit's Tips: It's recommended to use containers that are specifically marked "microwave safe." Margarine tubs and yogurt or carryout containers from restaurants should not be reheated in the microwave. If you're unsure about the container, reheat your food into a regular plate or bowl instead. Or if you don't want to deal with plastic containers at all, you may want to pick up some glass containers with lids.

Nuke Veggies to Keep Them Healthy

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:30:00 -0700

Look, I will be the first to admit that I've done a bit of microwave bashing in my day. However, a new study has come along and managed to make me eat my words . . . and my veggies. Here's why: in the study researchers found that on the whole, microwaving vegetables and fruits as a means to cook them was the least destructive to nutrients like vitamin C compared to other methods (aside from steaming). This is mainly because cooking methods like baking and grilling exposes foods to higher temperatures and more cooking time, which is destructive to nutrients.

However, go easy on the water because whenever vegetables are immersed in cooking liquid, water-soluble nutrients seep out of the food and into the surrounding liquid, which is why boiling them is not the best option either. To keep the nutrients intact when microwaving, you need only a couple of tablespoons of water to cook raw vegetables. The frozen ones need no extra liquid at all.

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Mircowaves and Radiation

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Have you heard that it is bad for your health to stand too close to a microwave while it reheats your leftover Pad Thai from last night? Although microwaves have been around for quite a while, cancer and radiation fears linger around this convenient kitchen appliance.

The New York Times, curious about these safety concerns, did a little investigation. They found that although microwaves can leak radiation, the amounts are negligible to human health.

There is a special unit within the FDA that regulates microwave safety. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health limits the amount of radiation any microwave on the market can leak in its lifetime to five milliwatts per square centimeter at roughly two inches away from the oven. While that sound like Greek to me, I found this comparison helpful: the most common cell phones operate at a peak power of about 1.6 watts or less. Cell phones when studied have not been found to cause any health problems.

Microwaves are made with additional safety features - metal mesh on the doors helps to trap microwaves, and door latches that halt the production of microwaves when the door is opened. You might be interested to know that radiation levels drop sharply the further away you are from your microwave. Radiation levels at a two foot distance from the microwave are 1/100th of levels at 2 inches.

So "nuke" those leftovers with no fear. If you want to know about using plastic to do that - read What's the Deal with: Microwaves and Plastic.

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Microwave Free Fridays

FitSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:45:00 -0700

New research from a scientist in the UK has found a correlation between the rise in obesity and the rise in microwave ownership. Obesity started becoming a problem between 1984 and 1987. In 1984, ironically, there was a rapid spread of microwave ownership.

Sounds pretty convincing to me. Think about how easy it is to get an abundance of food when you're hungry these days -- 30 seconds and wham, your Hot Pocket is ready. One suggestion then, why not take a day off from the microwave and cook something on the stove, or maybe even in the oven? Microwave Free Fridays anyone? Perhaps you may surprise yourself with cooking skills you never knew you had. Also, you'll be able to make your meal as healthy as you want it, instead of consuming already determined nutritional info from a food maker that is not always 100% accurate. I am sure YumSugar will agree that preparing a meal can bring the fun and experience back to eating, rather than just eating for satiety. Heck, you may even notice some weight loss too.

I picked Friday because I like cooking a nice meal on a Friday night followed by watching a movie with my family, however do what works for you, just take one day off a week from nuking your food.

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Popcorn Breakdown

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Popcorn is delicious, satisfying, crunchy, and fun to eat. It's nature's snack food.

There are so many different ways to make and flavor popcorn, but unfortunately, some of those tasty methods turn this healthy snack into one loaded with sugar and sodium.

So let's look at the nutritional breakdown of 1 cup of each to see how they compare.

Want to see, then read more

	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)
Air popped popcorn	31	0	1	6	0
Stove-top with oil & salt	55	3	97	6	0
Orville Redenbacher's Microwave popcorn (ultimate butter)	55	3	40	3	0
Orville Redenbacher's Microwave popcorn (light, butter)	40	1	35	4	0
Newman's Own Organics Microwave popcorn (butter)	46	2.6	54	4.9	0
Popcorn Indiana Kettle corn	60	1.8	48	11	5.5
Movie theater popcorn with butter	83	7	-	4	-
Smartfood (cheddar cheese flavored)	162	10	294	14.2	3
Cracker Jack with peanuts	240	4	140	46	30
Crunch and Munch (buttery toffee with peanuts)	128	4.6	147	21	12
Poppycock (cashew lovers)	280	12	180	42	24
Fiddle Faddle (Honey nut)	260	7	480	48	30
Caramel Corn	243	12	357	34	26

Fit's Tips: The sodium and sugar content of movie theater popcorn was impossible to find, so that makes me think it's even worse than I imagine. So the next time you go to the movies, forget about buying over-priced, unhealthy snacks - why not bring your own? I always pop my own popcorn and bring it along in my purse with a water bottle. That way I won't be tempted to buy the movie theater popcorn when I smell the fake, yet mesmerizing, buttery aroma. I also like to pack some dark chocolate, almonds and dried cranberries.

Since movie theaters make most of their profits by selling overpriced snacks, you gotta keep your homemade treats on the down low. Wait until the lights go dim before enjoying your tasty snacks.

