5 Foods You Should Never Reheat in the Oven

Accept that it has happened to all of us when we are left with a large amount of food that was prepared late at night. Tossing it all away would be a huge waste, so what should you do with it? You store it in a container in the fridge or freezer for later consumption. Most of the time, we microwave the food and reheat it for later consumption. It appears to be an ideal situation for the majority of the foods we consume. But did you know that some foods should never be reheated in the microwave because they can harm your body? If you have leftovers, there are a couple of foods you should throw away. Let’s learn more about them.

Foods You Should Never Reheat in the Oven

Leftover Chicken

If you have any leftover cooked chicken, eat it cold the next day or reheat it slowly at a low temperature. What you should not do is heat it in a microwave in short bursts. When you move the chicken from the cold of the fridge to the heat of the microwave, the proteins in it will change, which can upset your stomach.

Potato

Reheating potatoes is not a good idea because the heat promotes the growth of the bacterium C. botulinum, which can cause food poisoning. The heat does not kill the bacteria; instead, it causes them to multiply! Even if you leave the cooked potatoes out at room temperature, the bacteria production will increase. So, if you want to avoid bacteria growth, keep them refrigerated or throw them away if not consumed within 1-2 days.

Rice

Rice should not be reheated because it can become a breeding ground for bacteria. This is due to the presence of Bacillus Cereus, a highly resistant bacteria. Heat kills these bacteria, but it can produce toxic spores in the environment. When rice is reheated and left out at room temperature, any spores it contains can multiply, resulting in food poisoning. What you should not do is allow the rice to come to room temperature before reheating it. When you take it out of the fridge, simply place it in the microwave. Even better, eat it all at once or discard the leftovers.

Eggs

It’s best to eat eggs immediately after they’ve been prepared (or to eat them cold later) or to throw them away. Eat cooked eggs right away, but if they’ve been sitting for a while, don’t reheat them; instead, eat them cold because high-protein foods contain a lot of nitrogen. Because of the reheating, this nitrogen may be oxidized, causing cancer.

Celery

Celery can be found in many soups, but if you have any leftover soup, leave the celery out. Nitrates are found in celery, and when heated, they transform into nitrites. Nitrites are carcinogenic and have been linked to heart disease, among other things.

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