Leftovers can be perfect for easy-to-plan lunches, afternoon snacks, late-night snacks — or all of the above.
While it's tempting to rely on the microwave to reheat leftovers, food experts say that may not be the best thing to do.
Microwaves can cook food unevenly and leave “cold spots,” allowing harmful bacteria to survive the reheating process, according to Michigan State University.
In addition, food reheated in the microwave does not always taste good. Leftovers can become dry or overcooked.
Food experts gave Fox News Digital original thoughts on when to skip rush-hour microwave reheating — and what foods to avoid reheating this way.
Some of these may be surprising.
1. Boiled eggs
Known as a powerful source of protein, hard-boiled eggs are a smart, portable snack.
However, food experts suggest eating it cold instead of using the microwave to get rid of the cold.
“Never microwave a hard-boiled egg,” said Amanda Holtzer, a registered dietitian in Nutley, New Jersey. “Doing this causes steam and pressure to build up in the egg white – and can lead to an explosion when the egg is cracked.”
“This explosion can happen in the microwave, on your plate, or, frighteningly, in your mouth when you bite into the egg,” Holzer told Fox News Digital.
2. Foods rich in vitamin C
Since vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and is very sensitive to heat, do not microwave foods rich in this vitamin, Holzer said.
“When exposed to heat, vitamin C decomposes and is destroyed,” she said.
Foods rich in vitamin C include broccoli, bell peppers, berries, and leafy green vegetables.
“To maintain the integrity of the vitamin C in these foods, I recommend eating them raw as much as possible,” Holzer said.
3. Chicken
From a food safety perspective, reheating chicken is usually perfectly safe, Holzer said.
“However, from a quality control perspective, I recommend not reheating chicken,” she said.
“When chicken is stored in the refrigerator after cooking, the fats in the meat can oxidize, which may change the chemical composition of the chicken and therefore the taste.”
“Then, when you reheat it, any moisture that was in the chicken evaporates, leaving you with chicken that has no taste and texture.”
Instead, with leftover chicken, Holzer suggested reusing it in a recipe that doesn't require reheating, such as a chicken salad sandwich or chicken wrap.
4. Seafood
Reheating seafood is not a good thing, Holzer said.
“Fish is one of the foods I recommend not reheating at all,” she said.
“The high heat from the microwave can cause the moisture in the fish to evaporate quickly, which can cause an extremely dry, rubbery texture.”
From a culinary perspective, Jim Nuzzi, executive chef of Valor Hospitality in Atlanta, Georgia, agreed that nuking seafood wouldn't yield the best results.
“Seafood is a no-no for me,” Nuzzi told Fox News Digital. “It's really difficult to reheat any seafood without experiencing some adverse effects, but reheating seafood in the microwave in particular will dry it out.”
5. Steak
If you have some leftover steak from a night at a nice restaurant and want to reheat it in the microwave the next day, you won't enjoy the same gourmet experience on day two or three, experts say.
“Reheating steak can cause it to lose its tender texture and flavor because the additional heat tends to dry out the meat and make it tough,” Nuzzi said.
“In addition, reheating often results in an uneven temperature. Parts of the steak may become overcooked, while other parts remain cold.
