in

Reheating meals: 10 foods which can become indigestible or give you food poisoning when reheated

Credit: iStock
5/5 - (1 vote)

You never want to throw out left overs!  Many of us are great when it comes to saving money and not wasting food.  You can buy some tupperware pots and place your leftovers in the fridge so that you can eat the same the following night or at lunch time.  However there are some foods that shouldn’t be reheated unless you are prepared to suffer some negative consequences from bad digestion to a potential bout of food poisoning.  Here are 10 foods that you shouldn’t reheat!  

1) Potatoes

Credits : pcdazero / Pixabay

Everyone loves potatoes and uses them regularly in their meals however not many know that they lose their tastiness when they are reheated.  What is more if they are left at room temperature and then reheated, they can become difficult to digest or even toxic.  Rather than reheat potatoes you could eat them in a cold salad.

2) Rice 

Credits : moritz320 / Pixabay

You should eat your rice straight away after it has been cooked.  A study has shown that if you leave rice at room temperature for a few hours, bacterial spores can develop and then leave the rice inedible.  (These bacteria can stay even after heated at high temperatures!)

3) Eggs

Credits : PxHere

Heating up eggs or an egg based dish is a bad idea if it has turned colour, changed texture or smells bad. The taste will be the last clue that this is not a good idea. When subjected to high temperature, already cooked eggs change in composition and become difficult to digest. It can also cause stomach problems.

4) Chicken

Credits : semirh / Pixabay
When reheated at high temperatures, the chicken’s protein change and makes it more difficult to digest.  Choose to eat cold chicken or reheat it over a low heat.  You don’t need high temperatures as the chicken is already cooked!

5) Turnip 

Credits : Pixabay/Gate74

If you reheat turnip you could expose yourself to food poisoning!  It is a shame, but once it is cooked, this light and easily digested vegetable which is rich in water can quickly become toxic if it is used incorrectly!

6) Mushrooms

Credits : Pixabay/Monicore

You should try and avoid reheating mushrooms so that you don’t alter their taste or risk suffering from bloated stomach, wind or stomach pains.  You should therefore eat them straight away if you don’t want to suffer from bad digestion. .

7) Celery

Credits: MabelAmber / Pixabay
You shouldn’t reheat celery more than twice as it’s nitrates become nitrites which is a carcinogenic substance.  However you can simply remove the piece of your celery in your soup or stock and add them later.

8) Spinach

Credits : iStock

Just like celery, you should eat spinach straight away and not reheat it unless you want to eat nitrites.  You shouldn’t give up on eating a great product that is rich in lots great things for your body.  Instead you should cook it wisely in appropriate doses so that you don’t have too much left over or you eat it raw.

9) Beetroot 

Credits : Pixabay/Jill111

Unfortunately beetroot falls into the same category as celery and spinach meaning when heated it’s nitrate are turned into nitrites.  It is best to avoid reheating beetroot so that you avoid having toxic compounds.

10) Lettuce

Credits : Pixabay/JennyWojcik

Lettuce is in full season from May to September but it tends to make it onto our plates all year round. Generally eaten raw, it can still be found in some dishes.  This is when you have to watch that you don’t reheat it for a second time as you could suffer from a bout of food poisoning.

Source

Related articles:

Food combinations: 8 common combos that shouldn’t really go together

Improve your mood with these 9 foods

Food poisoning: 4 tips to quickly overcome the side effects