1. Storing Cooked Food for more than 12 hours
Aren't we all very busy and running at all times? It's probably everyone's story, and pretty much nobody's got the time to enjoy the Meal and the Nutritive Moment. This is why we all see hope and optimism, in our food, considering that we'll get done with work and gobble up on the leftovers as soon as we're back. However, we're in for some bad news. Leftovers might not taste different, but they're changing their nutritive value each moment. Invisible to the Naked Eye, Bacteria build-up can harm your body adversely, further leading to Food-Poisoning, Acidity or Diarrhoea.
Eating leftovers from foods that were prepared more than 12 hours ago are a certain No-No.
2. Over-Heating your Food
Understanding the right temperatures for all your recipes is important, as all ingredients in your food have different sensitivity when exposed to heat. While heat is primarily supplied to food for it to be cooked well, at certain times excess heat can reverse things for you. Some Oils have a low smoke point, while some have a high smoke point. Overheating the Oil in your pan alone can bring in a long list of ailments to you with excess trans fat build-up. Reheating food is another harmful procedure, which needs to be practised very carefully.
3. Refrigerating the Wrong Things
Refrigerating certain foods can actually alter their value in an adverse way. It can even reduce or modify their nutritional qualities, or speed up the spoiling and rotting process. Watch out for the items you’ve probably been refrigerating, and get them out of there at the earliest.
Breads, Herbs, Salad Dressings, Ketchup, Sauces, Coffee, Jam, Garlic, Spices, Nuts and Dried Fruits, Squashes, Syrups, Juices, Honey, Bell Peppers, Onions, Potatoes, Tomatoes, and Fruits like Peaches, Plum, Melons, Avocadoes, Apples, Bananas, Citrus Fruits, Apricot, etc. should not be stored in the refrigerator, as they tend to spoil faster in there, than when stored at room temperature.
4. Packing Hot Food in Plastic Containers
Remember the leftover Curry you put into the refrigerator earlier this morning? It’s probably out there, freezing, in a Plastic Container. The Ketchup you picked up at the Supermarket is in Plastic. And so is the water bottle you’re carrying. Plastic has been winning all over with its flexibility and convenience. But, are they really keeping our edibles safe? Plastic Containers release certain chemicals into stored foods and liquids. More and more harmful chemicals can be released into your food, that’s probably going to result in a couple of Sick Days with Food Poisoning or Diarrhoea. It's best to avoid Plastic when it comes to Food storage, especially Wet Food Storage.
5. Storing Oil besides the Cooktop
In most of the Kitchens, the Edible Oil Bottle is kept quite handy when cooking, i.e. right next to the Cooktop. Oils, and most edible liquids for that matter, break up when exposed to the Sun or Higher Temperatures. This in turn fastens the process of the oil turning rancid, losing out on Aroma, Consistency and Nutritive Value. What’s more, the constant exposure to heat starts helping the creation of Trans Fats, that’s rated as the topmost harmful fat for your body. It also tends to degrade a lot faster, bringing about a change in the nutritive value of your food cooked in the same oil.
Edible Oil is best when stored away from any source of heat or Sunlight.
