Cleverly Handling Leftover Food During Holidays
Cleverly Eating Leftovers for Health Without Waste
During the holiday season, whether gathering at home or dining out for the New Year's feast, there will be an abundance of staple foods and dishes. So, how should leftovers be handled properly?
First and foremost, it is best to cook or order only what you can eat. This way, you can enjoy fresh meals every time, which is both safe and nutritious. In China, regardless of the region, many families have the tradition of preparing large batches of food before the New Year, especially in rural areas, where they make staple foods and fried dishes in advance to enjoy throughout the first lunar month. Due to the cold weather, staple foods like steamed buns, rice cakes, and bean buns are typically stored outdoors in a "natural refrigerator."
The starter dough for leavened bread usually contains spoilage bacteria. Most of these are killed during the steaming process, but some may survive. If the temperature and humidity are suitable, they will multiply rapidly. The climate has been unusual over the past year, with many areas nationwide experiencing milder winters than usual. Food stored outdoors must be protected from spoilage. If it turns black, becomes sticky, develops mold, or shows stringiness when pulled apart, it has spoiled and must not be eaten. In fact, storing staple foods in the freezer of a refrigerator can preserve them for a longer time with better results, whereas the refrigerator's higher temperature can easily cause food to spoil. Fried foods, having been dehydrated, can also be stored for a longer period, but their main drawback is that the fat can become rancid.
Rancidity is the result of fat oxidation. Consuming rancid food can not only cause poisoning but may also lead to gene mutations, damage the body's enzyme systems, and accelerate aging. Therefore, one should avoid repeatedly using the same oil for frying, and the oil used should be fresh. Used oil should be discarded. When reheating leftover fried foods like fried shrimp, fish, or chicken, you can quickly re-fry them and serve them with fresh vegetables. Fresh vegetables are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that can effectively reduce the harm caused by peroxides in fats to the human body.
Can leftover vegetables be eaten again?
Vegetables contain high levels of nitrites. Consuming too much can lead to poisoning, primarily manifesting as general fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, abdominal bloating, and bluish lips and fingernails. In severe cases, it can lead to convulsions, a drop in blood pressure, incontinence, and coma. If not treated promptly, it can be fatal. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, nitrites can combine with proteins in food to form nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens. Therefore, leftover vegetables must not be eaten. Wang Yi reminds elderly friends that while waste is shameful, it is truly not worth the cost to force yourself to eat spoiled food just to save money, and it is even less worthwhile if it leads to illness.