As a registered dietitian nutritionist, too often I forget that I have been educated and have a responsibility to talk about food safety. It is not just important to teach about what we eat, but also to make sure that the food we are eating is safe. We often have no idea the shelf life of foods, even when they do have a label. Below is guide to help skim our refrigerators and pantries to make room for new products in 2021! I have also including some food safety tips and resources

how do I know if it’s safe to eat something? 

• Most of the time you can eat a food a few days past the date listed
• Canned foods can be stored for several years
• High-acid canned foods can be stored for more than a year
• Check out Foodkeeper, a free app from the USDA
• The FDA doesn’t require expiration dates on food  and dates are chosen by individual manufacturers 
• ‘Sell-By’ date means how long the store should keep the product on the shelf
• ‘Best if Used By’ date is when the product will have the best flavor and quality. 
• ‘Use-By’ date is the last date recommended for use of the product