We have often been told to finish our food in one sitting, while some of us may have even been scolded by our elders for eating day-old leftovers because they were considered less healthy.
But what if there’s actually evidence that some leftovers can be more nutritious than freshly cooked food?
Could your leftovers really be better than freshly cooked food?
VERDICT:
TRUE, BUT
That bowl of leftover pasta or rice in your fridge might be doing your body more good than you think.
Surprisingly, cooling certain starchy foods after cooking can make them healthier than when they're freshly made.
When carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta, rice and potatoes are cooked and then cooled, some of their digestible starch converts into resistant starch through a process called retrogradation.
This changes the starch's structure, making it more resistant to digestion. Even reheating the food doesn't completely reverse the process.
Unlike regular starch, resistant starch isn't broken down in the small intestine. Instead, it reaches the large intestine, where it acts like dietary fibre and feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
Research has linked resistant starch to improved gut health, better blood sugar control and greater feelings of fullness.
However, leftover carbs are not automatically healthy. Their nutritional value still depends on the type of carbohydrate and what it is served with.
A bowl of pasta smothered in a rich cream sauce or loaded with processed meat will still be high in calories, saturated fat and sodium.
However, although they are healthier, there's a catch: if not stored properly, those same leftovers could also make you seriously ill.
Cooked carbohydrates should also be refrigerated promptly. Leaving pasta, rice or potatoes at room temperature for too long can allow Bacillus cereus to multiply and produce toxins that cause food poisoning.
While most people recover, severe cases have been reported and, in rare instances, it can be fatal.
Sources;
https://www.thestar.com.my/
https://www.orlandohealth.com/
https://health.osu.edu/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
