How Long Can I keep Left Overs?

A special thanks to all of the Dieticians at Home Solutions Infusion Therapy for their contribution to our blog in March!  Because I was a few days behind posting throughout National Nutrition Month, we're extending their posts through April.  

I love this post from Ellen Sviland.  I'm always curious, hmm... is that casserole still good?  Eating left overs can help save money, but make sure what you're eating is safe!  Now you'll know!


How Long Can I Keep Left Overs?
Presented to you by: Ellen Sviland, MS, RD, LD – Fairfax Branch
Home Solutions Infusion Therapy

The “danger zone” for food is 40-140F. This means that foods stored between these temperatures have a higher risk for bacterial contamination if left at this temperature for too long a period of time. When you cook foods, you want to make sure you cook it to at least 140F to kill any bacteria that may be present in the food. For leftovers, you want to reheat the food to at least 165F to ensure you kill any bacteria in the food.

Ensuring you properly store leftovers within 2 hours of meal preparation will help to prevent bacterial growth. If the temperature outside is 90F or above, your food is only safe for 1 hour without being consumed, stored or thrown away!

Your refrigerator should be set below 40F for safe food storage.  Proper freezer temperature is 0F to ensure frozen foods stay frozen to help prevent bacterial contamination.

And remember, when in doubt, throw the food out or risk food poisoning!

Please visit http://www.homefoodsafety.org for more tips and also to download the free app to help determine if a food is safe to eat!