Most people know you can save a lot of money at the grocery store if you buy in bulk. You can do this either by buying in the bulk section if the store has one or buying off the shelves in large quantities when there’s a great price.
A problem with this, though, is that some foods are actually better not bought in bulk.
That’s because they spoil faster than you think, or they lose flavor and quality over time. Let’s look at some foods you should never buy in bulk.
Fresh Produce
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Fresh produce typically doesn’t have a long shelf life, so avoid the temptation to stock up when something you like is on sale. While some produce does okay in the freezer, a lot doesn’t and gets ruined.
Eggs
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Kept refrigerated, eggs can last a few weeks past their sell-by date. If you don’t use a lot of eggs, though, you can probably get by with buying just one carton at a time and not having to worry about unused eggs spoiling.
Cooking Oils
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Any oil will go bad over time even if you store it somewhere cool and dark as recommended. Unless you do a lot of cooking with oils, you probably don’t need more than one bottle at a time since it may take weeks or months to use it up.
Bread and Baked Goods
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Don’t stock up on bread unless you go through a lot of it. Putting it in the fridge to extend its life dries it out and hardens it. Bread does freeze pretty well, but it takes up a lot of freezer space.
Meats and Fish
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Fresh meat and fish aren’t cheap, so it does make sense to stock up when it’s on sale, and these foods can remain good when frozen for several months. The problem is that many people just freeze meat and fish in the store packaging, which isn’t made for that. You risk freezer burn and/or greatly reduced quality and flavor.
Nuts
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The fat content in nuts means they can go rancid, and if you stock up on nuts, especially expensive ones on sale, they may go bad before you can eat them all. If you do want to store them longer-term, use sealed, airtight containers.
Flour
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Don’t buy a gigantic bag of flour unless you do a lot of baking. It’s common for moisture to get into flour bags and bins, which will make it go bad. Flour also attracts weevils, tiny insects also known as flour bugs.
Brown Rice
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Brown rice contains natural oils, and since oils can go bad, so can brown rice. Like flour, brown rice is also a favorite of weevils.
Herbs and Spices
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How often do you go through even a small jar of a certain dried herb or spice? Stick to just one small jar except for herbs and spices you use a lot. These food items typically don’t go bad, but they decline in flavor and quality over time. Many also tend to clump up.
Milk
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Always check the date on milk since it’s one of the products that spoils the fastest once the use-by date arrives. Yes, you can stock up on milk and freeze it, but think about all the space that will take up.
Condiments
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Condiments like ketchup, mustard, and mayo can last several months even after being opened (if refrigerated), but they won’t last forever. A medium-sized bottle or jar will take most families a few weeks or longer to go through, so there’s no need to buy a whole lot at once.
Chips and Snacks
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Opened bags of chips and other snacks can have staleness start to settle in after just a few days. Airtight storage helps, but even unopened chips expire. It might be tempting to buy several bags of your favorite chips when they’re on sale, but there’s a good chance some will get stale before you can get to them.
12 Foods To NEVER Eat After They Expire (Throw Them Away Immediately)
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The “Sell by” date on food packaging tells how long the food can stay on shelves, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s when it expires. On the other hand, the “Best by” or “Use by” date is something to really pay attention to.
Some foods can be fine well past that date, but others don’t, and consuming them can lead to food poisoning, a trip to the hospital, or worse. Following are some foods you should never consume after they expire.
12 Foods To NEVER Eat After They Expire (Throw Them Away Immediately)
15 Healthy Foods That Taste So Good They Have No Right Being Healthy
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Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. Many nutritious foods are full of vitamins and minerals and taste absolutely delicious. Some of these foods might surprise you with how good they taste while still being a part of a healthy diet.
If you’re looking for guilt-free snacks or meals, check out this list of 15 healthy foods that taste so good they almost feel like a cheat.
15 Healthy Foods That Taste So Good They Have No Right Being Healthy
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