Can you heat up baby food in microwave

Is It Safe to Cook or Heat Baby's Food in a Microwave?

Many people believe that heating or cooking food in a microwave can destroy the nutrients present in that food items. But that is not true…well, not completely true. You cook, heat, and sometimes even reheat the food (leftovers) in the microwave and eat it without giving it much thought. But when you have a baby in your house, you give a serious consideration to it. You must be thinking if you can heated baby food in a microwave or not. To find answers to this thought of yours, read this article. Find out if heating or cooking baby food in a microwave is a good or bad idea.

Can You Use a Microwave for Cooking or Heating Your Baby’s Food?

Any raw food which undergoes a process of cooling or heating has a change in its physical characteristics, chemical structure, and nutritional form. Usually, moms tend to be in a dilemma when it comes to using a microwave for cooking or heating baby food. But there is no research to prove that cooking or heating baby food in a microwave can be detrimental to the health of the baby. But there are certain things you need to bear in mind while cooking or heating baby food in the microwave. Always cover baby food with a lid when heating it in the microwave. Also, avoid using plastic containers for heating as it can transfer harmful chemical to the food. Use microwave-safe containers but not plastic. And do not heat up leftover food of the baby.

Risks of Cooking or Heating Baby Food in a Microwave

Following are the risks associated with cooking or heating baby food in a microwave.

Microwaves heat up the food unevenly. The temperature in some portion of the food may seem just right whereas some portions may be very hot forming “hot pockets” which can burn a baby’s mouth.
Use of cheap plastic while heating or cooking baby food in a microwave can prove harmful to a baby’s health.
It is believed that the radiation emitted during the cooking or heating process in a microwave can cause serious health problems.

Precautions while Using a Microwave to Cook Infant Food

Listed below are some precautions that parents need to take while using a microwave to cook food for a baby:

Use microwave-safe containers or heat-resistant glass containers to cook or heat baby food. Plastic containers are best avoided.
Cover the food with a glass plate or lid while cooking or heating the food. It will help in retaining the moisture in the food.
Make sure to cook or heat the food well. It will kill the bacteria, if any, and cause food poisoning to the infant.
Do not keep the food to cook or heat while you go about your chores in order to avoid burning the food.
After taking the food out, transfer it to another utensil. Then stir it well so that there are no air pockets left which may scald the baby’s mouth while eating.

Safety Tips for Reheating Baby Food in a Microwave

A common question that most moms ask is, “can you heat baby formula in a microwave”? Of course, you can if you use a microwave-safe bottle or container to heat it. Also, remember to heat it in medium temperature for not more than 10-15 seconds. Before giving it to your baby, shake the bottle well so that the temperature gets equal. Apart from this, there are other tips which one should follow for reheating baby food in a microwave.

First and foremost, always use microwave-safe baby food containers to reheat your baby’s food in order to avoid any kind of health issues.
Use a microwave which can cook and reheat your baby’s food well.
Always read and follow the literature manual that comes with the appliance to avoid any mishaps.
You should always preheat the microwave before reheating your infant’s food.
When food is heated, it gets very hot at the edges and remains cold at the centre. Therefore, stir it at different stages to heat it uniformly.
Reheating means to keep the food in the microwave until it is piping hot. This will help in destroying all the bacteria that may be there in the food.
Remember to check the temperature of the food before giving it to your baby so as not to scald your baby’s mouth.
Reheating should not be done more than once. The leftover should be thrown away even if you feel bad to waste it.

Tips to Thaw or Defrost Baby Food in a Microwave

After the first 6 months are over, babies start taking semi-solids. From heating milk in the microwave for babies, mommies start cooking food for their little ones. This is when tips to thaw or defrost baby food in a microwave come in handy. Listed below are few of them to help you sail through.

Always defrost or thaw baby food using a microwave-safe container, preferably a microwave-resistant glass container.
Do not use any plastic containers since they may give out harmful chemicals which may prove to be detrimental to the baby’s health.
Use a microwave that has defrost settings to thaw or defrost baby food.
Rotate the container manually from time to time if your microwave does not have a rotating table.
Stir it several times while thawing it to avoid any hot spots in the food.
In order to thaw the frozen food cubes, you need to put the microwave in the defrost mode for 30 – 40 seconds.
After the frozen food is defrosted or thawed, heat it immediately, or else bacteria may start thriving.
Heat the defrosted food thoroughly for 5 to 15 seconds so that it turns piping hot.
Keep the hot food aside till the food temperature is appropriate for the baby to eat.
Test the temperature beforehand in case it is too hot for your baby.

