Reheating dinner is common in the modern life. Whether you want to clean out the fridge or make a whole new meal from the leftovers from last night, your microwave is a handy kitchen companion. However, some studies show that reheating some foods can be dangerous to your overall health, especially if these foods were stored improperly beforehand.

Top 31 Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

There are some dangerous risks involved in reheating foods. This is because a microwave cannot cook foods evenly and any bacteria found in the foods will still survive. To reduce the risks, you do not reheat the following foods in a microwave oven. Here are some foods that could give you food poisoning if stored or reheated improperly:

Read also: 20 Natural Home Remedies for Food Poisoning in Adults 

1. Potatoes

This is the first one of the foods to never reheat in a microwave that we want to mention in this article and want all of our readers to avoid reheating them at home.

Potatoes offer many health benefits; however, these benefits and their nutrients could be lost if you do not eat them in the day they are cooked. Besides, potatoes could be tricky if you let them cool down to room temperature in stead of immediately freezing. The warm temperatures can boost the growth of botulism, which is known as rare bacteria. And then, botulism cannot be killed in the microwave; therefore, you should refrigerate them immediately to avoid any reheating problems.

2. Chicken – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

The protein composition in chicken changes when frozen chicken reheated in a microwave oven. This can harm your digestive health; therefore, if you want to heat your chicken for the second time, you need to ensure that the meat is thoroughly cooked to eliminate all present bacteria and its inside should be piped out before reheating it in a microwave. Also, if you want to reheat leftover chicken in the microwave, reheat it only one time after its original preparation.

3. Hard-Boiled Eggs

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You can reheat foods that contain eggs; however, it is risky to re-heat boiled eggs. According to a study ^[1], eggs could be toxic when they are exposed to high temperature. Besides, eggs are packed with protein. Heating eggs for the second time could destroy the protein, and this change can become toxic.

Moreover, when cook or reheat a hard-boiled egg is in a microwave, the moisture inside the egg can create an extreme steam buildup, and then the egg might explode. Even, the egg will not burst while it is being heated; however, afterward, the hot egg could erupt in your plate or even in your mouth. To reduce the risk of getting a steam bomb, cut the egg into some small pieces before you reheat them, or simply, avoid putting hard-boiled eggs in the microwave.

4. Scrambled Eggs

As we mentioned above, reheating scrambled eggs can be dangerous for your health, especially if they are not reheated correctly. Therefore, scrambled eggs are known as one of the foods to never reheat in a microwave. To reheat scrambled eggs in a microwave correctly, you need to cook them over low heat, gently stirring and waiting for 4 minutes.

5. Mushrooms – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

Mushrooms are also another vegetable that you should not reheat in a microwave. It is advised to eat fresh mushrooms right after preparation as the proteins found in mushrooms could rapidly deteriorate. If you store the mushrooms that you have prepared in the refrigerator for no more than a day and then reheat them, these mushrooms can result in stomach upset and additional heart disease. It may be safer to eat these mushrooms after you reheat them to a temperature of 158^o.

See More: 19 Natural Home Remedies for Upset Stomach Nausea in Adults 

6. Processed Meat

Processed meats often have preservatives and chemicals and unfortunately, reheating these processed meats in a microwave can make those substances present in processed meats worse for your health. In the process of heating processed meats, we might be exposed to chemical changes. According to a study, reheating processed meats in a microwave may lead to the appearance of cholesterol oxidation products, which have been found to associate with the growth of coronary heart disease.

Learn More: List of 22 Foods High in Cholesterol to Avoid 

7. Pizza – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

The best way to reheat pizza is in a frying pan, not in microwaves. To reheat pizza correctly, take a frying pan with a lid, melt some butter and then place your slices of pizza in this pan. Allow to cook them on medium heat for half a minute and then cover it with the lid for another 30 seconds. Pizza is one of the foods to never reheat in a microwave that you should know and then try to avoid doing this at home.

8. Breast Milk

Many new mothers store the breast milk in the fridge for later use. This habit is great as long as you will not reheat it in a microwave. The reason is that microwaves will not warm your breast milk unevenly, causing “hot spots” that can burn the mouth and throat of a baby. Besides, there is the carcinogen hazard that can come with reheating plastic. According to a report ^[2], experts recommend that breast milk should be thawed and heated for the second time on the stove. Alternatively, you could reheat some water in the microwave and then place the bottle of breast milk in this water to thaw.

9. Spinach

Spinach is one of the foods to never reheat in a microwave because this is exceptionally unsafe to do. Spinach should be eaten directly after readiness. Spinach has a high amount of nitrates, which can turn into nitrites when heated up. Nitrates will not become a health problem until the process of heating activates them, stimulating them to release harmful carcinogenic effects. Whenever you reheat spinach, they could become toxic.

