10 foods you should avoid reheating (2024)

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You should think twice before warming up leftover potatoes.

Sad news for spud lovers: reheating leftover potatoes could make you ill.

As the Independent reported, the issue with reheating potatoes isn’t actually the process of warming them in the microwave or oven. If cooked potatoes are left to cool at room temperature for too long, the bacteria that causes botulism may form. This is actually made more likely if the potatoes are wrapped tightly in foil.

Reheating doesn’t always get the potato hot enough to kill the bacteria, even if the dish seems piping hot. If you didn’t tuck your potatoes away in the refrigerator right after serving, don’t risk food poisoning by eating them the next day.

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Reheating mushrooms can give you an upset stomach.

According to the Independent and the European Food Information Council, reheating mushrooms is a big mistake.

Mushrooms contain proteins that can be damaged by enzymes and bacteria if not stored properly, e.g. left at room temperature too long. Reheating and consuming mushrooms that have deteriorated in this way can give you a stomach ache.

If you really must reheat mushrooms, the European Food Information Council recommends warming them to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

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You probably shouldn’t reheat your chicken.

You’ve probably heard that heating up leftover chicken can dangerous. Though it isn’t strictly true that reheated chicken will lead to food poisoning, getting the process right is tricky.

Lydia Buchtmann, spokesperson for the Food Safety Information Council, told SBS that it’s technically OK to reheat chicken. However, you need to make sure that every single part of the chicken has reached a temperature of at least 175 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure dangerous bacteria are killed. The only way to do that is with a cooking thermometer. Furthermore, you need to make sure cooked chicken is kept below 42 degrees Fahrenheit at all times if you plan to reheat it, and you should toss any cooked chicken that’s been around for more than three days.

If you don’t happen to carry around a meat thermometer and don’t know the exact temperature of your lunchbox and fridge, reheating chicken might be more trouble than it’s worth.

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Eggs can quickly become unsafe to reheat.

If your plate of scrambled eggs is cold by the time you butter your toast, it’s fine to pop it in the microwave for a minute or two. However, the Food and Drug Administration advised that reheating eggs that have been sitting around for even a short while can be dangerous.

According to the FDA, you should never leave eggs or dishes containing eggs out of the refrigerator for more than two hours or more than one hour in hot weather. This means that it’s definitely not okay to reheat a casserole that was left out for serving at a party or a slice of quiche brought home from a restaurant. Bacteria such as salmonella can multiply rapidly in egg dishes and lead to serious food poisoning.

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Reheating cooked rice can lead to bacterial poisoning.

As the BBC reported, cooked rice can be contaminated by a bacterium called Bacillus cereus. Though these bacteria can be rendered harmless by heat, they actually make spores that are toxic and heat resistant.

Eat cooked rice as soon as possible without letting it sit around for hours at room temperature. If you absolutely must reheat rice, make sure every part of the dish is piping hot. This probably means microwaving the dish once, taking it out for a thorough stir, and then popping it back in the microwave for another round of heat.

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Breast milk and baby food shouldn’t be zapped in the microwave.

Though breast milk and baby food can be warmed up for your child, it shouldn’t be reheated in the microwave.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Susie Garcia told Bustle that microwaves can heat food unevenly, resulting in hot patches that can burn a baby’s sensitive mouth and throat. If you need to reheat breast milk or baby food, do so in a hot water bath on the stove.

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You should be extremely careful when reheating seafood.

Seafood is always best enjoyed fresh, but is it safe to reheat? The answer depends on how the seafood was stored.

According to the FDA, fresh seafood that was caught and immediately frozen should be safe to reheat. However, fresh or cooked seafood that has spent any time at room temperature might be harboring bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Reheating may not kill these bacteria, and it can be hard to know how seafood was previously stored if you are buying it fresh.

The FDA also recommended that seafood should be discarded if left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours in cool weather or one hour in warm weather. Bacteria can grow rapidly on seafood at any temperature between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Spinach may not be safe to microwave.

Leftover spinach is probably no one’s favorite snack, but there might also be a health reason to avoid nuking these leafy greens in the microwave.

Business Insider reported that nitrate in spinach can be converted to nitrates and then to nitrosamines by reheating. Some nitrosamines are carcinogenic and can affect the body’s ability to carry oxygen. These findings had been backed by the European Food Information Council.

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Don’t reheat anything from a buffet.

Buffet dishes left out for hours at room temperature are breeding grounds for dangerous microorganisms, according to the FDA.

Bacteria multiply quickly on non-refrigerated food. Though most professional catering companies and restaurants follow strict food safety guidelines to prevent food-borne illness, buffets at office parties or home gatherings are obviously not as strictly controlled. This means that bacteria on buffet food could already be at unsafe levels, and reheating may not kill the germs completely.

If you’re hosting a buffet-style party, never add fresh food to an already-filled serving dish and discard any perishables left out at room temperatures for more than two hours in cool weather or one hour in warm weather.

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You should use caution when reheating oily foods.

Different oils have different heat tolerances, according to Livestrong. If you heat an oil past a safe level, it can produce toxic fumes.

Foods with a lot of oil shouldn’t be tossed in the microwave, as the high heat may cause the oil to smoke and produce these dangerous toxins. If you're going to reheat it, it's best to cook it low and slow in the over — or not at all.

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