It is a common practice at homes to store the leftover food to be reheated and used later or the next day. This saves your time and also the workload to cook meals afresh. However, medical experts warn against reheating certain food items as they may be harmful for your health. Here is a list of 8 food items that shouldn’t be reheated.
1) Egg: Eggs require less time to cook. However, it is not enough to kill all the bacteria in the eggs. Keeping the boiled eggs in room temperature for long would cause the proliferation of salmonella bacteria in it. It is better to eat eggs as soon as they are cooked.
2) Beetroot: The nitric oxide contained in beetroot helps control the blood pressure. However, when reheated, the nitrates get converted to nitrites and then nitrosamines, which are harmful. Regular consumption of reheated beetroot may increase the chances of cancer in human beings.
3) Potato: A bacteria called clostridium botulinum gets spread when the potatoes are cooled down after cooking it. This bacterium causes a condition called botulism. It is better to consume potatoes as soon as they are cooked.
4) Chicken: Chicken too contains the salmonella bacteria. It proliferates as long as it is stored. Do not reheat the chicken dishes more than once.
5) Oily snacks: Do not reheat the snacks that are cooked or fried in hot oil. The oil may lose its nutritional qualities when reheated. Besides, the oil releases toxic vapour when the snacks are reheated. This may cause severe health problems.
6) Sea food: Sea food dishes should be eaten within one hour of cooking it as these may cause severe food poisoning if turned stale. It is better not to consume reheated sea food dishes.
7) Oils: Flax seed oil, olive oil and canola oil contain omega 3 fatty acids and other unsaturated fats which have great health benefits. However, it is not safe to reheat the food cooked in these oils as it may cause serious health issues.
8) Spinach: Spinach too is a rich source of nitrates. When leafy vegetables like spinach are reheated, these nitrates turn to carcinogenic nitrosamines that cause cancer.