There are certain foods that you should definitely not heat up in the microwave – there is a health risk!
spinach
As I said at the beginning: there is something to the kitchen wisdom not to reheat spinach. In fact, reheated spinach can even be toxic. This is due to its high nitrate value. At room temperature, nitrate is converted into toxic nitrite. Together with some protein breakdown products, this can form carcinogenic nitrosamines. Also, the high nitrite levels that come from warming up can lead to nausea and diarrhea.
Spinach should therefore not be reheated. If there is no way around it, you should at least make sure to cool the spinach as soon as possible after cooking, as this will inhibit nitrite formation. In the refrigerator, nitrite forms more slowly, but steadily. So never store the spinach for longer than two days. When warming up, you should make sure that the spinach is heated to over 70 degrees for at least two minutes. The saucepan is better suited for this as the microwave does not heat evenly.
chicken
Chicken shouldn’t be reheated either. The reason for this is that when the meat is reheated, the protein structures in the meat change so that it can no longer be properly digested in the stomach. This can lead to stomach problems, nausea or diarrhea. Also, not all salmonella are always killed during cooking. The rest can multiply in the chicken and are not reliably killed when reheated in the microwave. There is a risk of salmonella poisoning.
Chicken should never be reheated in the microwave. Instead, it should be heated completely and at over 70 degrees for several minutes. Important:
rice, potatoes, pasta
Heating up rice, pasta or potatoes is not a problem? Unfortunately not. Because with these foods, spores and bacteria can form after the first cooking – there is a risk of food poisoning. The bacteria and spores form even faster if the food was not properly heated the first time. Food such as rice, potatoes or pasta should therefore be placed in the refrigerator immediately after it has cooled down.
Since the microwave does not ensure that food is heated evenly, you should always use a pot to heat it up. Otherwise, the bacteria and spores can still be in the food. The same applies here: Always several minutes at over 70 degrees.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are also rather unsuitable for reheating. Mushrooms mainly contain water and a lot of protein. This allows the formation of microorganisms and dangerous toxins that are not killed in the microwave. These can lead to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
So there are a few things to keep in mind when reheating mushrooms. Dishes with mushrooms should therefore also be cooled as quickly as possible and then stored in the refrigerator – but only for a maximum of one day. When heating up in a pot, pan or oven, the dish should be heated to over 70 degrees for several minutes. But do not reheat the dish a second time.
eggs
Similar to chicken, reheating eggs and egg dishes is risky. Here, too, the protein structures can change and cause digestive problems. In addition, salmonella can multiply in the egg when stored at room temperature. Therefore, you should rather avoid warming up and eat the egg dish fresh.
However, if you do want to reheat it, be sure to heat it above 70 degrees to minimize any potential risk. Microwaves are not suitable here to ensure even heating. Therefore, only use the pot, the pan or the oven.
