Quickly heat yesterday’s food in the microwave and eat it. To avoid wasting food, this is a good idea – but for some foods, such as potatoes and mushrooms, reheating in the microwave is not recommended. It is better to play online blackjack.
Leftover food often tastes just as good on the second day – stews like chili sin carne even better. However, you should be careful with some foods: If you reheat them, you risk stomach problems or worse – especially if you only heat them in the microwave. However, the risk can be reduced with the right storage.
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND
You should not reheat the following foods in the microwave:
- spinach
If you want to reheat spinach, it should not be left out at room temperature for too long. Spinach should not be reheated a second time – this is an old kitchen rule that is only partially valid today. The problem with spinach is that the plant naturally contains a lot of nitrate. At room temperature, the nitrate can turn into nitrite, which is harmful to health.
Nitrite can form carcinogenic nitrosamines in combination with certain protein breakdown products. A high nitrite content can also lead to nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. You should therefore not eat spinach that is stale or has been stored (cooked) for a long time.
You should only reheat spinach a second time if you have cooled the leftovers as quickly as possible beforehand – cold reduces nitrite formation.
Even if you refrigerate the food, you should not wait longer than a maximum of two days. This is because nitrite also forms in the fridge, albeit more slowly.
Heat spinach in a pan to over 70 degrees Celsius for at least two minutes. Food often does not heat up evenly in the microwave.
- please don’t: mushrooms in the microwave
The situation is similar with spinach and mushrooms: if you store cooked mushrooms at room temperature for a long time, reheating them can be critical. With their high water and protein content, mushrooms are the ideal breeding ground for microorganisms – dangerous toxins can form during storage, which can lead to nausea and diarrhea.
However, if you follow a few rules, you can still reheat mushrooms:
- Cool mushroom dishes quickly after preparation.
- Do not store mushrooms in the fridge for more than a day.
- When reheating, you should heat the mushroom dish to at least 70 degrees. A saucepan or frying pan is therefore better than the microwave.
- reheating chicken?
If you reheat cold chicken a second time, the protein structures in the meat change. As a result, the stomach can no longer break down the proteins properly – this can lead to digestive problems, nausea, and diarrhea.
Salmonella poses a further risk. The bacteria can still be present after preparation. If the cooked chicken is stored, the salmonella will multiply. If you only reheat the chicken in the microwave, the salmonella can remain on the meat – and in the worst case, you risk salmonella poisoning.
As a rule, you should therefore not reheat the chicken, but eat it immediately after preparation. However, if there is any leftover chicken, you don’t have to throw it away. You should just take a few precautions when reheating:
Heat the poultry completely and evenly for several minutes. The meat should also be hot in the middle and not just lukewarm.
Just like other meats, chicken should not be on your menu too often – for the sake of the animals, the environment, and the climate. Also, make sure you only buy organic meat. When it comes to meat consumption, less is more!
- scrambled eggs & co.
Can you reheat scrambled eggs? No. Whether scrambled eggs, fried eggs or boiled eggs – reheating them is risky. As with chicken, protein structures can change, which can cause stomach problems. If the egg has been stored at room temperature, salmonella can also multiply here.
Eggs should therefore only be eaten freshly prepared, if at all. All dishes containing eggs should be reheated to at least 70 degrees.
- and 6. potatoes and rice do not belong in the microwave
Did you know that potatoes should only be reheated carefully? Because there is also a certain risk with rice and potatoes: if you only put cooked potatoes or rice in the fridge a few hours after preparation, spores or bacteria can form.
Especially if the food is only heated for a short time or at too low a temperature, the bacteria are not killed – in the worst case, this can result in food poisoning. Therefore:
Cool cooked potatoes and rice immediately after preparation and place in the fridge.
To be on the safe side, do not reheat rice and potatoes in the microwave, but in a saucepan.
Heat the food completely and evenly for several minutes (at least 70 degrees).
