Reheating food: microwave vs skillet?

[PissedPajamas]

I wanna get everyone’s general consensus on reheating food.

I like to reheat my stuff on a cast-iron skillet with a little bit of cooking spray if I have the chance to, since it makes it pretty damn tasty, while others just microwave it for convenience.

Throughout my time bodybuilding, I’ve had a shitty gut even at my best in terms of gut health, and I’ve reheated my food on the skillet about 90% of the time. Meanwhile, I see guys microwaving their chicken/rice daily with zero complaints about indigestion and bloating. I think there’s something to this. Re-cooking food on a skillet further denatures it and causes a greater degree of oxidized fats that can fuck up your gut.

How many of you reheat stuff in the microwave vs recook it on a skillet? And do any of you suffer from chronic gut issues/abdominal distention?

 

[PissedPajamas]

To add some more context

Sometimes I’ll reheat on my skillet my already cooked meat that I’ve made in bulk along with my ready made rice and raw veggies just to bring the meal together, put it in the fridge, then reheat it again on the skillet later and enjoy it “fresh”. That’s 3 recookings on the skillet.

I’ve just realized this can’t be good lol. I’d love some more takes on this

 

[workingclass]

microwave

 

[FrenchBench22]

If you watch any of Jordan Hutchinson's "full day of eating" videos, he reheats any prepped meals in a skillet with cooking oil, has a fairly high fat diet compared to most people (around 30-60g added fat per day even in contest prep), and gets in good condition.

So however much extra oil it is, even if it isn't accounted for, it is consistent day to day, so like a non-variable - like having one glass of kefir a day.

Personally, I use an air fryer or microwave if I have one available. Otherwise I eat my food cold, or it is prepared fresh.

 

[Sully1234]

To add some more context

Sometimes I’ll reheat on my skillet my already cooked meat that I’ve made in bulk along with my ready made rice and raw veggies just to bring the meal together, put it in the fridge, then reheat it again on the skillet later and enjoy it “fresh”. That’s 3 recookings on the skillet.

I’ve just realized this can’t be good lol. I’d love some more takes on this

I dont think denaturing fats is the issue... You have more control with a skillet than a microwave too.

To be clear, you're suspecting cooking on a skillet is causing you issues?

 

[massephase]

I don't reheat my food at all. If I cook it and it's for the same day, I keep and eat it at room temperature. If it's for the next 1-2 days, I keep it in the fridge, take it out in the morning and then again, eat at room temp.

 

[megroo]

I microwave stuff like my potato’s, microwave rice bags etc.
I’d never re- heat my meats, I don’t see the point.
Why batch cook them all just to re- cook them (and be over cooked and tough)
May aswell just cook it fresh, seems counter productive.
I batch cook chicken to take out with me for the day, but I’ll eat that cold.
Anything else is cooked at the time.

Save for perhaps if I made a batch of chilli, or curry or some kind of stew every now and again. I’d bang that in the microwave briefly

 

[PissedPajamas]

I dont think denaturing fats is the issue... You have more control with a skillet than a microwave too.

To be clear, you're suspecting cooking on a skillet is causing you issues?

That’s my assumption. Not so much the cooking oil itself, but the constant reheating on a high temperature skillet. Fwiw when I travel I don’t have the luxury of doing this and my gut feels much better. Didn’t link the two till recently

 

[PissedPajamas]

If you watch any of Jordan Hutchinson's "full day of eating" videos, he reheats any prepped meals in a skillet with cooking oil, has a fairly high fat diet compared to most people (around 30-60g added fat per day even in contest prep), and gets in good condition.

So however much extra oil it is, even if it isn't accounted for, it is consistent day to day, so like a non-variable - like having one glass of kefir a day.

Personally, I use an air fryer or microwave if I have one available. Otherwise I eat my food cold, or it is prepared fresh.

Yeah I’ve seen his FDOE. Honestly, I think he’s a bit of an outlier? He heavily relies on sauces, sweeteners, and nonconventional food additives + volume eating. His gut just handles things tremendously well and he holds no water or inflammation from doing so.

I have a pretty sensitive gut so I can’t get away with the same things he’s doing

 

[Heath82]

Air fryer

 

[Oakley6575]

Have you tried a stainless steel pan instead of cast iron? Do you have high iron levels on bloodwork? I've read about high iron causing gut issues.

I use a pan on the stove and air fryer almost every meal.

 

[Sully1234]

That’s my assumption. Not so much the cooking oil itself, but the constant reheating on a high temperature skillet. Fwiw when I travel I don’t have the luxury of doing this and my gut feels much better. Didn’t link the two till recently

What oil are you using? Could you not reheat on medium heat?

When you're traveling are you eating smaller volumes though?

 

[PissedPajamas]

What oil are you using? Could you not reheat on medium heat?

When you're traveling are you eating smaller volumes though?

EVOO, about 3-5 second burst of spray. When I’m traveling I’ll bulk pack meals that I’m normally not re-cooking on the skillet. Most of the time I’m just eating these cold

 

[Sully1234]

First guess would be using the spray... The propellants have butane and propane.

Try using olive oil from not from a spray can first.

 

[Flocci]

I microwave everything. I've even cooked chicken, fish, rice, potato and eggs in that wondeful machine.

It doesnt work that well for boiling vegetables though, they tend to not get fully boiled/cooked and harder to digest.

 

[Splitzz]

Microwave, been stuck Eating my meals cold and was surprised how good it actually was. Still prefer the microwave though.

 

[bbxtreme]

The most common thing I see is resistant starch formation from reheating rice.

The second is bacterial toxins from improper storage of it.

Eat your rice fresh daily or if that’s not possible keep it in the fridge or at room temp and do not reheat it. Your digestion will be much better for it.

 

[d4ve]

Usually microwave, occasionally skillet.

I used to leave my rice cooker out on warm all day, so at least that wouldn't have to be reheated.

 

[Durro NoHurtNoBigShirt]

I wanna get everyone’s general consensus on reheating food.

I like to reheat my stuff on a cast-iron skillet with a little bit of cooking spray if I have the chance to, since it makes it pretty damn tasty, while others just microwave it for convenience.

Throughout my time bodybuilding, I’ve had a shitty gut even at my best in terms of gut health, and I’ve reheated my food on the skillet about 90% of the time. Meanwhile, I see guys microwaving their chicken/rice daily with zero complaints about indigestion and bloating. I think there’s something to this. Re-cooking food on a skillet further denatures it and causes a greater degree of oxidized fats that can fuck up your gut.

How many of you reheat stuff in the microwave vs recook it on a skillet? And do any of you suffer from chronic gut issues/abdominal distention?

Maybe you need to ride the wave bro!

 

[PissedPajamas]

The most common thing I see is resistant starch formation from reheating rice.

The second is bacterial toxins from improper storage of it.

Eat your rice fresh daily or if that’s not possible keep it in the fridge or at room temp and do not reheat it. Your digestion will be much better for it.

Very true. I try to keep my rice fresh in the rice cooker, but one thing my friend pointed out is that I’m using EVOO cooking spray on high heat, and maybe replacing for an avocado oil cooking spray or just microwaving my meals might be better.

I’v avoided the skillet all day and my gut feels way better, so maybe there’s something to all this