Sunday, January 27, 2013

Going Microwave-Free… one month and counting!




I decided to conduct a little experiment, could our family forgo a microwave and not miss the convenience?  I am so happy to report that it has been very easy and extremely doable!  With little kids, a microwave is a great convenience for zapping leftovers and getting things heated up and on the their plates, quickly.  The speed, convenience and predictable outcome make microwaves feel like a must have… but they are super easy to omit. 

Reports and safety information on microwaves are very conflicting; the FDA states that they are perfectly safe, but there is a ton of contradictory information stating otherwise. Reportedly, with each use there is radiation leakage (the FDA states that the leakage levels are “insignificant” and “well below the level known to harm people” but radiation is radiation… NONE is the amount I would like circulating in my home).  Reducing our exposure to radiation is the main factor, but in addition, it is also well documented that microwaves change the chemical structure of food and reduces the vitamin and antioxidants levels in the foods after being heated.  I spend a lot of money, time and energy buying & preparing nourishing foods and I don’t want the microwave zapping away the nutritional content of our foods, so eliminating this appliance was a no brainer for me! 

If you want to do a trial or total elimination, here are a couple of tips to make the transition easier:
  • I placed ours in the basement so we weren’t tempted to use it; but that it was still in our home just in case there was a microwave-needing-emergency (stranger things have happened in our house). 
  • I only had one little saucepan and quickly realized that I needed to invest in another one.
  • I have started using my toaster oven more often to quickly heat things. 
  • I try to plan ahead more than before.  I safely pull things out of the fridge in time to let them somewhat come to room temperature before heating.
  • I coordinate oven time and try to optimize any oven usage much more wisely now.  Before I would have zapped any leftovers, now I try to throw any leftovers into an oven safe dish and re-heat while I am cooking anything for dinner.
  • When baking, I always allot a teeny bit more time because melting and cooling butter & coconut oil takes a smidgen longer.

Overall, I am so surprised at how easy the transition was, and the best litmus test of all, is not one complaint from the hubster!

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