Here are 10 foods you can eat past the expiration date
By Kareem Gantt
Hey, don’t toss everything away in your fridge just yet! Here are 10 foods you can actually eat past the expiration date. No, seriously.
Hey, you! Put down that block of cheese, pronto! Why should you put down that cheese that has gone three days past its expiration date? Because, believe it or not, it’s still safe for you to eat. Just because we see that “expire by” date doesn’t mean the food item has instantly gone bad, oh no.
“Well, what does it mean, then?” You’re probably asking me right now. It means that, if you don’t eat it soon, it will go bad, and you will have to throw it out soon, maybe a week after it has sailed past its expiration date. So now that I’ve gotten your attention, Bustle has listed the 10 foods you can eat past its expiration date, some of which you may have been doing already, others you probably never thought about until now.
So without further ado, let’s dig in!
1. Cheese
When your cheese hits the expiration date, that doesn’t instantly mean throw it to the food Gods. Sure a little mold may grow on the cheese, but if you cut the mold off, you’ll still be able to consume that cheese. Just be careful with soft cheeses. You’ll thank us later for that advice.
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2. Pasta
You may already know that you can actually keep pasta on the shelf for up to two years, but did you know that you can keep pasta on the shelf even longer? That’s because it’s dry and doesn’t contain water, and we all know that moisture can lead to things going bad. So as long as you keep that pasta in a cool place, you got pasta forever!
3. Yogurt
Used to throwing out that yogurt at the “sell-by” date? That should now be a thing of the past! As long as the yogurt doesn’t emit a “for the love of God, throw me out!” smell, you should be good eating that tub of yogurt up to two weeks past the expiration date.
4. Chips
Yes, once chips get to its expiration date it will start to stale (even more so if you’re notorious for leaving the bag half-open and letting the air in). However, just because those chips will get a bit harder to crunch doesn’t mean its bad to eat. If you’re a pro at sealing up a bag, chips can actually last you quite a while.
5. Bread
Just like chips, you shouldn’t immediately throw that bread out once it hit its expiration date. Bread (the ones where mold hasn’t grown on it) can be good at least a month past its date, and you can actually use that bread for croutons and French toast.
6. Chocolate
This entry should make a lot of folks happy. When you see the white film form on chocolate that’s perceived as “too old,” that’s actually not mold. Nope, it’s a “cholate bloom,” and guess what? You can still eat the chocolate! Say goodbye to throwing away that chocolate!
7. Cereal
Here’s another food item that, if you have stealth sealing skills, can last you for longer than the expiration date. Yes, cereal does get stale eventually, but if you keep it sealed up tight those Honey Nut Cheerios can stay fresh for months after the date.
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8. Frozen Food
There’s a good reason why your parents keep leftovers frozen in the freezer. That’s because keeping food frozen can actually preserve its freshness. That’s also why you shouldn’t be quick to throw away frozen foods, if you don’t mind a little bit of freezer burn, of course.
9. Prepackaged Produced
We’re not saying you should eat prepackaged produced months past its expiration date. We don’t want you to meet God just yet. However, if the product doesn’t smell and you can cut off the bruised parts, that product should be good to go at least a month past its date if you know how to keep it sealed and know how to cook.
10. Condiments (Ketchup, Mustard, etc.)
Fun fact: Condiments can eat up at least 30-percent of your monthly grocery bill. That’s because it’s one of the most sought after items due to them either being used up or going “bad.” Well, here’s where I can save you a little bit of money: Most condiments are still rather good past their expiration dates if you stay healthy and don’t have a weak stomach.
Will you be brave enough to keep these foods around after their expiration date? Which do you absolutely not want to mess with? Sounds off in the comments!