Every one of us has faced this. A party for 30 people and only 20 show up. Numbers of delicacies you prepared that will impress even the seasoned cooks are barely touched by the picky eaters. Today, a day after the party, you are now facing the challenge of what to with extra large, two door refrigerator filled with food?
You do what you have always done, spread out the menu on the table and announce in a firm voice that this is what you will eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner... till it gets over!
Admiring your courage of taking on the task of singlehandedly finishing off the dinner, there is always a nagging doubt in your mind about this habit of regularly eating leftover foods. You remember your sister- in- law commenting that it can be harmful in the long run. This article looks at leftovers to help you decide whether to put them in your plate or discard it in the bin…
Why to not eat leftovers?
- The very first reason for not eating leftovers is because they lack nutrition. Dr. Shweta Iyengar, Nutritionist says, “Food looses many of the nutrients from the time it is cut to the time it is cooked because of the process called as oxidation. When the food is in contact with the air for a long time as leftovers are, they lose many of the nutrients; also there is more loss during the process of reheating it.”
- The second reason is that leftovers are not stored properly. For the food to remain safe, you need to refrigerate it within 2-4 hours of cooking. Generally by the time we keep the food in the fridge, it already starts deteriorating. Bacteria start acting on the food and multiplying when it is out for long. The temperature of the fridge should also be below 400 F or 00 C.
- The third reason is that once you know you have food in the fridge, you will be tempted to eat it even if you are not hungry thus aiding weight gain. Even those with strongest wills cannot resist a chocolate cake or gazar ka halwa that lies in the fridge…
Why eat leftovers?
- Some foods taste better after a day like chicken curry and meat items as the flavor is fully absorbed by the meat.
- You will save lot of good food from being wasted. With the kind of price rise of food that we are facing, we cannot just throw the food when it is surplus.
- It is convenient for some households to cook at night and carry the same food in the tiffin next day.
Eating leftovers saves time and money but only when you know the right way to eat leftovers. Here are pointers to help you.
- Refrigerate it fast: Foods that need to be eaten later need to be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking. The more time the food remains outside, more will the bacteria act on it and multiply. If you are preparing foods that you know are going to be eaten for many days, take the portion you want to eat later in a different container and then refrigerate it right away.
- Within 4 days: All leftover foods must be eaten within 4 days of its preparation after which it is spoilt and may lead to food poisoning.
- Cool it well: Keep the refrigerator at a temperature between 40 C to 00 C or 380 F to 400 F when you storing the leftovers. When you are freezing the food, the temperature must be at 00 F or -180 C. Remember, cooling does not kill the bacteria in the food, it only makes it dormant.
- Shallow containers: Another important point is making sure that the food is cooled evenly and this can be ensured by keeping the food is kept in shallow container. Liquids can be stored in number of smaller containers; meat can be stored by cutting it in smaller pieces and covering with plastic wraps.
- Deep Freeze: Foods that you know will not be over in 4 days needs to be deep frozen. Foods like sauces, mayonnaise, chutneys need to deep frozen if you are not going to eat it later. Deep Frozen remains good for a long time but the nutritional content and the flavor may not be the same.
- Heat it: Heating ensures that the bacteria in the food are killed, so make sure you heat it adequately. If you are heating it in a microwave make sure that food is heated uniformly by stirring it. Cover the container with a lid or a microwave safe plastic wraps. For curries, make sure that you heat it till it boils.
- Low shelf life: Foods like meat and dairy foods need to be refrigerated as soon as possible to stall the bacterial growth. Uncooked food and salads should be eaten promptly as well.
- Keep it where you can see it: To make sure that you finish your leftovers sooner, place them ahead of the fresh groceries. This way you will eat them first and they will not go bad.
- Reduce your leftovers: The best solution to the problem of leftover is making sure that you don’t have them in the first. Cook considering the portions that you are going to eat. Even when you are in a restaurant ask for the portion size and make sure that the leftovers are minimized.
- Share it: Like the instance when loads of party food was leftover, you can share your leftovers with friends and neighbors on the day itself. This way food will consumed when it is still fresh and it won’t go waste.
Even while Dr. Shweta Iyengar says that eating leftovers isn’t unhealthy, Ayurveda has a different take. According to Ayurveda, any food that is kept overnight leads to Kapha and Aam formation which leads to sluggish digestion as well as increases the toxicity of the food.
Even otherwise, there is always the fear of food poisoning due to leftovers. Since the bacteria don’t necessarily change the taste, smell and the color of the foods, you can’t really tell if food is spoilt.
So for leftovers, when in doubt, throw it out!
