Can’t get enough of Thanksgiving dinner?
Leftovers are always a hit after Turkey Day, but an expert has revealed the foods that should never be reheated because of the health risks they pose.
Spinach, according to nutritionist Harini Bala, contains nitrates, the levels of which increase with cooking, studies have shown. In high heat – such as when you heat leafy greens – nitrates are converted to nitrosamines, a compound linked to cancer.
“Please don’t reheat your spinach, just eat it as soon as you cook it,” Bala urged in a TikTok video that has garnered more than 149,000 views, claiming the ingredients in the reheated vegetable are “toxic.”
Next on the chopping block is tea.
When reheated, the tea’s antioxidant properties break down as the tannin level, which contributes to the bitter taste, rises. Bala also claimed that any “dormant bacteria” in the tea will become “active” upon reheating, posing a health risk to consumers.
The nutritionist also warned against reheating rice — but there’s a catch.
The starch is fine to reheat as long as it is stored in an airtight container inside the refrigerator within two hours of boiling, Bala said.
Waiting more than two hours to leave it, she warned, increases the risk of dangerous bacteria spreading to the food.
“But if you cook rice in the morning and refrigerate it overnight to eat it the next day, there is a high chance that Bacillus cereus will form,” she warned.
Bacillus cereus is a type of bacteria that commonly infects starchy foods and results in food poisoning, often referred to as “fried rice syndrome,” a serious illness that has resulted in death in rare cases.
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.
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