Paranoia Kitchen

 

photo by digitpedia 

 I see why codes and regulations are so much more stringent in California. Those people are paranoid about everything. My husband, a native, is no exception. Last night, I was told that steaming broccoli in the microwave would kill the nutrients. I was also told not to use the new bowls in the microwave because "you can only microwave dishes that say 'microwave safe' on the bottom" and that the bowl was "clay and may have lead in it".

I dropped what I was doing and turned to Google to rescue me from "paranoia kitchen". Within minutes I found that he was wrong on both counts. 

Claim #1 - Microwaves Kill Nutrients 

Microwaves may actually maintain more nutrients in vegetables than other cooking methods because of the quick cook time. "The factors that determine the extent [of destroying nutrients] are how long the food is cooked, how much liquid is used and the cooking temperature."

Claim #2 - Dishes that don't say "microwave safe" on the bottom aren't microwave safe

I found this WikiHow on testing dishes for use in the microwave. Following the instructions, I found that the unlabeled bowls that were accused of containing lead passed the test.

photo by DavidErickson
 
After the research and testing, I was able to resume my meal and thoroughly enjoy my micorwave steamed broccoli. Yum.