Rice and veggies.

bigmangettingthin

Will rice and veggies stay good in the fridge for 3 days. Im going to start meal prepping.

Thanks

lynn_glenmont

For the veggies, probably good in the sense of safe, but maybe not in the sense of appetizing depending on how they're prepared and how picky you are.

For the rice, even though I frequently do that myself, I can't recommend it, as there apparently is something hazardous that rice can carry that survives boiling. You could stick the cooked rice in the freezer and pop it into boiling water for 30 seconds and drain (like pasta) or microwave it.

kpsyche

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

For the veggies, probably good in the sense of safe, but maybe not in the sense of appetizing depending on how they're prepared and how picky you are.

For the rice, even though I frequently do that myself, I can't recommend it, as there apparently is something hazardous that rice can carry that survives boiling. You could stick the cooked rice in the freezer and pop it into boiling water for 30 seconds and drain (like pasta) or microwave it.

It's because heating doesn't kill all the Bacillus cereus spores and these can cause food poisoning. The main problem is how the rice is stored though; the B. cereus multiply when the temperature is right (warm) so it's more of a problem when keeping the rice warm for any length of time before serving (i.e. kept in a bay marie or whatever). If cook the rice and let it cool -- don't keep it warm waiting to serve -- and get it into the fridge pretty quickly this problem is minimised.

lynn_glenmont

kpsyche wrote: »

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

For the veggies, probably good in the sense of safe, but maybe not in the sense of appetizing depending on how they're prepared and how picky you are.

For the rice, even though I frequently do that myself, I can't recommend it, as there apparently is something hazardous that rice can carry that survives boiling. You could stick the cooked rice in the freezer and pop it into boiling water for 30 seconds and drain (like pasta) or microwave it.

It's because heating doesn't kill all the Bacillus cereus spores and these can cause food poisoning. The main problem is how the rice is stored though; the B. cereus multiply when the temperature is right (warm) so it's more of a problem when keeping the rice warm for any length of time before serving (i.e. kept in a bay marie or whatever). If cook the rice and let it cool -- don't keep it warm waiting to serve -- and get it into the fridge pretty quickly this problem is minimised.

Thanks -- I was too lazy to look it up earlier.

However, even when quickly stored in the refrigerator, NHS recommends not storing it for more than one day before reheating steaming hot throughout, and not to reheat more than once. Which means you have to eat it or toss it within one day of originally cooking it.

As I said, I don't actually follow this advice myself, and nothing bad has every happened to me (at least I don't think so -- the symptoms are described as relatively mild vomiting or diarrhea, and I might not have correlated the latter with rice), but I'm seriously considering not pressing my luck and freezing any leftovers in individual portions immediately.

amy19355

Interesting info about the shelf life of.m cooked rice.

I have been cooking three days worth at a time for about ever.

Typically I eat one serving right away and stow the rest in single serving portions and stick in the fridge or freezer for later consumption.

Maybe I have unwittingly avoided the risk noted because of my quick put it away habits.

kshama2001

StillTasty and my own experience says 4-6 days for cooked rice. Vegetables would depend on the veggie. I would probably under cook bell peppers so they would stay crisp, but I like most vegetables undercooked by other people's standards. I wouldn't use bean sprouts in a dish I plan to eat days later.

https://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18723
https://www.stilltasty.com//Fooditems/food_storage_info
StillTasty's food storage information is drawn from multiple sources. A primary source is the food safety research conducted by U.S. government agencies, including the United States Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Machka9

I've had food poisoning from rice. It's horrible. Really horrible.

Now, the longest I'll keep rice is one day.



But I don't know why a person would need to "meal prep" rice!!

I eat chicken, rice, and veg just about every lunch, and I keep the chicken and rice in my drawer at work. I just bring a packet of steam fresh veg into work each day.

paperpudding

I have tried those microwave rice packets - IME they taste sort of cardboardy compared to rice cooked the traditional way
Both that and the tinned chicken are also quite expensive compared to cooking that amount yourself

Neither of which are reasons not to eat it if it is worth it to you - not a fan myself though.

Machka9

paperpudding wrote: »

I have tried those microwave rice packets - IME they taste sort of cardboardy compared to rice cooked the traditional way
Both that and the tinned chicken are also quite expensive compared to cooking that amount yourself

Neither of which are reasons not to eat it if it is worth it to you - not a fan myself though.

The convenience well outweighs the cost. It takes me 3 minutes and 30 seconds to prepare my lunch for a grand total of $3.05.

Not bad considering most of my coworkers drop $15+ on their take-away lunches.


And rice tastes like rice to me ... it doesn't have much of a flavour. Bland as!

MikePTY

Veggies will last several days in the fridge. I steam broccoli on Sunday, and eat it through Thursday or the week. It keeps flavor and everything else pretty well. I don't cook a ton of other veggies, but it goes for them as well.

As far as rice, if you are going to go an instant rice route, I recommend Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. It microwaves in 90 seconds, and tastes better than the rice i make at home (I'm also not very good at cooking rice). There are also a lot of different flavors to choose from. That being said, I completely understand if cost is a factor, as it is a lot pricier than cooking rice yourself.

amy19355

Machka9 wrote: »

I've had food poisoning from rice. It's horrible. Really horrible.

