National Throw Out Your Leftovers Day!

Planning meals often means having leftovers for another night or meals for lunch the next day.  Do you know how long you should keep the leftovers in your refrigerator?  Here are some tips to help keep your family safe from getting sick off of foods that have been in the refrigerator too long:

Leftovers should be eaten within three to four days from the day it was prepared to prevent the risk of food poisoning. If leftovers will not be eaten within this time frame, freeze them in secure container and date the container using a piece of tape so that you know when it was stored the next time you pull it out to eat. Leftovers are completely safe to eat when reheated to a temperature of 165 degrees F.   

Get into the habit of using or freezing leftovers. Any extra food should be stored within two hours after your meal and kept in the refrigerator. Make the most of leftover by storing them in clear containers so that you can easily see the food. Put the date on the container so that you know exactly when you prepared it. Or try down loading the free FoodKeeper app - Your new tool for smart food keeping.

Extra food can make easy meals the next few days. One night out of the week can be dedicated to eating leftovers for dinner. This allows you to use up a lot of your leftovers and makes room for the new food that will be bought.  Do not forget that using the leftover scraps of fruits and vegetables could be used for composting.

It is important to buy, prepare, and store our food in the most effective way possible to decrease the amount of food being wasted. Preventing food from being wasted means that you are only buying and eating what you need. Being a mindful shopper will save you daily calories and money.  Start fresh and join us to throw out leftover food in your refrigerator on National Throw Out Your Leftovers Day!

For more information see www.foodsafety.gov
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