Cooking food at home is a necessity. Sometimes, you will have leftovers and other times, not.
As much as warming last night's dinner can be easy and convenient, it also comes with health risks, which you have to avoid.
Health expert and founder of The Healthy Mummy, Rhian Allen, says that preparing meals at home is one of the simplest ways to make healthy eating habits stick.
She says it is important to store and reheat all the food you have made, as some ingredients can breed harmful bacteria, causing food poisoning or serious illness.
“Temperatures are just as important as storing when it comes to avoiding food poisoning. Even if food has been properly frozen or refrigerated, there is still a chance that bacteria are present, which is why we need to be careful to make sure it is reheated properly.
"Food that has been warmed up and left out between two and four hours cannot be put back in the refrigerator and must be consumed. Any food which remains in the danger zone for four or more hours must be discarded,” says Allen.
Emphasising spinach, eggs, cooked rice and chicken, she says that spinach should not be reheated after it has cooked, as it poses high risks of food poisoning.
“Chicken has a protein that starts to deteriorate and may cause digestive problems when it goes from cold to hot the second time around.
The general rule of thumb is if you want to enjoy leftover chicken warm, it is best to reheat it in the microwave, a skillet or the oven only one time after the original preparation.
Cooked rice is fine to reheat in the microwave but you should always check that it is piping hot before eating. You can defrost rice in a fridge before heating it or cook it straight from frozen.
Eggs are like chicken, in that they are enriched with protein, which begins to deteriorate as soon as you cook it. Generally, it is best to cook high-protein food that’s enough for one sitting, adds Allen.
Other mistakes you might be making when reheating food:
Forgetting to stir the food while reheating it
If you are a “set it and forget it” food reheater, you should rethink your methods. Stirring your food helps eliminate the impact of microwave cold spots. The cold spots emerge when the waves enter the microwave and hit the food irregularly.
Health experts says that neglecting to stir your food while it is cooking may result in unappetising cold pockets and foodborne pathogens lurking in the food.
You can also flip the food over to ensure both sides cook evenly when working with large food, such as chicken breasts or pork chops.
Forgetting the water
It is a rare food that can be successfully reheated without a sprinkle of water. especially in the microwave. Most foods, including pasta, rice, grains and root vegetables, absorb surface liquids as they cool in the refrigerator.
Replace that water by dripping, drizzling or flicking water onto the surface of any of the above before you reheat it.
Reheating more than once
Constantly taking your leftovers out and reheating them creates a perfect environment for bacteria, mould and fungus to grow.
Make sure you are taking the exact portion of the leftovers out of the container and putting it in a separate dish to reheat. And if you do not eat the entire portion, toss it.