See More: A List of 38 Best Foods High in Fiber 

10. Pie

To perfectly reheated pies, you need to make sure that your pastry remains crisp. At first, slice up the leftovers, put them into a casserole dish and cover it with the lid. If you have small individual pies, you should place them in the pot whole. Then, bake them at 200°C for about 20 minutes, take out the lid before baking them for a further 10 minutes. Your pies will be reheated through, and your pastry will be golden.

11. Omelets

When you want to reheat omelets, you should steam it instead of placing it in a microwave. Place your omelets on a steam basket in a pot packed with water with a lid. Alternatively, you can put it on a parchment paper and then place it in an electric steamer for a few minutes. This method can keep your omelet moist, light, and fluffy.

12. Fried Chicken

If you reheat fried chicken in a microwave, you may do it wrong. To reheat it, you need to place the fried chicken on a baking tray and then cover it with foil. Then, preheat the oven to 190°C before placing the baking tray of fried chicken inside. Bake it for about 10 minutes. Next, remove the foil and keep baking the chicken until it is crispy and golden all over.

There are other foods to never reheat in a microwave in this article. So, keep reading this entire article and then remember to avoid reheating these foods to prevent the risks of getting health problems.

13. Rice – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

It is so surprising to know that in some cases, microwaving rice can lead to food poisoning. This issue involves the appearance of a bacteria called Bacillus cereus. The heat kills off these bacteria, but it can produce spores that are dangerous for the health. Some studies show that when rice is taken from the microwave and is kept at room temperature, spores can multiply and even cause food poisoning, diarrhea, and vomiting. Also, reheating the rice will not eliminate these spores. To avoid contaminated rice, you should eat your rice in one setting or refrigerate it right away for safer reheating later.

Moreover, according to a study, eating rice that is kept out at room temperature for more than 60 minutes after cooking or placed in the fridge for more than a day can cause digestive distress. Therefore, rice is known as one of the foods to never reheat in a microwave that you should not look down.

Learn more: Foods High in Potassium – List of 21 Healthy Foods to Choose 

14. Foods With A Lot Of Oil

All of the oils can withstand many levels of heat, but if their levels of heat are exceeded, they can produce hazardous substances, which can cause health issues such as cancer. Besides, you should avoid reheating foods with a lot of oil in the microwave because they could burn when getting too hot.

15. Pasta

Pasta without sauce is easy to reheat. Just add it to a pot packed with boiling water for about 30-45 seconds to heat through. Then, drain and use it as normal. Pasta with tomato-based sauce could be reheated in a pan over medium heat. You can add water in case this sauce is thicker and add salt and pepper if required.

If the pasta is in a cream-based sauce or oil, this can be a bit tricky. If the sauce and pasta are too hot, the cheese or cream can separate, leaving your oily dish. Therefore, to reheat this pasta correctly, place it in a pan over medium-low heat and add a small amount of oil or cream you used. Remember to stir it frequently.

16. Oils – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

When it comes to foods to never reheat in a microwave, you should avoid reheating oils. According to research about smoke point of oils ^[3], some oils that have low smoke points can turn into trans-fats when they are exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, you should not reheat oils such as avocado, hazelnut, grape seed or walnut in a microwave. Just use them at room temperature to sprinkle them over your dishes to enhance their taste.

17. Fish and Chips

To reheat fish and chips, show them in the oven in stead of the microwave. This is because microwaving can create lots of steam and rob the crunch of the fish supper, leaving your meal soggy. Besides, fish can release some funk once they hit the microwave, so you do not use the microwave to reheat this. You need to reheat fish and chips in the oven at 200°C and bake them for about 10 minutes for hot fish and chips.

Read also: List of Common Foods High in Magnesium – 19 Foods 

18. Celery And Carrots

We often use celery for many dishes such as soups. Also, according to a report about leafy vegetables and nitrates ^[4], celery is also rich in nitrates. And, when you heat up celery in microwaves, nitrates could be turned into nitrites. Therefore, you should not reheat celery in microwaves. If your soup has celery, you should take it out when warming up your soup. Similarly, carrots should not be reheated.

19. Turnips

Other foods to never reheat in a microwave that you should know must include turnips. Many people use turnips as a common ingredient in stews and soups. And, turnips also have a high amount of nitrates; therefore, reheating them is not advised because this can become toxic.

20. Lettuce

This green leafy veggie is advised to eat raw. Cook it if you cannot eat it raw, but you never heat up butter lettuce for the second time because its high amount of nitrates can result in food poisoning.

