My microwavefree month
I moved into an
new flat recently, and not having a
microwave with me, thought it would be an interesting
experiment to see
how long I could last
without one.
Almost every Western home has a microwave, and most families say it would be
"almost impossible" to live without one.
Despite being aware of the
debate surrounding their
health impacts and
nutritional effect on food, I enjoyed having access to one simply out of
convenience.
But I do try to live in the
healthiest,
safest way possible, and now was the perfect
opportunity to see if I could make a
better swap.
courtesy of Flickr
To start my experiment, I made a
list of the occasions I use a microwave:
cooking porridge (daily)
warming left-overs before eating (daily/every other day)
making hot drinks (every other day)
softening vegetables before roasting (once or twice a week)
Not a huge one, but still
fairly ingrained in my cooking routine.
courtesy of Flickr
I then worked out my
solutions to the above
without a microwave. For example, porridge would be cooked on the
stove, vegetables would roast for a
little longer than usual etc. And to me, these all seemed like
doable alternatives.
courtesy of Flickr
Now, a month later, I honestly can't say I
miss having a microwave
at all. I didn't realise how
far superior stove-cooked oats tasted! And they don't even take that much
longer.
I also have the luxury of
more worktop space in the kitchen which is great, and not having to think about the
possible harm my microwave is inflicting on me is a nice benefit too (for the record, the debate
still rages over whether microwaves are 'healthy' or not). From a
money-saving and
environmental perspective, I
can't tell if I am using more or less energy without one (it must be
fairly similar), but at least I saved on the
initial purchase outlay.
So I don't see myself going
back to a microwave any time soon, but moreso because I just don't
need it. What are
your thoughts on microwaves? Do you
use one or do you do things
'old school' style?
#healthy_home
#personal_journey_stories
#general_wellness
%healthyhints
235980 - 2023-07-18 00:29:02