7 foods you should not reheat repeatedly

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends cooling leftovers and refrigerating them within two hours of cooking, then eating them within 48 hours. Reheat them only once, until piping hot throughout, not just warm. When using a microwave, stir or turn the food during reheating.

Eat cooked spinach right away whenever possible. It contains high levels of nitrates, which microorganisms convert into nitrites during extended storage and repeated reheating. Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) therefore recommends not reheating cooked spinach.

Reheat vegetable soup according to the rules above. The BfR lists carrots among vegetables with low nitrate levels.

According to the BfR, beets are among the vegetables high in nitrates, along with spinach, lettuce, arugula, kohlrabi, and radishes. Refrigerate cooked beets and eat them as soon as possible.

Reheat egg dishes according to the rules above: cool them quickly after cooking and refrigerate them, then reheat only once, until piping hot throughout.

You can eat chicken from the previous day cold if you cooled and refrigerated it within two hours of cooking. Eat leftovers within 48 hours. If reheating, heat the chicken until steaming hot throughout, including the center; simply warming it is not enough. When using a microwave, stir or turn it during reheating, and reheat it only once.

Eat mushroom dishes immediately after cooking whenever possible, and reheat leftovers according to the rules above.

Sources: FSA (Food Standards Agency) – Cooking your food; BfR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) – Questions and answers about nitrate and nitrite in food.