Foods You Should Never Reheat: Who doesn’t love reheating leftovers? But did you know some foods can actually become harmful upon reheating? Some of them lose their nutritional value or go toxic with reheating? So keeping in mind the safety and health of your meals, here are the top 5 foods you should never reheat.
Rice may sound innocent enough, but it carries spores of Bacillus cereus. When rice is allowed to cool and then reheated, the spores can germinate and release toxins causing food poisoning. To avoid this, eat freshly cooked rice, and if you haven’t, refrigerate it well and eat it cold.
Once cooked, eggs lose their protein quality upon reheating and may even release possible toxins upon being heated at high temperatures. In addition, reheating boiled or scrambled eggs can also turn them rubbery and hazardous. You’re better off eating eggs fresh.
Chicken is rich in protein, and reheating alters the structure of the protein and makes it difficult for humans to digest. More importantly, reheating chicken may allow some harmful bacteria such as Salmonella to survive, due to uneven heating. If necessary, eat it cold or ensure even and thorough reheating to temperature.
Green leafy vegetables are high in nitrates, which are converted by reheating into nitrites and potentially harmful nitrosamines, which are linked to health hazards. To be on the safer side, eat spinach preparations right after cooking.
Potatoes can become highly dangerous since under certain circumstances, harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum can develop overtime at room temperature. Reheating these toxins does not guarantee their destruction: hence their consumption can be very risky. Always refrigerate potatoes, and never reheat.
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While reheating food is a common practice, this practice can also sometimes pose a threat to health. Rice, eggs, chicken, spinach, and potatoes are best eaten fresh to bypass health threats. Storing food correctly and avoiding reheating these items can help you enjoy meals minus the harassment of food poisoning. At times, preparing a small fresh serving would be better for one’s health than reheating an already-cooked meal.