21. Beets

When it comes to foods to never reheat in a microwave, remember that you should avoid reheating beets in your microwave. We all know that beets are delicious and offer many nutritional benefits. However, like celery, carrots, and spinach, beets are high in nitrates. To reap all of its nutritional benefits, you only cook beets in one sitting or eat them cold.

22. Lasagna – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

The problem with heating lasagna for the second time in microwaves is that it can be overheated in some areas and remain cold in other areas. To reheat lasagna correctly, you do not use a microwave. The key to heating throughout is to cut out the lasagna into some small portions and then place them in gratin dishes. After that, place each dish onto a particular baking tray. Top each lasagne with some tomato sauce and grated cheese. Finally, bake lasagna in an oven to 200°C for about 20. For frozen lasagna, you need to bake it for about 40 minutes instead.

23. Burgers And Meatballs

They should not be reheated in a microwave because they can lose most of their moisture. Try chopping them up and adding them to soup instead. In fact, they are foods to never reheat in a microwave, so you should not use the microwave to heat them for the second time.

24. French Fries

French fries reheated in a microwave are awful because of their taste and texture change. For best results, you should heat them in a non-stick pan with a little vegetable oil. At first, wait until the oil starts to sizzle and then place the fries in the hot oil and fry them as normal. Finally, let them drain the oil before sprinkling them with salt.

25. Casseroles – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

To reheat casseroles, you should sprinkle some water to your casseroles to prevent them from drying out. Then, you cover them tightly using a tin foil before giving them back in the oven until they are reheated. Remember to check in the middle for sure.

26. Quiche

Reheating quiche in the microwave can cause sogginess. If you want to reheat quiche properly, you sprinkle the top with some water. Then, wrap it in the foil before baking it in an oven at 200°C for about 20 minutes. The water added will be just enough to create steam to revive the cheese and eggs without making your pastry soggy. After that, you remove the foil and cook it for another 5- 8 minutes.

27. Steak

You do not reheat steak in a microwave. But, if you reheat it, you should follow the trick. First, you thinly slice your steak. Then, place these steak strips in a pan with some olive oil and cook it over medium heat until you see the steak is warmed through and brown on the edges.

Read more: 24 Foods that Increase Height Fast and Naturally 

28. Durian

Do not heat up durian in a microwave because durian smells so bad. When you reheat it in the microwave, its smell will stick to your microwave and affect the smell and flavor of the other foods.

Do you want to know other foods to never reheat in a microwave? Keep reading this entire article and then consider learning something from that.

29. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts when cooked will release a large amount of sulfur. Therefore, do not reheat them in a microwave. Instead, leave your Brussels sprouts alone or go with something innocuous such as green beans.

See more: 29 Super Foods High in Folic Acid for Pregnant Women 

30. Bread

To reheat bread without causing it to be stale and hard, you will not surprise to learn that using the microwave is not your solution. The best way for you to reheat bread is to place the bread on a big piece of foil, sprinkle the bread with some water before wrapping it tightly. Then, place the bread in the oven for about 7 minutes. After that, remove the foil and then bake for additional three minutes. The result is that your bread will be crunchy on the outside and fluffy and soft on the inside.

31. Porridge – Foods To Never Reheat In A Microwave

This is the last one of the foods to never reheat in a microwave that we want to mention in this article and want you to avoid reheating it at home. Reheating porridge ^[5] in a microwave is not a good idea. The best way for you is to reheat porridge in a pan. Then, add a little milk and heat it over medium heat until your porridge reaches your desired consistency. This is the perfect time for you to add tasty extras such as raisins, cinnamon, or chocolate chips to it.

When reheating foods, you need to ensure that they are cooked at high temperatures. Also, you do not eat any leftovers longer than 3 days to ensure that these foods are still safe to eat. To be safe when reheating foods in a microwave, follow 4 simple ways:

• Check that the microwave you are using is working properly.
• If foods are not properly reheated or cooked, cook them for longer.
• Remember to stir the foods during the process of reheating.
• Divide your foods into smaller portions to ensure that your foods are reheated thoroughly.

This list includes 31 foods to never reheat in a microwave that you should know and then try to avoid reheating them at home and work. These foods can become toxic and even cause some health problems when reheated in the microwave. So, you and other readers of AllRemedies should avoid heating them up for the second time in the microwave. If you think that this list is helpful and can help other people around you prevent the problems related to the reheating process, remember to share this list with them as soon as possible. One more thing; if you have any idea about the reheating process or know other foods to never reheat in a microwave, feel free to share them with other readers by leaving your comments in the comment box below.