Is it safe to eat leftovers in pregnancy?

[JFTB1177]

I made (meatless) spagetti about 3-4 days ago and heated some up in the microwave earlier to eat. Then I read something on the net that said to avoid leftovers or eat them within one day, and heat to steaming.

Well I did heat to steaming but you know, using the microwave there were some pockets that weren't steaming. Plus the fact that it was 3-4 days old!

Feeling worried... can someone talk me down?

[blessedwithboys]

I would worry more about using a microwave than eating 3 day old food.

[JFTB1177]

lol I know, the microwave isn't the healthiest. But I am super paranoid about listeria and getting food poisoning, etc.

[MaerynPearl]

if eating leftovers was a problem there would be a HUGE amount of info out there about it, considering its much more common than any of the other things that they claim are problems...

as long as you stored the food then you know that it was stored correctly, you know how long it has been stored and you don't eat anything that you know has gone bad, you are probably in the clear!

[Ammaarah]

I wouldn't stress about it. And I'm totally pro-microwave.

[Honey693]

I've been eating leftovers that have been in the fridge for over a week . I wouldn't worry at all.

[lillymonster]

i'd be so sick by now if leftovers were bad I have not been good about cooking this pregnancy!

If it was refrigerated constantly, I am sure it's okay. I'd put my limit on anything longer than 6-7 days, but that is general rule I have.

[micah_mae_]

We eat leftovers a lot, I've never heard anything and I've never had an issue. I will eat it if it's been in the fridge less than a week.
I don't like microwaves either, but less because I think they're dangerous and more because I don't like how they make food taste/feel. The texture gets icky.

[m0xxie]

If it's not growing hair or slime, I'll eat it! :-) Well, maybe not quite... but I rely on my super smelling power of pregnancy... if it doesn't smell right, I won't touch it. And if microwaving leftovers was unhealthy, I'd have died of some dread disease 20 years ago!

In this case, common sense reigns, I think.

[~Demeter~]

Quit reading things on the net!! No really! You'll feel much better because of it.

I don't have a microwave and hardly ever eat to steaming my leftovers. Recently, I ate COLD leftover spaghetti straight from the fridge. It was delicious. Oh.. and I ate it on day 1 and day 3 and 4. You're fine.

[Twinklefae]

Originally Posted by Ammaarah

I wouldn't stress about it. And I'm totally pro-microwave.

:

[Ellen Griswold]

If I weren't able to eat leftovers, I think I'd have starved by now. Seriously, I cook big meals and then we eat on them till they're gone.

[FarrenSquare]

Leftovers are like god's gift to pregnant ladies. Don't let anyone take that away from you! If you are being paranoid about lysteria, avoid anything unpasteurized and stay away from the deli.

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by FarrenSquare

Leftovers are like god's gift to pregnant ladies.

No kidding! <--says the pregnant lady as she munches on leftover dinner at... holy crap, it's MIDNIGHT?!

[2xy]

Good grief...I am so glad I'm not pregnant in present day. I ate whatever I wanted and nobody told me to do otherwise. They said to take it easy on caffeine and avoid alcohol, and consume enough folic acid. I ate TONS of leftovers, deli meat, soft cheese, etc. I also was as big as a house, but that's another story.

I also took care of the litter box through both of my pregnancies.

I don't think leftovers are going to hurt you as long as they were properly cooked, properly stored, and properly reheated.

[EllisH]

2xy, so nice to hear from someone who experienced being pregnant before women got inundated with prescriptions!

[aikigypsy]

I have given myself food poisoning from leftover pizza, but that was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, and it only happened once in nearly 40 years of eating leftovers.

I like to move things into the garbage before they get really scary, but after a few days to a week, properly refrigerated, most stuff would be fine. I am more cautious about meat- and dairy- based meals than vegetables, too.

My Irish roommates used to keep dinner leftovers in the microwave for a day, then throw them out if no one had eaten them for lunch, which I thought was gross. Their argument was that we had a small fridge. I could always find room in it, though!

[teeg1973]

To original poster - Please take my advice as gently as possible as I mean only the best intentions (and after all, I too am only an online poster!)

I have read many of your posts and it appears that you have a lot of underlying anxiety about many pregnancy related things. IMO, one of the best things you could do for your babe is to try to find someone who can help you with gaining some control over your anxiety and fears.

Wishing you the best.

Tracy

[2xy]

See, that's the thing....it's often not about how old the food is (within reason, of course), but how it was prepared and taken care of prior to being stored. If you have a roast chicken and let it sit on the counter all night before putting it away, I'd be leery of it. I also remember being amazed and horrified at some friends of mine who don't refrigerate leftover pizza at all, claiming there isn't anything on it that can spoil.

[EllisH]

Originally Posted by teeg1973

To original poster - Please take my advice as gently as possible as I mean only the best intentions (and after all, I too am only an online poster!)

I have read many of your posts and it appears that you have a lot of underlying anxiety about many pregnancy related things. IMO, one of the best things you could do for your babe is to try to find someone who can help you with gaining some control over your anxiety and fears.

Wishing you the best.

Tracy

May I second that advice as someone who's herself ridden with anxiety like the original poster. I have had several panic attacks over food that wasn't hot enough, foods I should have eaten, or shouldn't have eaten and so on. Instead, and really at the instigation of people close to me, I am now (very hard!) trying to focus on getting over these kinds of anxieties rather than giving in to it, precisely because I do believe that's the best I can do for myself and my baby.

So Tracy, thank you for making this point! Too easily a message board like this can get us to discuss precisely these niggling worries rather than the big pictures (although the responses here to OP have been very nice!).