Oats are one of the healthier meals that you should include in your breakfast. It has been seen that many people in order to save their time and energy, prepare oatmeal, leave it overnight and then reheat it the next morning. Is it safe to consume it in this way? Health experts believe that eating oats in this way can bring a lot of health issues.
Why it is harmful to eat reheated oats?
Most people believe that as oatmeal does not have any perishable product such as milk, animal product or any other dairy product in it, it is safe to be reheated. This is not the case. Even if it doesn’t contain any of these items, it is not safe at any temperature. If the food is not dry and has even water in it, you can say it is unsafe to be reheated.
The “food safety specialist” believe that leaving warm oatmeal overnight tend to be risky. Depending on the level of water added to it, if there are pathogens in the dry form of oats such as salmonella, etc., you can observe rapid growth of bacteria at ambient temperatures.
It can also be put as, if bacteria are present in your oatmeal, then at the right conditions, it can breed quickly, produce enough cells that can make you fall sick the next day. If you require to prepare oatmeal in advance, you need to cook it properly and keep it in refrigerate to consume it cold later, or in a slow cooker to let it remain hot for a good amount of time.
What is the safe duration to keep cooked oatmeal inside the fridge?
To increase the shelf life of your cooked oatmeal, it is required to keep it in refrigerator in properly covered resealable plastic bags or airtight containers. The ideal duration for which you can keep properly cooked and stored oatmeal in the fridge is four to six days.
Ways to reheat oatmeal
Oats can be reheated if you don’t keep it overnight. Following are the two methods that are safe to reheat your oats during the day.
The Stove Top Method
Take desired amount of oats in a container, add some water or milk into it to reduce the cluster and improve its consistency. Reheat it on the stove. Heat it for 7 minutes on medium flame till it gets uniformly warm.
The Microwave Method
Another good way to warm your oats is to heat it in a microwave. Put the oatmeal in a microwave safe container. Now add water or milk to it as per your preference. Bring the oats into the center with the help of a spoon so that your oats gets warm up quickly. Cover them up and microwave it for forty-five seconds. Now stir it, and again microwave it for the next 45 seconds till you get your oats at the desired lukewarm temperature.
Conclusion
Oatmeal is another food that is advised not to be reheated. It is prone to reproduction of bacteria and can get you a number of health issues. Either eat it fresh or eat it cold, but don’t reheat it.