Although there are no studies or research to prove that food heated or cooked in a microwave is harmful to your baby, it is best to use it sparingly.

Also Read: Best Foods To Feed Your Baby

Can baby food be microwaved? Mommy Asks — Little Melly, Organic Baby Food

Okay. Simple question, complex answer.

However, we’re going to do our best to offer our motherly advice to you.

Numerous research studies and experiments have been made to decipher whether microwaves are safe for heating food or not. At times, the verdict was that it isn’t safe, and at other times, the verdict was that it’s totally safe. This has caused great confusion among consumers. Researchers have also tried to examine whether microwaved food has a direct link to certain cancers. We wish we could give a simple yes or no, but there’s more to it.

How do microwaves work?

Microwaves can be compared to the sun; they work in a similar way: using radiation (Woodford, 2019). Similar to the way the sun’s radiation hits our face, microwave radiation hits the food. It’s important to note that the radiation itself is not harmful and does not remain on the food. However, microwaves are able to heat the food so quickly because the heat energy hits straight into the molecules of the food (Woodford, 2019).

That, dear parents, is why we personally don’t favor the use of microwaves.

What does a microwave’s heat energy do to food?

When heat energy is directed straight into the molecules of food, the composition of the food is changed. We don’t see it or feel it, but the food is no longer in the same make-up as it was when we first cooked it. In simple terms, when we eat microwaved food, our body identifies it as something foreign because it does not recognize this new composition, meaning our body signals itself to reject what just entered into the body. Do we feel this rejection? Nope. At least not in the present moment.

As our body continually consumes microwaved food, our antibodies are continuously activated in order to reject the “foreign” substances. This means our body is always in attack mode. With time, this deteriorates the health of our cells and greatly affects our long-term health.

We will not go into the side-effects of microwaves, as it is outside the scope of this blog post and a debate among researchers. For now, our responsibility is to safeguard our parents regarding the best method of heating food, for themselves and for baby.

What is the best method to heat baby food?

As per food safety guidelines, reheating cooked food should be done only once and when reheating, the temperature of the food should reach 75 degrees Celsius. This guideline is set for your safety: so that any bad bacteria can be reduced to an acceptable level before consuming.

Bad bacteria is killed at high temperatures. When we cook our baby food at the Little Melly kitchen, we ensure that the contents reach a temperature of at least 75 degrees for around 5 minutes. This is a critical point in our process to ensure food safety. When packaging and storing food, whether at our premises or in your home, there is a chance for cross-contamination and multiplication, thereby increasing bad bacteria within the food once again. To combat that, we reheat at a high temperature before eating to kill anything that has grown.

How should you heat?

On a stove pan with low flame for a few minutes. A trick we like to use is to add some drinking water to the mix in order to facilitate the heating process and give the mixture a nice consistency to it. This is especially helpful when the meal was prepared a day in advance and stored in the fridge.
Using the bain-marie method, by placing hot water in a heat-resistant bowl and then placing the baby food jar in the bowl until the food has become hot. There are some cautions to watch out for when using this method, however. Firstly, placing a glass jar in hot water may cause the jar to crack (especially if the jar is coming straight out of the fridge). The drastic variation in temperature causes this. Second, the bain-marie technique often needs to be repeated at least twice for the food to become consistently hot.

*Caution: No matter the method you choose, make sure to slightly cool your baby’s food before serving it to them. Hot food can damage your baby’s tongue, gums, and mouth.

Does this mean I should throw out my microwave?

No. I would be lying if I said I didn’t ever microwave my own food. For little Melanie, I try to never ever use the microwave, but I can’t deny that I use it for my own food occasionally. It’s a practical and efficient way to heat food, and using it every now and then will not do harm to your body. Our motherly advice says: use a stove to heat food whenever possible.

Interested in our meal plans? Check them out here

Kisses,

Mama Melly

References:

(Woodford, 2019). Microwave ovens. Explain That Stuff. Retrieved on March 23, 2020 from: https://www.explainthatstuff.com/microwaveovens.html

Microwave baby food: can or can't be reheated

Microwave baby food is easy to reheat - saves a lot of time. Just a couple of minutes, and the job is done: milk, porridge or mashed potatoes are warm. But mothers are worried: does food become harmful if it is heated in a microwave oven? There are so many conflicting rumors about the influence of microwaves - what is true and what is fiction?

