More from EatingWell.com 9. "Microwaving zaps nutrients." This
is misguided thinking, says Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Ph.D., R.D.,
professor of nutrition at Rutgers University in New Brunswick,
New Jersey. Whether you're using a microwave, a charcoal grill,
or a solar-heated stove, "it's the heat and the amount of time
you're cooking that affect nutrient losses, not the cooking
method," she says. "The longer and hotter you cook a food, the
more you'll lose certain heat- and water-sensitive nutrients,
especially vitamin C and thiamin [a B vitamin]." Because
microwave cooking often cooks foods more quickly, it can
actually help to minimize nutrient losses.