How Do I Make Healthy Microwave Meals?

The healthiest microwave meals are not heavily processed foods that come wrapped in plastic. In fact, they are made from the foods many people already have in their kitchens. Most basic meals can be cooked in the microwave instead of the oven, stovetop, or other cooking appliance. For example, the vast majority of vegetables can be steamed with a bit of water to create a healthy side dish. In addition, main courses like scrambled eggs and curry chicken can also be cooked in the microwave for fast but healthy meals.

Both fresh and frozen vegetables can be cooked in the microwave in under 10 minutes. Besides preferred spices, you need a microwave-safe dish, a small amount of water, and microwaveable plastic wrap. Place the vegetables in a dish with the water, then snugly fit the plastic wrap onto the container. Slightly lift one side of the plastic wrap to allow the vegetables to vent and steam. Cook the vegetables until they reach your preferred tenderness, remove from the microwave with oven mitts, and enjoy.

For a quick breakfast, scrambled eggs can also be cooked in the microwave. Even healthier microwave meals only use the egg whites, which can be liberally seasoned for appeal. Whatever method you choose, scramble about one to three eggs in a microwave-safe dish, then place in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until done. Using more than three eggs can significantly increase the cooking time and require stirring the eggs several times to ensure even cooking. Once the eggs are cooked thoroughly, spice them with salt and pepper and use either ketchup or salsa as a topping.

Microwave meals can be for dinner, too; for example, chicken curry takes less than 20 minutes. In this case, the ingredients are basically thrown into a microwave-safe dish with a lid, then placed in the microwave for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. The meal is stirred every five minutes to cook everything evenly.

Meatballs, baked apples, and much more can be turned into healthy microwave meals. There are entire books dedicated to this subject, so do not become discouraged if you or your family do not find the first meals appealing. The texture difference between microwaved meat and meat that has been cooked some other way is more noticeable in some meats than others. On the other hand, the meals are usually easier to put together and faster to cook.