Who out there does not own a microwave? I do not see any hands raised: we all do. Some are free standing on one of our kitchen counters whereas others are built into the cabinetry usually above the regular oven. The microwave was actually discovered by accident by a gentleman named Percy Spencer that worked for Raytheon. The guy was working on a World War 2 microwave radar transmitter and then noticed that a candy bar he had in one of his pockets melted. Realizing that these microwaves could heat food, the “microwave” was born. These were originally used in restaurants and starting in the late 1960’s they became available for home use. The first food that Mr. Spencer heated up in his 1940’s microwave? Popcorn!
Well, some things don’t change. Popcorn is probably one of the most often snack foods to be prepared in the microwave. Goodbye JiffyPop on the stove and hello to microwave popcorn that takes less than 2 minutes to be ready.
What other food/snack preparations do we use the microwave for and how many of these help our weight control plan vs. how many derail us? Well, there are a bunch of processed frozen foods that are easily prepared within minutes in the microwave. Are any of these usually food choices for weight control? Despite names like ‘Weight Watchers” and “Lean Cuisine”, frozen/processed microwavable meals are usually NOT a good choice for long-term weight control.
Defrosting ice cream, quickly cooking a baked potato, preparing a frozen pizza as a snack….these “microwave activities” and more are pretty hurtful to weight control efforts.
Making scrambled eggs quickly, warming up protein dishes made on the grill the night before and quickly defrosting a protein choice to allow a fairly quick dinner to be made….these “microwave activities” and similar ones will help weight control efforts.
So, take a step back and examine your use of the home/work microwave. Are you helping your weight control journey or derailing it?
