If You Re-Heat These 6 Common Foods, Stop Immediately - What To Do Instead
One of the best parts about having a large, extravagant dinner is having a fridge full of leftovers to eat all week. However, recent research has shown that certain foods could pose potential health risks upon reheating or from improper storage.
Spinach, Celery, Eggplant, Radishes and Beets
Starting off the list, certain vegetables such as spinach, celery, eggplant, radishes and beets can turn carcinogenic (cancer causing) if stored improperly. The nitrates contained in these vegetables breaks down to form nitrites. Without enough antioxidants in the body, these nitrites could become carcinogenic. To avoid issues, remove these vegetables from leftovers or be sure to cool them quickly and store below 5 degrees Celsius (41 F) to stop the breakdown of nitrates.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms quickly go bad after they've been chopped up. It's best to finish them off right away without making their way into the leftovers. If they are properly sealed and refrigerated quickly, it is possible to keep them without upsetting the stomach. It might be easier to avoid leftover mushrooms altogether, though.
Cooked Eggs
Reheated eggs can be difficult to digest. It's best to eat leftover hard-boiled eggs or quiche cold. Your stomach will thank you for it.
Potatoes
Leftover potatoes can be reheated without issue, but leaving cooked potatoes at room temperature promotes bacteria growth very quickly. Try to refrigerate leftover potatoes as soon as possible.
Cooked Rice
Similar to potatoes, cooked rice left to sit at room temperature breeds bacteria. Often when reheated, the heat is not enough to kill the bacteria that has already produced. Be sure to get leftover cooked rice into the fridge quickly after cooking.
Chicken
Lastly, reheated chicken very commonly causes severe digestive problems. Either avoid eating reheated chicken or be sure to reheat it slowly and to a high internal temperature. Another way to avoid issues is to add the leftover chicken to a cold sandwich or salad.
Controlling Bacteria Growth
Bacteria grows quickly at warm temperatures. Make sure food is hot enough to kill bacteria or cold enough to stop bacteria growth. It can be difficult because we can't visibly see bacteria, but use these tips and some common sense when deciding which leftovers to hang on to and which ones to pass on.
Comments