It IS safe to microwave food - and frozen veg IS better than fresh

But scientists say both actually provide us with more nutrients than vegetables that are steamed or boiled - or the vast majority sitting on supermarket shelves. 

The information has been issued in two new videos from the American Chemical Society, in attempt to dispel both the myths that have long prevailed. 

The first focuses on microwaves - and the widely-held belief they zap all the nutritional value out of food.

Microwaves ovens use microwaves - a form of electromagnetic radiation - to target and excite the water molecules in food.

The quickly rotating water molecules means food heats up fast. 

The video goes on to cover the issue of radiation, explaining that radiation in this case means energy radiating from a source - not radioactive.

Extended exposure to radiation can be damaging - but there are regulations on how many emissions can come from a microwave - and it's 'way, way below any dangerous limit,' the video states.

It adds: 'There has never been any research to show that microwave ovens cause any long-term damage to people.

'They have been designed to quickly affect water molecules - and even if they can affect other things in your food - they're not on long enough to do so.'

And contrary to popular belief, microwaving your food is one of the best ways to ensure food retains its nutritional value. 

This is due to the short cooking time and the lack of excess water used that could potentially absorb nutrients.

In short, it definitely saves a lot more nutrients that boiling, steaming or frying.   

Meanwhile the second video focuses on the health benefits of frozen veg. 

While some people believe it not to be as nutritious as produce use found on the supermarket shelf, the opposite is actually true.

As the clip explains: 'When vegetables are chosen for freezing, they are picked at the peak of their ripeness - which also means at the peak of their nutritional value.'

Before they are frozen, they are dunked in boiling water and quickly cooled to preserve their quality.

This process, called blanching, has two purposes. First, it gets rid of dirt and organisms. But it also stops the veg from degrading.

There are enzymes found in vegetables that help them grow and ripen. But after peak ripening, these enzymes help break down the food, therefore reducing its nutritional value.

However blanching deactivates this enzyme - and when frozen, these vegetables will retain their quality for a year.  

So, thanks to this process of enzymatic deactivation, frozen veg may well be nutritioanlly better off than fresh ones that have been sitting on the shelf too long after peak ripening.

(dailymail.co.uk)