worried pre made food will taste bad after 4 days

leomarquez15
leomarquez15 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 13 in Food and Nutrition
Im always scared to eat my pre made food after 4 days in the fridge. I sometimes take the first bite and throw it out cause it taste funny. So I go down the street and get chipotle.
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Replies

  • Depending what you make I would freeze some of your portions. That is what I do and that way it stays fresh longer. The texture can sometimes be different depending what it is but it is worth a try to avoid waste and the easy excuse to splurge on chipotle.
  • leomarquez15
    leomarquez15 Posts: 10 Member
    Didn't think about freezing my meal, I should get the freezer zip locks bags and try it. Good info
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,230 Member
    Definitely freeze it. I premake heaps of meals and freeze them, it makes it so easy to grab and go. If you make a few different things, you can grab what takes your fancy and not have to get bored.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    Yup freeze it. I usually eat fridge leftovers within 2 days. Freezer portions last, like, months. I just made up 12 portions of enchilada's, and have portions of soup in there as well. Just finished off with my lasagna today.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I never eat anything that's been in the fridge for more than 3 days, personally.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
    When I make soups for lunches, I will eat them up to a week later with no weird flavors. I get a little wary after that.
  • Kabijots
    Kabijots Posts: 218 Member
    My rule of thumb is cooked meat and fish -3 days. Anything else -5 days. Often sauces improve over time as the ingredients (garlic, chilli, ginger, herbs and spices etc) seem to develop. Anything else goes in freezer barring salad items.

    If you are reheating, make sure it is piping hot before serving.

    Also make sure your fridge is working properly.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Why not just make some fresh food? You could stir fry up a meal in the time it takes to go get something at Chipotle.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Why not just make some fresh food? You could stir fry up a meal in the time it takes to go get something at Chipotle.

    THIS. I'm honestly baffled when people say that they just eat out or get takeout because they don't have time to cook. It takes less than 10 minutes to grill some chicken and cook some veggies. It would take me longer to go to the restaurant, get food, and come back.
  • terricherry2
    terricherry2 Posts: 222 Member
    Psychological. I leave meals in the fridge for a week and they're fine. Never poisoned myself.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Psychological. I leave meals in the fridge for a week and they're fine. Never poisoned myself.

    If week-old chicken breast were bad for you, I would have been dead a long time ago.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Psychological. I leave meals in the fridge for a week and they're fine. Never poisoned myself.

    If week-old chicken breast were bad for you, I would have been dead a long time ago.

    It depends on several of factors. Temp of the fridge, freshness of the meat when cooked, how often the fridge is opened, etc. But, yeah, if properly prepared and stored, it can keep for a week or more.
  • Aross83
    Aross83 Posts: 936 Member
    Also Try using glass containers. things stay fresher a lot longer in glass containers/ mason jars!
  • kristydi
    kristydi Posts: 781 Member
    edited February 2015
    Aross83 wrote: »
    Also Try using glass containers. things stay fresher a lot longer in glass containers/ mason jars!

    I thought I was the only one who noticed this. My mom swears I'm nuts when I say my stuff lasts longer in glass.
    Psychological. I leave meals in the fridge for a week and they're fine. Never poisoned myself.

    If week-old chicken breast were bad for you, I would have been dead a long time ago.
    True story.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    If it smells funny, I don't eat it. LOL
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    edited February 2015
    I always put my leftovers in lunch portion containers and into the freezer the same day. Then, in the mornings, I take whatever frozen leftover I'm in the mood for and let it defrost while at my desk until lunch. Walla!
  • littleaudrey85
    littleaudrey85 Posts: 45 Member
    kristydi wrote: »
    Aross83 wrote: »
    Also Try using glass containers. things stay fresher a lot longer in glass containers/ mason jars!

    I thought I was the only one who noticed this. My mom swears I'm nuts when I say my stuff lasts longer in glass.
    Psychological. I leave meals in the fridge for a week and they're fine. Never poisoned myself.

    If week-old chicken breast were bad for you, I would have been dead a long time ago.
    True story.

    Haha yes to both of these! I might chicken (or tuna) salad Sunday nights and eat it throughout the rest of the work week for lunch. Sealed up tight in a glass container and it still tastes first day fresh by Friday.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    Nothing we say will change your mind set. Hope you enjoy Chipotle.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I hate frozen food, the texture grosses me out. If you're like me, use glass containers for the fridge, and just make enough for 2-3 meals (3 if you KNOW you'll eat them, otherwise just 2 meals).

    Here are things I make and things to make with them:

    Meatloaf (no ketchup or whatever glaze, though - basically baked hamburger stuff).
    - sandwich
    - with sauce over pasta, like meatballs
    - with rice and/or black beans (for those - sautee with onion, garlic, and red wine, 5 mins)

    Roast beef
    - sandwich
    - with pasta, again, like a stroganoff (sauce w yogurt)
    - put a different sauce over it, like a stir fry, and have it with rice and a salad
    - burritos

    Roast chicken
    - sandwich
    - pasta
    - salad
    - rice dish (add peppers and a tiny bit of sausage for flavour)
    - burritos
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I cook for two so it is easy to have the leftovers pile up. I don't typically pre-cook a lot. So I package up part of my dinner for lunch the next day. This past weekend we had a "leftovers dinner" where I pulled out my party platter and put a different leftover in each section, along with some burritos. I was lucky as it had been a particularly colorful selection of leftovers. Green asparagus, orange mashed squash with potatoes, and so on. It was gobbled up pretty fast.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Im always scared to eat my pre made food after 4 days in the fridge. I sometimes take the first bite and throw it out cause it taste funny. So I go down the street and get chipotle.

