We generally take for granted that the leftovers of any food that we have prepared that day can be stored in the fridge as an interesting reserve for a sudden hungry morning . Likewise, we think that unwasted portion of refrigerated lunch can be stored in the fridge just fine.

All that we have just told you are probably two of the most popular beliefs that exist, but they do not necessarily adhere to reality. It has been proven that there are foods that cannot be heated more than once, since a second pass through the fire or in the microwave can decompose it and if you consume it, prepare yourself for terrible diarrhea, an attack of colic or in the worst of cases a highly dangerous intoxication.

Why should I not heat a food more than twice?

According to the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) , a food should be consumed once it has been prepared. Submitting it to not just one, but several reheats increases the risk of poisoning and as if that were not enough, it kills all the nutrients it can provide.

It has also been determined that the more food is heated, the more it loses its typical organoleptic properties . Vitamins are also strongly attacked as some are more sensitive to heat than others. An iconic case is the vitamins of group B and vitamin C ; the latter is perhaps the most delicate of all, since high temperatures decompose it in any way. It is recommended that any food that contains vitamin C be heated in the microwave for a short time or on the stove over low heat.

7 foods that we should not reheat more than once

Broccoli and kale

When we expose kale and broccoli to heat, two of their powerful antioxidants (lutein and zeaxanthin) plummet. Therefore, we recommend that when you cook them it is steamed and for a maximum of 5 minutes.

Meat

The first negative point of reheating meat is that every time you do it , the food loses water and therefore dries out. For professional chefs this is a sin against good quality. At a nutritional level , it loses high percentages of vitamin B12, a characteristic component of meat.

Whole grains and legumes

Cereals and legumes are generally one of the sources that provide the most enzymes responsible for carrying out important central functions of the body, especially in the metabolic system. High temperatures decrease these compounds, causing the body to remain in an unevenness that can cause the appearance of all kinds of diseases.

Mushrooms

Who knew that these succulent edible mushrooms would be so sensitive? Well, mushrooms are one of the most important sources of plant-based protein, and their annihilating villain is the fire of overheating, which causes the oxidation of the product and the loss of enzymes.

Spinach

This food constitutes the first cause of risk of poisoning, since it contains a high percentage of nitrates that, once they come into contact with high temperatures, become nitrites and nitrosamines.

Rice

Surely you are going to scream in heaven, but rice is another food that you should not reheat for anything in the world. The real problem is the conservation of the cereal, because the longer you leave it at room temperature, the faster microorganisms and bacteria that are highly dangerous for the stomach proliferate. These usually survive temperatures below 100°C.

Chicken

This food usually contains a bacteria called salmonella when it is in poor condition. Incorrect cooking increases the risk of its activation. When heated in the microwave, check that it is done evenly and that there are no pink parts.