Food Storage Guidelines: How Long Can You Keep Food in the Fridge?

Wondering if those leftovers are still good? What about that meat? Or milk? Our infographic breaks down the shelf life of common refrigerated items and offers up tips for keeping food fresh.

Because sell-by dates often aren’t reliable indicators of when something has gone bad, it can be difficult to know how long is too long when it comes to an item’s shelf life. These need-to-know food storage guidelines will help keep you healthy and your fridge fresh.

Tips to keep food fresh longer:

· Keep your fridge temp at or below 40°F, and set your freezer to 0ºF

· Don’t slice foods until you’re ready to eat them.

· Store leafy vegetables with humidity control set on high.

· Store fruits with humidity controls set on low.

· Don’t store meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables in the same crisper.

· Don’t put easily perishable items in the fridge door, where the temp is warmer.

· Store leftovers in airtight containers.

· Avoid overcrowding, as this can block cold air circulation and cause warm spots.

Be sure to plan ahead for the week to prevent food loss, and don’t forget to organize your fridge in the most effective way.

Refrigerator Storage Times

How long do those eggs last? Should you toss that hamburger meat? Our fridge storage timeline has the answers.

Dairy Opened Milk: 3-5 days Opened Cheese: 2-3 weeks

Eggs Fresh: 2-5 weeks Products with eggs: 1-2 days

Deli Meat Unopened: 2 weeks Opened: 3-5 days

Meat Steaks, chops, roasts: 3-5 days Ground meat: 1-2 days

Poultry Whole or parts: 1-2 days Leftover cooked meat and poultry: 3-4 days

Fish Raw fish and shellfish: 1-2 days Leftover cooked seafood: 3-4 days

Vegetables Beans, cucumbers, broccoli, lettuce, peppers: 1 week Beets, celery, corn on the cob, carrots: 2 weeks

Fruit Berries: 2-3 days Avocados: 7-10 days Citrus: 3 weeks