23 December 2009
As you probably know, cooking by microwaves is not at all the same as cooking in the conventional way. A microwave is a short-lived, high-frequency electro-magnetic wave similar to the ones which are used for transmitting radar signals. It heats up food by penetrating it to a depth of up to an inch and a half (4 cm) and activating the molecules of water and fat and sugar, making them vibrate at millions of times a second. This produces heat by friction (as you do when you rub your hands together) and this heat travels in towards the centre of the food by conduction, passing from particle to particle, until the centre is reached.
For the first four to six months of life, babies need nothing more than milk as this provides all the energy and nutrients that they need. Brest milk contains particular proteins called antibodies and white blood cells, which help to protect a baby from infection. Brest milk is also rich in the omega-3 essential fatty acids that are important for brain development. Resent research shows that breastfed babies may well have higher IQs than babies given infant formula. A study of school-age children reared on breast milk found their IQs were five points higher than those brought up on formula milk.
What products are the best for cooking in microwave: fish, meat, vegetables, sauces, soups. How to defrost, heat meals, and cook for one or to with a microwave. Microwave techniques.
The first and most important factor is to read the instruction book which comes with your microwave. Always keep this on hand for reference - models differ in power and in the way the controls arc marked - and follow it as you start to cook. Begin with something simple and straightforward - reheat a cup of coffee, cook a jacket potato or a dish of sliced courgettes - and gradually, you will get used to this new form of cooking method and gain confidence.
Of all the foods we normally cook, vegetables are undoubtedly the quickest and easiest to prepare. They are generally delicate in flavour and cook rapidly. Thus we need to take great care that we cook them to just the right point or risk losing their natural taste, juice, colour, texture and food value. Properly cooked, vegetables are very nutritious and an extremely important part of the diet.
All foods and their ingredients must be safe by law. When looking at labels do not be misled by thinking that E numbers are bad; on the contrary, E numbers mean the additive has been accepted as safe all over the European Union. Food additives such as preservatives help food to remain fresh by controlling the germs that cause food poisoning.
More and more families with children are choosing to become vegetarian and a balanced vegetarian diet can be very healthy. However, it is important not to give up meat without replacing the nutrients that meat provides, particularly protein, iron, zinc and possibly some B vitamins.
Foods containing carbohydrates are the main providers of energy in the diet. There are two types of carbohydrates: sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates), each of which can be found in two forms; natural or refined.
Meat is a very popular food in China but it is not consumed in such quantities as in the West. That is, it is rarely the central dish in any meal. Rather, it is used to accompany and to complement other foods - vegetables and rice, for example - or in sauces and soups. This makes for a very healthy diet: in the West we use too much animal protein, at the cost of the vegetable nutrients and food fibre our bodies require.
There are many important factors in brain development but no scientifically proven links with specific types of food. That said, a balanced and varied diet obviously ensures that all possible factors important for brain development are present and there are some foods that are better than others for stimulating the brain cells.
Children grow and develop rapidly. Protein is the building block of all the cells in our bodies and therefore an essential part of the diet. Since children grow so quickly, they have a higher requirement for protein than do adults. As well as helping growth, proteins are also important for repairing any damage to body tissue. It is reassuring to know that protein deficiency is almost unheard of in this country and most of us eat more protein than we need.
A balanced diet for adults and children over five years old should contain approximately 20% protein, 35% fat and 45% carbohydrates. Children under five years of age need a diet lower in fat and higher in fibre, but gradually their diet will change to become more in line with an adult diet.
We are foolish if we think we can beat nature at its own game. Vitamin and mineral supplements can never hope to replace all the nutrients contained in food. Listed below are the main vitamins and minerals that children need to grow and be healthy. Vitamins A, C, D, E, B complex vitamins, and also such minerals, as iron and zinc.
To grow properly and keep healthy, children need to eat a good balanced diet. The food guide pyramid has been desined to show quickly the different properties of each of the food groups that make up a balanced diet and children should aim to achieve this balance by the age of five. This information is generally depicted as a pyramid to show the proportion of foods.
In general, the more colourful the food, the more nutritious it is. For example, spinach rates more highly than lettuce; the deep orange of a sweet potato contains more nutrients than an ordinary potato, and pink grapefruit is preferable to an ordinary grapefruit. It is important to ensure that you include a good variety of colours to make sure you are getting a good balance in your and your children's diet.
SuperFoods are foods that have roles other than supplying the basic components of our diet - carbohydrate, protein and fat. These roles vary from boosting energy and brain power to prevention of illness and even repair of damage. Research shows that one-third of cancer cases are related to what we eat and the evidence is that fibre and fresh fruit and vegetables are in surprisingly short supply in the Western diet. Researchers estimate that diets filled with fruits and vegetables instead of fats, along with exercise, could reduce cancer incidence by 30 to 40 per cent.
Smoothies are possibly the ultimate drink for an immediate energy boost. They are easy to make and can transform fresh fruit and vegetables into healthy drinks packed full of goodness. In their simplest form they are cool fresh fruit purees or you can add yogurt as a healthy thickener or even ice cream or alcohol for superb tasting treats. The choice is yours.
A wide range of sweets can be made at home quite easily with very little special equipment. The most essential item is a sugar thermometer; though there are some sweets that can be made without one. Most however are made by cooking sugar mixtures to a certain temperature.
Home baked bread is miles apart from bought bread. Yeast cookery takes some practice to achieve good results but it is well worth the effort involved. Do you know secrets of making bread? Read about such processes, as sponging, kneading, rising, proving, making short-time doughs. And also about different methods of adding yeast to flour.
The main ingredients in bread are flour, yeast sugar and water. Fat may be added to enrich the dough. Yeast is used as a raising agent for making bread, etc. It is a small living organism which grows by feeding on sugar in the presence of warmth and moisture. Carbon dioxide is given off which makes the dough rise and become light and spongy. Yeast is killed at higher temperatures (over 46°C, 115°F) so the rising stage, known as proving, must be completed before the dough is baked.