Now, the longest I'll keep rice is one day.



But I don't know why a person would need to "meal prep" rice!!

I eat chicken, rice, and veg just about every lunch, and I keep the chicken and rice in my drawer at work. I just bring a packet of steam fresh veg into work each day.

Meal prepping does two things for me that I consider important :
1. Saves me a boatload of money by not paying others to prepare and package simple basic foodstuffs. While I shower, dress and eat breakfast, it Takes 40 minutes on the stove to make 3 days of rice to keep in the fridge.
2. Saves me another boatload of money by always having available meals to stave off the drive-through-fast-food-temptress.

Side benefits of meal prep: less package waste.i use mason jars.

Machka9

amy19355 wrote: »

Machka9 wrote: »

I've had food poisoning from rice. It's horrible. Really horrible.

Now, the longest I'll keep rice is one day.



But I don't know why a person would need to "meal prep" rice!!

I eat chicken, rice, and veg just about every lunch, and I keep the chicken and rice in my drawer at work. I just bring a packet of steam fresh veg into work each day.

Meal prepping does two things for me that I consider important :
1. Saves me a boatload of money by not paying others to prepare and package simple basic foodstuffs. While I shower, dress and eat breakfast, it Takes 40 minutes on the stove to make 3 days of rice to keep in the fridge.
2. Saves me another boatload of money by always having available meals to stave off the drive-through-fast-food-temptress.

Side benefits of meal prep: less package waste.i use mason jars.

Well if you've got the time and inclination ... go for it.

I don't have 40 minutes to cook so ... 3 and a half minutes it is!

Stockholm_Andy

Is canned chicken really a thing? Does it end up liked canned tuna?

paperpudding

Machka9 wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

I have tried those microwave rice packets - IME they taste sort of cardboardy compared to rice cooked the traditional way
Both that and the tinned chicken are also quite expensive compared to cooking that amount yourself

Neither of which are reasons not to eat it if it is worth it to you - not a fan myself though.

The convenience well outweighs the cost. It takes me 3 minutes and 30 seconds to prepare my lunch for a grand total of $3.05.

Not bad considering most of my coworkers drop $15+ on their take-away lunches.


And rice tastes like rice to me ... it doesn't have much of a flavour. Bland as!

Fair enough - it is worth it to you then.
I don't much like microwave rice myself, nor canned chicken , certainly tastes different to me.
Not worth it to me.

I take a lunch box to work too, I don't buy lunch either.

I just take different things to you.

Athijade

I do rice many weeks and eat off of it for the full week. Never had an issue. But I don't allow it to just sit out and stay "warm". It gets cooked, it gets portioned, and then it gets cooled down.

MikePTY

Stockholm_Andy wrote: »

Is canned chicken really a thing? Does it end up liked canned tuna?

I've used it before to make chicken salad. Similar to tuna but bigger chunks so it doesn't get quite as wet. It's good for chicken salad when you are covering it with other stuff anyways, but I'd find it difficult to eat just from the can.

kimny72

I have been making big batches of rice and reheating a portion throughout the week for my entire adult life, and we ate reheated leftover rice at home when I was a kid. Never thought twice about it, I guess ignorance is bliss!

I will often make rice, barley, farro, or pasta salad (mixed with thawed frozen veggies, leftover chicken, or canned tuna, and sometimes a can of beans) and bring it to work in portions for lunch. I usually eat it cold, except for when I use rice, I heat it up. I would think as long as you use basic kitchen safety processes - refrigerate it quickly, keep it cold until you will be eating it, heat it thoroughly if you are reheating it - you would be fine, but then I had no idea rice had this dark secret

janejellyroll

I have personally eaten vegetable and rice dishes that were up to seven days old and never had an issue. I understand this isn't the recommended practice, but it works for me.

I always make sure to chill my foods promptly and I chill them in individual servings (not in a big batch) so they get to the desired temperature quickly.

GottaBurnEmAll

I usually make rice the day we're having it due to the odd nature of our family's meals, but I routinely pre-roast large batches of vegetables (without seasoning or oil, I season them when I reheat them) and we eat them for 4-5 days thereafter.

I properly cool them down and store them in individual containers.

Nachise

Stockholm_Andy wrote: »

Is canned chicken really a thing? Does it end up liked canned tuna?

Yep...oversalted and tasteless. Much cheaper and easier to buy boneless chicken breast or thighs, cook them, and portion them. Much tastier, too. Frankly, I can never get over the jelled junk in the can.

kami3006

Nachise wrote: »

Stockholm_Andy wrote: »

Is canned chicken really a thing? Does it end up liked canned tuna?

Yep...oversalted and tasteless. Much cheaper and easier to buy boneless chicken breast or thighs, cook them, and portion them. Much tastier, too. Frankly, I can never get over the jelled junk in the can.

I use it from time to time and it's packaged in a variety of ways. I buy it packed in water so no jelly and it's not salty at all.

I think mixed with other things it's great, cheap, and fast. I make chicken salad or mix it with salsa and use it for a quick plate of nachos or a burrito.

Certainly not the same quality as buying a chicken breast but decent substitute.

As for rice, for years I have made it an kept it in the fridge up to a week with no problems.