Danger! 6 Foods You Must NEVER Reheat in a Microwave
(WellnessPursuits) – A microwave is a great kitchen tool to make food preparation and reheating easier. While the microwave is great for saving us time, there are some foods that should never be reheated in a microwave. In many situations, it simply removes all nutritional value, rendering your food useless in terms of vitamins and energy, but sometimes reheating certain foods is downright dangerous.
- Chicken– Skip the microwave when it comes to reheating chicken. You’ll avoid the risk of salmonella, and you’ll also keep the proteins intact, which will keep your digestive system happy. Consider transforming your cold chicken leftovers into a salad instead.
- Rice – Reheating rice in the microwave could actually result in food poisoning due to the presence of the Bacillus cereus bacteria. In fact, reheating rice in general is just a bad idea if it’s been more than a day since it was made. Spores can begin to grow as soon as your food is reheated and goes back to room temperature.
- Potatoes – Botulism is a real danger when reheating potatoes in a microwave. A safer way to reheat potatoes is to heat them uncovered in the oven.
- Broccoli – You might be surprised to know that reheating broccoli removes a whopping 74-97% of all nutritional value. Instead of microwaving your vegetables to reheat them, consider steaming them. Steaming only removes 11% of the nutritional value.
- Eggs – Reheating eggs could cause the nitrogen in them to oxidize, which has been linked to cancer. It’s best to eat them cold rather than trying to reheat them.
- Carrots – Vegetables like carrots, celery, and even leafy greens, which are rich in nitrates, can be great for your health — unless they are reheated. Heating and reheating can lead to oxidation of the iron in them, which has been linked to cancer as well as infertility.
While the microwave can be a quick way to reheat your leftovers and avoid waste, you may want to consider that microwaving may not get you the most bang for your buck when it comes to keeping the nutritional value of your food intact. And, it’s most important to note that you should only use it to reheat food that doesn’t increase your risk of food poisoning and other complications.
Here’s to your Healthy Pursuits!
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