Useful or harmful

Microwave ovens have settled in almost every kitchen, save time for their owners, facilitate kitchen chores. The operation of a microwave oven is based on the action of electromagnetic waves. Microwaves are harmful to humans, so there is debate about the usefulness of food prepared with their help. Many scientists claim that food from a microwave oven is completely safe, stories about the remnants of radiation in it are a myth. The power is too low to somehow affect the body. nine0003

Users ask if vitamins are preserved in the microwave. Yes, and there are more of them than in food prepared in the usual way. The reason is the short duration of the process. Dishes are prepared many times faster, less useful substances are destroyed. Another positive point is that there is no need to add oils and fats, so the food turns out to be dietary, almost like in a double boiler.

About breast milk

Breastfeeding mothers wonder if breast milk can be heated in the microwave. Definitely - no! Expressed milk must not be heated with microwaves. They act on immunoglobulins and other living components, kill them or at least change their structure. You will get from the cell not priceless food, but a little useful liquid, comparable to cow's milk. nine0003

Heating of mother's milk in the microwave chamber is strictly prohibited - it is heated only in warm water, in a water bath.

Is it possible to heat artificial mixtures

If you need to heat artificial food, it is better to use the old proven method - hot water. But you can still take advantage of the microwave oven: heat water in it, in which you put milk or baby puree.

If you need to warm up a bottle of formula in a café, ask for a large cup of hot water. Put the bottle in it and heat the mixture. nine0003

What pediatricians and gastroenterologists say

Children's doctors advise parents not to heat formula or heat milk in the microwave. In general, you should not cook food for kids in it - in any form, doctors insist. Disputes about the dangers of microwaves are ongoing, which means that it is not worth risking the health of a child. Manufacturers do not mention in the instructions for microwave ovens the possibility of using them for baby food.

Gastroenterologists are categorical in terms of breast milk: heating it with microwaves means radically changing the structure. Amino acids of L-proline are transformed into toxic d-isomers. These connections:

disrupt the functioning of the kidneys;
harm the nervous system.

Which bottles are best

Mothers pour their baby formula into bottles made of glass or plastic. It is recommended to use glass - they are safer. As it turned out, the plastic container contains bisphenol-A. When the plastic heats up, the phenol molecules are released and enter the contents. Animal studies have shown that after regularly eating food from heated plastic, health deteriorated. The impact on people has not been studied, but there is a risk - it is better to abandon plastic containers. nine0003

Polycarbonate dishes should not be boiled, microwaved or even washed in a dishwasher.

Take care of your baby, try to use the microwave oven only in extreme cases.

Is it possible to heat baby food in the microwave: expert's answer

Household appliances

Reading 2 min Views 1. 7k. Posted by 20.09.2019 Updated 09/20/2019

Absolutely all loving mothers worry about the health of their babies and place special emphasis on the quality of their nutrition. The question of whether it is possible to heat baby food in the microwave is more than relevant. On the one hand, you do not need to spend a lot of time and effort on this, on the other hand, the electromagnetic radiation of the device raises doubts.

Now almost every home has a microwave oven, because it greatly facilitates the kitchen life and helps in cooking, allows you to heat up food as quickly as possible. nine0003

Research shows that microwaved food retains its vitamins. Food does not lose its beneficial properties. Electromagnetic radiation does not affect the quality of products.

However, all this applies to standard food. When it comes to milk or other infant formula, things are different. Experts do not recommend frequently heating food in the microwave. According to gastroenterologists, breast milk in this case will begin to lose its beneficial properties. nine0073 Due to the action of microwaves, L-proline amino acids, which are the basis of both natural nutrition and artificial mixtures, are destroyed. Among other things, under the influence of microwave waves, they turn into d-isomers, which are far from the best effect on the kidneys and nervous system.

Don't panic though, there is an easy way to warm baby food. To do this, you only need a container of warm water. It, in turn, can be heated in the microwave. The bottle should be placed in a container and wait until the mixture reaches the required temperature. The same can be done in a cafe or restaurant. It is only necessary to ask the waiter to bring a cup of hot water, in which it will not be difficult to warm the food. nine0003

If you cannot do without a microwave oven, you should choose only the lowest settings with the lowest temperature, and also use glass bottles, not plastic ones.