Beware: Reheating these five foods can turn them into poison!

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: We all are in the habit of reheating food. Be it leftovers or something we rustled up earlier to eat later, we all feel it is a convenient practice.

But is it safe? Excess reheating of food is always looked down upon by experts, but there are certain food items that can turn into poison if reheated.

Different foods have different nutritional value, but the ones that turn into a potential health risk when reheated must be avoided no matter how healthy they might be.

Below is a list of five food items that you should avoid reheating at all costs.

1. Eggs:

Eggs, though super healthy, turn toxic if heated with a certain high temperature. However, if you are reheating a meal that contains eggs as part of the ingredients, it is absolutely fine. All you need to do is to refrain yourself from reheating boiled eggs or scrambled eggs.

2. Spinach:

Surprised? Yes, one of the healthiest greens can become dangerous if reheated. The rich amount of nitrates that spinach contains, turn into nitrites on reheating. This is carcinogenetic to the body. Always consume your spinach-rich meals right after preparation itself and always cook an amount that won't be left over.

3. Mushrooms:

Reheating mushrooms can cause serious health problems including severe digestion problems, since their protein content and composition changes if they are kept sitting for a long duration. Same as spinach, eat your mushrooms immediately after preparation or eat them cold if left over.

4. Potatoes:

This is another unexpected addition to the list, because you've obviously reheated your potato dishes time and again. Potato is known as a staple food and contains an incredible amount of healthy nutritional values. However, on reheating, potatoes lose all their nutrients and also become toxic.

5. Chicken:

Chicken can become toxic if reheated after a day or two. Cold chicken, if reheated a second time, results in a drastic change of its protein composition, if it's been sitting in your fridge for a long time. This can pose a risk for your digestive system and also cause acidity issues, which are not exactly comfortable.

Be careful with these foods next time!