If you grew up in an African home, you have probably eaten leftover food the next day. And now that you’re all grown up and have a family of your own, your kids also eat leftover food the next day. After all, you were taught since young not to waste food. Moreover, is it just me or we all can’t bear to throw perfectly edible food away into the bin? I mean, why not just wrap the food with cling wrap and throw into the fridge and eat the next day? Well, if you’re like me, and have this habit of eating leftover food the next day, here are 7 food items that you shouldn’t leave overnight because they might just cause you to get food poisoning:
Green leafy vegetables
Green ‘leafy’ vegetables contain a high amount of nitrates within them, but overnight, these nitrates which were previously beneficial to our body will turn toxic, and even applying heat, which is known to kill bacteria and harmful agents, will not be able to get rid of these toxic compounds. So, for all those ugali lovers who love to feast on leftover ugali and greens from the previous night, you might want to reconsider eating this food.
Egg based dishes
Anything that’s cooked with or in egg and needs to be reheated the next day is a no-no when it comes to leftover foods. This includes pancakes and even hard-boiled eggs. According to food nutritionists, cooked eggs and egg-containing dishes should be served immediately after cooking. Reheating boiled or scrambled eggs may make you sick.
Sea food
According to nutritionists and scientists alike, cooked seafood that has spent any time at room temperature might be harbouring bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Reheating leftover seafood may not kill these bacteria, and it can be hard to know how it was previously stored if you are buying it fresh. Additionally, when left overnight, the protein in seafood will turn toxic and when eaten, might just harm your liver and kidney functions.
Water from the previous night
If you’ve drunk from the cup the night before, it’s best to just throw the water away. This is because bacteria from your saliva has entered the drink and multiplied ferociously throughout the night. And when you drink the water, everything goes into your body.
