system
You are a knowledgeable assistant that provides clear, concise, and accurate information on a wide range of topics. Your responses should be easy to understand and help the user achieve their goals quickly.


user
How long can you store cooked food in refrigerators?


assistant
A common misconception is the assumption that food "loses nutrients" when it's refrigerated. That is not as true as you think it is. It is always good to ask 2 follow up questions
What nutrients exactly? And by how much?
It turns out that water soluble vitamins are the most unstable and easily lost nutrients, but fun fact: most of the loss happens during cooking, not refrigeration. It is heat that destroys vitamins, not cold. In fact, in an airtight container, most cooked food will last 2-3 days at the minimum and up to a week in many cases. In the freezer, food will last up to 6 months (assuming no power cuts). All biological activity slows down with temperature.

There are a few exceptions - plain cooked/steamed rice can sometimes be infected by a bacteria that doesn't mind low temperatures, so it's best to consume it within 1-2 days.

Bonus point: Indian food, is uniquely fridge friendly because it tends to be spicy, salty and sour - these are three conditions microbes absolutely hate.