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Snack Attack: Oscar Night Popcorn

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:00:00 -0800

Whenever I curl up on the couch in front of a good movie, I have to have a bowl of freshly popped popcorn. So the same goes for the Oscars - a night celebrating all the movies we love. Now I'm not talking about microwave popcorn here, there's way too much garbage in it.

There's two ways I make it:

1. The old-fashioned way:

Take a 1 quart size saucepan and pour enough canola oil on bottom just to cover it with a thin layer. You can also use olive oil, but I don't think it tastes as good.
Now pour 1/4 cup loose popcorn kernels in, shaking the pan a little to coat them with the oil.
Turn the burner on between medium and high. Place a top on the pan and shake it constantly from side to side over the heat. You get to work your arms a little bit too.
You'll start to hear the kernels begin to pop. Once the popping slows down a great deal, take the pan off the heat and pour the popcorn into another bowl.
Allow it to cool off a bit before sprinkling it with salt.

Want to know an incredibly easy way to make popcorn without the oil? Then read more

2. Fat-Free Popcorn: When my dad was on the Pritikin Diet, he couldn't eat any fat, and we used to make popcorn like this all the time. Here's what you do.

Take a small brown bag, the kind you use for lunches, and open it up.
Pour enough popcorn kernels in to cover the bottom of the bag.
Close the bag by folding the opened end tightly 3 times.
Place the entire bag in the microwave, with the folded side on the bottom.
Cook for about 2 1/2 minutes, or until the popping slows down. If it cooks for too long, you'll have yourself a bag of burnt popcorn.
The popcorn tastes just like it came out of an air popper. Add salt for more flavor.

Got a great (and healthy) snack to share? Join the Snack Attack Group and tell us all! I may even feature your snack right here on FitSugar!

Micro Chip - More Than Potatoes

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:30:00 -0800

We all love potato chips - who doesn't crave that salty crunchy snack? We avoid them because they're not exactly the healthiest thing to eat coupled with the fact that they are so dang easy to over eat.

I just came accross this super cool kitchen gadget - the Micro Chip Maker. Supposedly it makes crunchy, low-fat, potato, carrot, radish, or squash chips with no frying. Plus it's multi-functional and can be used to crisp pitas and steam veggies. Wow! Will it crisp up my dress shirts too?

Sorry to say, it is really not all that exciting. Basically you use this special tray in your microwave instead of deep-frying your chips. Purchase it from the As Seen on TV website for only $7.99.

It's a great idea for making healthier alternatives to potato chips, but it sounds a wee bit silly if you ask me. I can't imagine that any "chip" cooked in a microwave will taste anything like real potato chips.

Microwave Myths Busted

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Here are some myths about your microwave that need clearing up:

1. Microwaving your food kills all the nutrients. FALSE. A microwave works by emitting radio waves called, you guessed it, micro waves. These waves aggravate the food particles, making them vibrate, which causes heat. Cooking food in a microwave heats it faster than on a stove, so it should retain more nutrients.

2. Microwaves leak radiation, putting you at risk for developing cancer. This could be TRUE, but if your microwave is working properly, it doesn't leak enough to cause cancer.

3. Microwaving food in plastic containers releases toxic chemicals called dioxins into your food. FALSE. According to the FDA, plastic containers and plastic wraps don't contain dioxins.

Also be aware that when you heat something in the microwave, it can get really hot very quickly. So do be careful when taking food out because it could burn you.

Nuke 'Em: Microwave the Bacteria Away, a Follow-Up

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:15:00 -0800

Remember when microwaves were first introduced and we spent hours blowing up marshmallows? Well, the news that microwaving sponges for two minutes kills bacteria created a similar such phenomenon. One important tidbit of info, though:
the sponge must be wet when you put it in the microwave!

Many news outlets received complaints when folks experimented at home with their microwaves and sponges. When nuked, the dry sponges were fried and created quite a stink. Another note: stick to nuking wet sponges only, and put plastic dish scrubbers in the dishwasher.

Nuke 'Em: Microwave the Bacteria Away

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:15:00 -0800

Is that sponge looking (and smelling) a little suspicious? Nuke it!

New research from the University of Florida has found that microwave ovens can be used to quickly kill harmful bacteria and viruses on kitchen sponges and plastic scrubbers. In fact only two minutes in the microwave destroyed most of the bacteria and other bugs that can cause food poisoning and other illnesses.

If you're like me and you usually pop your sponges in the dishwasher, you may want to rethink that since it is not as effective as putting them in the microwave oven.

How'd they find this out? Well the researchers soaked sponges and scrubbing pads in raw wastewater that included fecal bacteria, viruses, protozoan parasites and bacterial spores (so gross). Then they put them in a microwave -- Two minutes on full power killed (or inactivated) more than 99% of all the germs. Want to be absolutely sure the germs are gone for good? Go for four minutes, which will totally inactivate certain bacterial spores. Looks like sugar user Marci is a bit ahead of her times since she's been nuking her sponges for a while

Fit's Tip: Don't have a microwave? Sponges are relatively cheap, so it's best to start with a fresh one every other week.