    Look up the shelf life of foods and how to freeze foods.
    For leftovers 3-4 days in the refrigerator is probably the limit. Freezing the food in individual portions might be better if it takes you longer than a couple of days to finish it. Frozen food is fine for months.
    food.unl.edu/safety/chart
    stilltasty.com
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm a 72 hour and then toss it guy for most things. About the only thing I make ahead of time that I keep around longer than that is my homemade pinto beans. I usually make a batch of those on a Sunday overnight and they last me through Friday usually and I haven't had any issues...but everything else pretty much is 72 hours.

    If I have anything pre-prepared that can't be consumed in that time frame I freeze it.
  • leomarquez15
    leomarquez15 Posts: 10 Member
    Im a father of 3 and work full time 45 hours a week, I work out during lunch so if my food isnt on point I don't have the option to cook I have to run and grab sum grub, the closest is fried chicken but I drive a little further to chipotle. Im not scared that my food is bad its just the taste that questions me and when you try to eat clean all week you want you food to taste decent sum days.
  • bespatter
    bespatter Posts: 73 Member
    I do cooked meals (stored in glass in the fridge) for max 5 days. The only exception is grains which I store for about 3 days max. With most the stuff I make though, it only lasts about 3 days (keeps me from getting too bored with my meals too).
  • lngrunert
    lngrunert Posts: 204 Member
    I will eat leftovers that are properly sealed and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. In over 20 years, neither me or anyone else in my family has gotten sick from doing this. Though I agree that if anything smells or tastes bad, it should be discarded regardless of date.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Well I just finished my 5 day old lentil and chicken stew (amazingly satiating). If anything it tasted better every day as the flavors were well developed. My meals usually last 3-5 days, on rare cases a week. I don't recall ever getting sick from my home cooked meals. If it tastes funny to you though, maybe you are better off making smaller amounts. I don't like freezing, it changes the texture of cooked foods and I don't like that so I only freeze fresh things to be cooked later.
  • awesomewastaken
    awesomewastaken Posts: 92 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Why not just make some fresh food? You could stir fry up a meal in the time it takes to go get something at Chipotle.

    THIS. I'm honestly baffled when people say that they just eat out or get takeout because they don't have time to cook. It takes less than 10 minutes to grill some chicken and cook some veggies. It would take me longer to go to the restaurant, get food, and come back.

    How on earth do you prepare chicken and veggies in less than 10 minutes? I must be doing something very wrong because I can never fix up a meal in less than 30-40 minutes. And 30 minutes feels like an eternity when I'm very hungry.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Why not just make some fresh food? You could stir fry up a meal in the time it takes to go get something at Chipotle.

    THIS. I'm honestly baffled when people say that they just eat out or get takeout because they don't have time to cook. It takes less than 10 minutes to grill some chicken and cook some veggies. It would take me longer to go to the restaurant, get food, and come back.

    How on earth do you prepare chicken and veggies in less than 10 minutes? I must be doing something very wrong because I can never fix up a meal in less than 30-40 minutes. And 30 minutes feels like an eternity when I'm very hungry.

    I'm too lazy to do that when I'm hungry, so I reach for a cup of instant noodles. They're portion controlled so I do not have to worry about going over. If anything, I actually have extra calories to spend after that (350 calories per 80 gram package).
  • awesomewastaken
    awesomewastaken Posts: 92 Member
    edited February 2015
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Why not just make some fresh food? You could stir fry up a meal in the time it takes to go get something at Chipotle.

    THIS. I'm honestly baffled when people say that they just eat out or get takeout because they don't have time to cook. It takes less than 10 minutes to grill some chicken and cook some veggies. It would take me longer to go to the restaurant, get food, and come back.

    How on earth do you prepare chicken and veggies in less than 10 minutes? I must be doing something very wrong because I can never fix up a meal in less than 30-40 minutes. And 30 minutes feels like an eternity when I'm very hungry.

    I'm too lazy to do that when I'm hungry, so I reach for a cup of instant noodles. They're portion controlled so I do not have to worry about going over. If anything, I actually have extra calories to spend after that (350 calories per 80 gram package).
    That might not actually be a bad idea because I just checked and one serving of my favourite instant noodles is 280 calories. Somehow I had always thought that instant noodles were the devil incarnate but I suppose a bowl of those would beat a meal at a fast-food join (1000 cals +). Thanks for the idea!

  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    Psychological. I leave meals in the fridge for a week and they're fine. Never poisoned myself.

    If week-old chicken breast were bad for you, I would have been dead a long time ago.

    Yup, me too ;) Now, I do keep my pre-cooked chicken breasts on the top shelf near the back (that's the "cold" spot of my fridge, yogurts and milk freezes back there). Then I feel confident that one week old chicken is perfectly safe. Or, OP, just freeze your food in meal size containers and microwave when ready to eat them. Problem solved.
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