by Can’t get enough of Thanksgiving dinner?
Leftovers are always a hit after Turkey Day, but an expert has revealed which foods should never be reheated due to the health risks they pose.
According to dietitian Harini Bala, spinach contains nitrates, the levels of which increase when cooking, studies have shown. At high temperatures – such as when heating leafy vegetables – nitrates are converted into nitrosamines, a substance linked to cancer.
“Please don’t reheat your spinach, eat it as soon as you cook it,” Bala urged in a TikTok video that has been viewed more than 149,000 times, claiming that the compounds in the reheated vegetable are “toxic.”
Next on the chopping block is tea.
When reheated, the antioxidant properties of tea are broken down, while the tannin content, which contributes to its bitter taste, increases. Bala also claimed that any “dormant bacteria” in the tea will become “active” upon reheating, posing a health risk to consumers.
The dietitian also warned against reheating rice, but there is a catch.
The starch is fine to reheat as long as it is stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking, Bala said.
Waiting longer than two hours to store it, she warned, increases the risk of dangerous bacteria multiplying in the food.
“But if you cook your rice in the morning and refrigerate it at night to eat the next day, there is a good chance of developing Bacillus cereus,” she warned.
Bacillus cereus is a type of bacteria that commonly attacks starchy foods and results in food poisoning, also called “fried rice syndrome,” a serious illness that has rarely led to death.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, there are an estimated 63,400 cases of Bacillus cereus poisoning each year.
Symptoms usually include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever.
