We’ve all done the smell test with a gallon of milk, hoping the sourness was just a fluke. But truthfully, many foods have expiration dates you’ll want to take more seriously. Here are seven you want to pitch when the packaging says it’s time.
Milk
This is a contentious one to start with since many people adhere to a “if it looks okay and smells okay, it’s probably fine” mentality. That’s a good take if you’re concerned about food waste, but not recommended if you’re concerned about bacteria. Milk and other dairy products go bad pretty much in line with their expiration date. That might not be the same as the sell-by date, which can sometimes leave room for interpretation, but it should be thrown out when it expires.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fortunately, much like milk, fruits and veggies are organic matter. That means once they’re done being edible, they’ll likely let you know. Fruits and vegetables often won’t have an expiration date if they aren’t packaged, so you’ll have to go with your gut in those instances. Either that or betray it by gambling a strange-looking ear of corn—it’s up to you.
Cooking Oil
Consuming old cooking oil might not get you sick, but it certainly won’t be pleasant, either. Most oils last for about a year before they get more and more rancid. You can somewhat stave off this stage by keeping your oil far away from heat and light.
Deli Meat
The prepackaged deli meat you find in the aisles might have a longer lifespan. But if we’re talking about the slices you get from the counter, you have about three to five days before those need to be tossed. Many people wait for them to get a weird smell or film on the meat, but that’s often too late, and you may have already consumed some harmful bacteria!
Sprouts
Sprouts are a tough sell if you’re worried about bacteria anyway, but doubly so if you leave them past their prime. If there’s any sliminess in your sprouts, get rid of them immediately. Most only last one or two days tops. And if you do want to enjoy them, cooking them is the safest way.
Fresh Meat
Contrary to what many people may say, you can’t cook raw meat past its expiration date and hope for the best. There’s a lot more leeway here if you’ve left the meat frozen and then thawed it. But still, the safest thing to do is eat your meat within the first few days of purchasing and never trust something that looks or smells off.
Baby Formula
This one is arguably the most vital to know since, for many babies, it’s their primary source of food. Don’t risk it: always toss baby formula if it’s past the use-by date. Even if it could be okay, babies don’t have well-developed immune systems, meaning it wouldn’t take much to get them seriously ill at worst and get less nutrients than they need at best.
12 Foods You Can Eat a Lot of Without Gaining Weight
Are there foods you’ve always avoided in the hope that they don’t mess with your weight? While some foods are high in calories and can make you gain weight, a restrictive diet isn’t always the answer. Interestingly, some foods you could be avoiding could be the key to loosing weight.
These are some of the foods you can eat without gaining weight. Most of these foods have fiber, protein, and good fats to boost satiety and sustain energy throughout the day.
Let’s discuss 12 foods you can eat a lot of without gaining weight.
12 Foods You Can Eat a Lot of Without Gaining Weight
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