Can you eat jambalaya cold?
In this article we are going to answer can you eat jambalaya cold, what is jambalaya, is jambalaya healthy to eat, what is the risk of eating jambalaya leftovers, how to store jambalaya, and how can you add jambalaya to your diet.
Can you eat jambalaya cold?
Yes, you can eat jambalaya cold. Jambalaya can be eaten cold from the refrigerator as long as it hasn’t been sitting for more than 3 to 4 days after being cooked. It is better to reheat it and wait for it to be cold so you kill bacteria and viruses in case it has some.
There is a high risk of getting foodborne illness if you eat meat, fish, and poultry that haven’t been reheated after being cooked. Young children, pregnant women, immunocompromised patients, and the elderly are more at risk of having worse symptoms of food poisoning.
What is jambalaya?
Jambalaya is an American creole and cajun rice dish that has French, African, and Spanish influences. It is very popular, especially in Louisiana. Jambalaya is made of sausage, smoked meat, pork, chicken, and seafood. The vegetables are usually stir fry or sofrito with a cajun style cooking.
Vegetables in jambalaya include onion, celery, green bell pepper, and other vegetables such as okra, carrots, tomatoes, corn, chillies, and garlic. After the vegetables and meat are cooked, the rice is added and they are all cooked together until the rice is done.
Jambalaya is very similar to other rice dishes such as gumbo and etouffee from Louisiana cuisine. There are also some varieties of jambalaya that might include less meat or vegetables but they all are a mixture of rice, vegetables, and meat protein.
Is jambalaya healthy to eat?
Jambalaya can be healthy to eat but it depends on the cooking method and how much jambalaya you eat.
One serving of jambalaya or about 2 cups includes 768 calories of which 327 are from fat, 36 grams of fat, 146 mg of cholesterol, 2524 mg of sodium, 831 grams of potassium, 73 grams of carbohydrates, and 35 grams of protein.
It is a dish high in calories, sodium, and fat. Try to eat it in moderation or try to make it at home to reduce calories and sodium. The main problem with this dish, nutritionally speaking, is that you can eat all the sodium you need in one day with one serving of jambalaya.
A high sodium diet might lead to heart problems and stroke eventually so as long as you don’t overeat or add it to your everyday diet, it is okay to eat jambalaya.
What is the risk of eating jambalaya leftovers?
The main risk of eating jambalaya leftovers cold without reheating it is getting a food-borne illness. Jambalaya has meat from animal sources that are highly perishable food.
Food poisoning or also called foodborne illness is caused when you eat something that is contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Sometimes you don’t have to ingest the virus or bacteria, it is enough by eating their toxins to have symptoms of food poisoning.
Symptoms might start within an hour of eating contaminated food. Symptoms include
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea
- Fever
The whole sickness caused by food poisoning can last one day to several days. Food poisoning is life-threatening to immune-suppressed patients, the elderly, pregnant women, and young children.
The most common contaminants that can cause food poisoning are
- Campylobacter: symptoms start from 2 to 5 days
- E.coli: symptoms start from 1 to 8 days
- Listeria: symptoms start from 9 to 48 hours
- Noroviruses (there are very common in the summer): symptoms start from 12 to 48 hours
- Salmonella: symptoms start from 1 to 3 days
- Shigella: symptoms start from 24 to 48 hours
- Staphylococcus aureus: symptoms start from 1 to 6 hours
The only way to get rid of bacteria or viruses is to reheat food up to 165 F or until steaming hot.
How to store jambalaya?
If you have jambalaya leftovers you should store them in an airtight container. In the refrigerator it can last up to 3 to 4 days or in the freezer it can last up to 6 months. It is recommended to reheat if you want to eat it or if you want to eat it cold, reheat it and wait until it is cold so it is safer to eat.
How can you add jambalaya to your diet?
Jambalaya can be part of your healthy diet if you cook it and use ingredients that do not add too many calories, sodium, and fat to your diet.
This recipe of low-calorie jambalaya serves 8 and each serving contains 238 calories, 8 grams of cholesterol, 1205 mg of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 29 grams of protein.
Other FAQs about Rice that you may be interested in.
Can you freeze cooked brown rice?
Conclusion
This article answered can you eat jambalaya cold? What is jambalaya? Is jambalaya healthy to eat? What is the risk of eating jambalaya leftovers? How to store jambalaya, and how can you add jambalaya to your diet?”
