11 Foods You Should NEVER Reheat in the Microwave

In many kitchens, the microwave is a quick and practical ally to heat food. However, not everything that comes out of the refrigerator is suitable to be reheated this way.

Some foods, when exposed to microwave heat again, can lose nutrients, alter their flavor, generate toxic compounds or even become a health risk. In this article, we’ll tell you what foods you should avoid reheating and why.

The 11 foods you should never reheat in the microwave

The microwave is a useful tool, but not everything we eat is compatible with it. Knowing which foods to avoid can protect your health and improve the quality of your meals.

1. Boiled eggs (hard-boiled or scrambled)

Reheating them can cause a buildup of steam inside, which can cause them to explode both inside the microwave and afterwards when opened. In addition, its texture is altered and its taste becomes unpleasant.

Advice: If you have leftover boiled eggs, eat them cold in salads or sandwiches.

2. Rice

If not properly preserved, rice may contain spores of Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that resists high temperatures. When reheating in microwaves, the heat is not uniform and may not destroy these toxins.

Advice: Store the rice in the refrigerator immediately after cooking and, if you reheat it, keep it very hot and in a pan.

3. Chicken

The microwave heats unevenly, which can leave parts of the chicken reheated at unsafe temperatures. This allows bacteria such as salmonella to survive.

Advice: If you need to reheat chicken, it’s best to do it in the oven or in a pan, making sure it’s heated throughout.

4. Boiled potatoes

They can develop Clostridium botulinum if they are not properly refrigerated. Reheating them in the microwave does not always reach enough temperature to eliminate this bacteria.

Advice: Avoid storing cooked potatoes at room temperature. If you reheat them, do it in a pan or oven.

5. Cooked mushrooms

They contain proteins that can break down and generate toxic compounds when reheated. In addition, its texture becomes rubbery and unpleasant.

Advice: Prepare only the amount of mushrooms you are going to consume at the moment.

6. Spinach

They contain nitrates that, when reheated, can be converted into nitrites and nitrosamines, potentially carcinogenic compounds.

Advice: Consume them fresh or cooked at the moment. If there are leftovers, it is better to fry them in a salad.

7. Celery

Like spinach, it contains nitrates that can become harmful when heated again.

Advice: If you’re making soup, remove the celery before reheating.

8. Beetroot

It has a similar behavior to celery and spinach. Heat can transform their nitrates into compounds that are dangerous to health.

Advice: Add it after heating the food or eat it cold.

9. Seafood

Cooked seafood, when reheated, not only loses its texture and flavor, but can develop harmful bacteria if not heated evenly.

Advice: Better to eat them cold or steam them carefully.

10. Breast milk

Although it may seem practical, microwaving breast milk can create dangerous hot spots for the baby and destroy essential nutrients.

Advice: Heat it in a double boiler or in a bowl of warm water.

11. Meals with creamy sauces or dairy

The uneven heat of the microwave can cut sauces, separate ingredients, and alter the flavor, as well as create potential bacterial risks if not heated thoroughly.

Advice: Better heat over low heat, stirring constantly.

Final Tips

• Use microwave-safe containers and never ordinary plastics, as they can release chemicals.
• Cover the food with a suitable lid or perforated plastic wrap to prevent splashes and that the heat is better distributed.
• Stir halfway through heating so that the heat reaches all of the food evenly.
• Do not reheat the same food more than once.
• If you have doubts, it is better to avoid the microwave and opt for methods such as the oven, pan or steam.
  
  
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